South Fayette High School will launch a program that aims to provide students with flexible internships or mentorships in fields they might not fully be exposed to in a traditional high school setting.
The district’s “Unbounded Pathways” program will allow 10 to 20 students to have a flexible school day schedule by learning through future work experience — be it through an apprenticeship, internship, mentorship or more — and earn graduation credit by doing so.
Students will work with district staff and career mentors to design individualized learning plans that blend coursework and project-based learning.
“The workforce is changing, and the worker is changing. There are a lot of pathways to get a student to the workforce in an area of passion and expertise,” said Superintendent Michelle Miller. “The Unbounded Pathways program says, not every student is on a straight, Point A to Point B pathway. We need to identify students who may need additional support so they can envision what they want for their future.”
Miller said the program “looks at the Pittsburgh region as a classroom.”
For example, a student interested in museums doesn’t have a pathway to explore doing so in the traditional high school setting. The Unbounded Pathways could allow for a docent partnership at an area museum, Miller said.
Another student who loves art may be able to get experience working on a public installation somewhere, she said.
“Unbounded Pathways allows me to create a system that allows us to give credit for alternative opportunities for students that school may not be able to offer,” Miller said.
The district received a $50,000 grant from Remake Learning, a national network promoting school innovation. Miller said funding is earmarked for technical assistance and support from nonprofit Digital Promise, staff and community partner stipends, and transportation or other financial barriers participating students may face.
This summer, South Fayette will develop a curriculum for the personalized learning program.
“We’re looking at the graduation credits and saying, what else can we call a credit? Can we offer credits for an internship?” Miller said. “The answer is yes, and we’re going to define what that looks like this year.”