News Release: JAG-K Presents to Kansas Board of Education
Last week, Jobs for America’s Graduates- Kansas (JAG-K) presented to the Kansas State Board of Education, a long-time supporter and advocate for the work that JAG-K does. This was an exciting opportunity for JAG-K to share news of their new micro-credentialing pilot, student success stories, and recognize retiring State Education Commissioner Dr. Randy Watson’s contributions to education.
Leading the presentation was Bev Mortimer, Chief Innovation Officer at JAG-K. “Think of JAG-K as a comprehensive career development model that is evidence based,” Mortimer explained to the Board, reiterating critical components of the JAG-K program. “We are in a pilot right now, piloting credentials in our competency areas.”
“We’ve always been competency-based, but this pilot takes it one step further,” Mortimer continued, introducing the new Competency to Credential model to the Board. “Once our students have successfully provided evidence of learning, they will be awarded with a digital badge that has verifiable metadata to prove that they have the skills associated with the competency.”
After informing the Board about the Competency to Credential model, three JAG-K students approached the Board to share how JAG-K has impacted their lives over the years.
Aaron Foster, a senior at Topeka High School, who also serves as the Region 2 Vice President for JAG-K, spoke first. “In my earlier years, I was a target at school,” Foster explained. “I couldn’t go a day without being bullied.”
“I didn’t expect high school to be any different, and it wasn’t,” Foster continued, recounting his time in school before joining the JAG-K program. “Not until JAG-K found me. I’ll never forget the amazing feeling of putting myself out there and finally having people believe in me.”
Analicia Aquino is a senior at Shawnee Mission North and serves as the Region 2 President and State Vice President for JAG-K. “My brother was in the program, and he loved it,” Aquino stated as she told the Board about how she joined the program. “So, he told me to give it a chance, and I did.”
“Little did I know that chance I took would turn into something bigger than I could ever imagine,” Aquino continued, before recounting her experience participating at Career Development Conferences, competing in the prepared speaking competition. “When I competed my eighth-grade year, I did horrible,” Aquino remembered with a laugh, “But somehow, me doing terrible made me want to keep going and push harder.”
“Freshman year, fourth place at the state level. Sophomore and junior year, top ten at the national level,” Aquino listed off her rankings in her prepared speech to the Board. “I haven’tgotten to compete during my senior year yet, but I’m hoping for the best. My best might not be placing top ten at nationals again, but maybe it’s having peace knowing that I found something I love doing, and a passion I’ll have for the rest of my life.”
The last student to address the board was Macy Patterson, a senior from Russell High School, who serves as the Region 1 president and State Parliamentarian. “Nobody really talks about the students who have everything figured out their freshman year,” Patterson explained that she has always been a good student, and she has known for a long time where she wanted to go in life. “It’s a little bit lonely, because all your friends are still figuring out what they want to do and they’re exploring.”
“Freshman year was a little bit different for me because I still knew what I wanted to do, but I had no idea how to get there,” Patterson stated when explaining her journey into the JAG-K program. “My first year in JAG-K was my sophomore year, and I just loved the class because I finally had the chance to figure out how I wanted to get into my career, which was law enforcement.”
Macy got a unique opportunity through her JAG-K program in Russell – two internships with the Russell Police Department through a partnership between JAG-K and Ogallala Commons. “I learned that Russell is 100 percent a place that I would want to come back to after I spread my wings and get my education,” Patterson told the board as she spoke on the importance of her internship. “I created relationships with the people in my community, and I have so many people who are on my side supporting me now; it’s like I have a huge family. I wouldn’thave had that experience without JAG.”
Chuck Knapp, President & CEO of JAG-K, thanked the board to close out the presentation. “The reason JAG-K exists is we want all students to have successful futures, and these are just three stories of thousands,” Knapp told the board. Knapp emphasized the importance of the resilience demonstrated by JAG-K students being one of the most important aspects of the program. “Every student in this state could benefit from being a part of our program,” Knapp concluded.
Knapp then presented Watson with the JAG-K Education Champion Award. “This award is given in deep appreciation of your extraordinary leadership, steadfast partnership, and enduring commitment to the students of Kansas, and your unwavering support of JAG-K,” Knapp explained as he presented the award. “We present this to Dr. Randy Watson with gratitude and admiration from the JAG-K Board of Directors, staff, and our students.”
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. Kansas’ 121 JAG-K programs serve approximately 6,000 students in 54 school districts across the state. JAG-K Career Specialists help students graduate and learn career, leadership, and life skills by executing a nationally-accredited, evidence-based model. Participants must meet criteria to be selected for the program and have potential to overcome various barriers to post-secondary success.
The 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization is a state affiliate of the national JAG program network which operates in 32 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, Barton Community College, EagleU, Goldstein Charitable Trust, Independence Community College, the JB and Anne Hodgdon Foundation, Honeywell, John Deere, Johnson County Community College, the Kansas Chamber of Commerce, Kansas Gas Service, the Kansas Insurance Department, Magellan Financial, Mark One Electric, the Office of the Kansas State Bank Commissioner, United Way of Kaw Valley, United Way of the Plains, U.S. Bank, Walmart and Washburn Tech.
To learn more about JAG-K, visit www.jagkansas.org, or ‘Jobs for America’s Graduates-Kansas’ on Facebook, Instagram, X and LinkedIn.