Hiawatha Student Recognized at JAG Career Development Conference

Hiawatha World, May 17, 2022 – click to read original article

Two individuals and two teams representing Jobs for America’s Graduates-Kansas placed in national competitions in Dallas last week, while several other participants finished in the top 10.

JAG National hosted the National Career Development Conference (NCDC) Thursday through Saturday, with a contingent from each state affiliate attending for training and competition.

This year, 29 JAG-K students reached the finals of virtual competitions that culminate the Regional and State Career Development Conferences held in the spring. The seven competition categories are Financial Literacy, Creative Decision Making, Prepared Speaking, Career Preparation, Project-Based Learning, Business Plan, and Employability Skills. The results of the events were announced Saturday, May 7.

JAG-K students who placed in the top 10 in their events included Liam Schooler of Hiawatha High School, in Financial Literacy.

“We are proud of the students that represented JAG-K at this national event,” said JAG-K President and CEO Chuck Knapp. “They were from every region of the state, and it was amazing to watch them come together as a team and compete at a high level. They were also respectful and kind, which makes an event like this even more enjoyable.”

JAG-K is a multi-year, in-school program for students in grades 6-12 that offers tools to successfully transition students into post-secondary school, the military, or directly into the workforce with marketable skills. Participants in the program face multiple barriers to success that their JAG-K Career Specialist helps them overcome through a nationally accredited, evidence-based model.

The 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization is a state affiliate of the national JAG program network which operates in 40 different states and territories. It is primarily funded through the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families block grant to the State of Kansas administered by the Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF). In addition to school districts and DCF, JAG-K partners with the Kansas Department of Education. Other JAG-K funding sources include ADM, AT&T, Evergy, Goldstein Charitable Trust, John Deere, the Kansas Health Foundation, the Kansas Insurance Department, the Kansas State Bank Commissioner, Stormont Vail Health, Synchrony Financial, the Taco Bell Foundation and Walmart.

To learn more about JAG-K, visit www.jagkansas.org, ‘Jobs for America’s Graduates-Kansas’ on Facebook, and on Twitter at @JAG_Kansas.