Wenatchee Educators Launch National Governors Learning Laboratory Video

Wenatchee Learns Connect, Wenatchee School District Career and Technical Education (CTE) and SkillSource have release a video that highlights their work as a National Governors Association (NGA) Learning Lab. The video can be viewed on the Wenatchee Learns YouTube channel.

In December, Governor Inslee, the Workforce Board, and Washington STEM identified 21 career related programs across the state to server as NGA learning labs, with the goal of identifying promising practices and other success factors in career-connected learning.  The Learning Labs project is a component of the National Governors Association Policy Academy on Work-Based Learning. These Learning Labs will ultimately create more work experience opportunities for young people.

The Wenatchee Learning Lab consists of a partnership between Wenatchee Learns Connect, CTE and SkillSource Learning Center. Together they collaborate to create a system wide approach to support career-connected learning through work-based learning opportunities, events and experiences that touch both in and out of school youth in the Wenatchee School District.  Examples of these opportunities include, the NCW College and Career Expo, Pizza Pop and Power Tools, 90 hour paid internships, job shadows and project based learning experiences with the City of Wenatchee.

During a recent Wenatchee Learning Lab site visit by Washington STEM, Gilda Wheeler, senior program officer at Washington STEM noted, “The excitement of the young people involved in the Mayor’s challenge to help the city address housing needs, the commitment of the Wenatchee School District leadership and staff, and the depth of the community partnerships are extremely impressive.”

On May 31, 2017, the Learning Lab programs, business, policy and education leaders will convene at the Governor’s Summit Career Connected Learning Summit, at the Microsoft Redmond campus, to share successes and develop strategies to expand exemplary programs throughout the state. The Wenatchee Learning Lab video will be featured during the opening session of the summit.

The Governor’s Summit on Career Connected Learning will also include a 3-hour session held at multiple sites across Washington including one in Wenatchee. Participants at the regional convening will virtually join the main site general session on policy recommendations including remarks from the Governor.