2016 Community Report | Page 6

Academies of Racine This fall, RUSD introduced the Academies of Racine at Case, Horlick and Park High Schools. The Academies of Racine are personalized learning communities within RUSD’s three comprehensive high schools, Case, Horlick and Park that bridge the gap from classroom to career with targeted coursework and real-word experience. The Acadmies of Racine don’t just help students discover what they want to do after high school, it teaches them how to do it and ensures success in their future endeavors. - Dan Thielen, Chief of Secondary Transformation In this model, RUSD ninth graders choose a specific career area or field of study to shape their coursework and inspire their extracurricular pursuits through high school so learning becomes relevant for their futures. Along the way, they can receive college credits or industry certifications as well as participate in internships or job shadowing while still meeting their regular graduation requirements. All 1,500 freshmen will visit a college campus 180+ business & community partners engaged All 400+ high school teachers will engage with business & postsecondary partners All Grads will earn college credit or industry certification SEE Your Future Expo Some want to be doctors. Others, police officers, firefighters and teachers. Savannah Ahnen sees herself working in marketing, or maybe as a wildlife warden. Actually, she’s not ruling anything out right now. “Every time I think I find a job or career that I want to do, I walk to another booth and that career sounds just as cool!” Ahnen said. The Case High School freshman was one of 1,500 Racine Unified students that explored more than 50 careers at the second annual SEE Your Future Expo held at the Gateway iMet Center and Sturtevant Sportsplex. “The SEE Your Future Expo exposed our freshmen to careers and employers in our community and the skills, experiences and education that are needed to pursue different opportunities successfully after graduation,” said Christopher Neff, Director of Career and Technical Education. During the Expo, employers spoke with students about their education, their personal strengths and other factors that support them in their field. Almost 50 Racine area employers took part in the event.