Students gaining extra life skills for the workforce demonstrate their knowledge in a competition

WIBW-TV, Feb. 26, 2025 – click to see original story and video

TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) – Topeka’s Washburn Tech was the backdrop for a regional competition of “America’s Graduates.”

JAG-K, or Jobs for America’s Graduates in Kansas, is a non-profit program that teaches students soft skills, such as resume building and exploring career opportunities, so they are ready for the workforce after school. In addition, the students are also taught financial skills, making them financially conscientious.

On Wednesday, Feb. 26, 126 students representing 15 Kansas high schools came to Topeka for a competition.

Bernhardt Tyler Dotson, president of the Manhattan #3, Region 2 JAG-K program at Manhattan High School says there are many different competitions with categories, including financial literacy, creative decision-making — a competition where teams develop a presentation together and present it to judges, and Project-Based Learning — where a student will talk about what they have learned so far from JAG-K, and more.

Each competition is essentially a way for program participants to demonstrate what they have learned through JAG-K.

“Of course, I want the winning teams to feel accomplished that they were able to use their skills and actually place within the competition, but I also want them to really take away what we learn in JAG-K isn’t useless,” said Dotson. “We can actually use these things outside of JAG-K, and I feel like that is very important to not only me as a student but me as someone who is growing up and wants to do good in life.”

The post Students gaining extra life skills for the workforce demonstrate their knowledge in a competition appeared first on Jobs for America's Graduates-Kansas.