Jobs for America’s Graduates-Kansas (JAG-K) students from Great Bend High School competed in the JAG-K Region Two Career Development Conference (CDC) recently, claiming eight medals and qualifying five to compete on the state level.
“The CDC is a great opportunity for our students to demonstrate some of the skills they have gained in JAG-K,” said Great Bend High School JAG-K career specialist Jennifer Hopkins.
Ten Great Bend students placed in seven events. Individual medal winners were: Bryce Hopkins, 1st Place, Public Speaking; Briana Perez and Cristian Ruiz, 2nd Place, Project Based Learning; Ashton Ensley, 2nd Place, Employability Skills; Austin Moore, 3rd Place, Employability Skills; Leann Pafford, 2nd Place, Poster Project; Jaiden Mead and Braxton Morrison, 4th Place, Entrepreneurship; Rose Ledesma, 5th Place, Mapping My Future; Cody Mayhan, 6th Place, Math Skills.
The Region Two CDC featured JAG-K students from across south central Kansas competing in events that showcase the competencies attained in the JAG-K program. Employability skills, public speaking, math skills, community service, and project-based learning are just some of the events in which the students competed.
Team scores were based on individual performance, and the top two teams in each region earned trophies. Great Bend placed first as a team in the competition. Students who placed in the top four in each category earned a medal, and the top three in each event qualified for the state competition, which will be held virtually on May 20.
“It’s really important that we support students and provide opportunities for them to showcase their skills.” said Mary Guerra, JAG-K Director of Program Management, who heads up State CDC. “The virtual CDC is our solution to engage students and allow them to compete.”
JAG-K is a multi-year, in-school program for students in grades seven through 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. In 2018, JAG-K students had a 98 percent graduation rate.
The 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization is a state affiliate of the national JAG program network which operates in 35 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 AT&T, John Deere, and Taco Bell.
To learn more about JAG-K, visit www.jagkansas.org, ‘Jobs for America’s Graduates-Kansas’ on Facebook, and on Twitter at @JAG_Kansas.
