Work-based learning is more than exposure to careers. It's a powerful driver for building students’ occupational identities and long-term sense of purpose. This session will explore how high-quality WBL experiences are equipping students to connect classroom learning to authentic workplace expectations, develop professional mindsets, and envision themselves in future roles. Designed for educators, counselors, and system leaders, the session will provide strategies to strengthen pathways that help students see themselves as future professionals. Participants will engage in interactive discussions, case studies, and planning activities to translate best practices into their own contexts. Attendees will leave with tools, resources, and action steps to enhance WBL implementation, including a planning framework for embedding identity-building into existing programs.
Dr. Timberly Monaghan is a senior education strategist with expertise in instructional systems, curriculum and assessment, organizational improvement, and cross-sector alignment. Her work focuses on helping education leaders strengthen coherence across teaching and learning, accountability... Read More →
This session will benefit any school that is creating a work-based learning program for the first time or any district that is looking to give an existing program a fresh start. It will describe the planning and implementation from day 1 for a school district that had no WBL program to the present day. It will also highlight how we used academic data (ACT WorkKeys) in order to choose those students who would participate in the WBL pilot and how that drove their site placement. Successes as well as challenges will be discussed along with plans to grow the program for the upcoming school year..
Supervisor of Career/Technical Education & Technology, Iberville Parish School Board
I have 17 years of experience in education, ranging from teaching to serving as a school counselor, human resources coordinator, and educational leader. My training and expertise in vocational counseling have prepared me extensively for my current role as a career/technical education... Read More →
Thursday April 30, 2026 11:15am - 12:15pm EDT 5571 Sabin Street, Providence, RI
Work-based learning can feel like walking through a legal minefield, but it doesn’t have to. In this session, we will cut through the stress around liability, workers’ comp, child labor laws, and insurance, giving you the essentials without the overwhelm. You will leave with a clear understanding of your role, the business’s role, and the shared language that keeps partnerships safe and strong.
More than just compliance, this is about equipping you to move forward with confidence; knowing how to avoid the pitfalls and keep the focus on what really matters: student success. To make it easier to understand you will get a streamlined approach, a practical checklist, and real-world examples to help make sense of a confusing topic. Think of it as your map through the tricky stuff: practical, actionable, and maybe even a little fun along the way.
How many high school students get an internship as a Vice President or Production Manager at a manufacturing plant? Do your industry/business partners want to engage, but don’t have the capacity to host interns? Based on a highly collaborative partnership between education and industry, the Student Run Manufacturing Enterprise (SRME) model provides authentic work-based learning (WBL) for students as they run all aspects of a manufacturing company.
You will hear how the SRME model has been implemented at several schools, the ways this model breaks down typical barriers to WBL, and tips for replicating it in your region.
Rebecca has been involved in education for most of her career, in just about every role from teacher to dean. She spent more than 20 years working in community colleges, and most recently helped create America’s newest community college (in Erie, Pennsylvania) as the founding academic... Read More →
This session will highlight practical tools and strategies for streamlining processes, reducing administrative workload, and improving overall efficiency in managing work-based learning (WBL) programs, internships, and apprenticeships (autofilling documents with e-signatures, hour tracking, site visits, placement database, etc.). Participants will also hear directly from a school district about how they have strengthened their WBL programs through improved organization, better management practices, and easier access to placement data, while also receiving practical tips and advice from long-time WBL coordinators.
Popy and her team have spent the past decade collaborating with work-based learning teachers. Their company, Charity Republic, started by supporting charities and non-profits, and naturally evolved into work-based learning through the development of their hour tracking and document... Read More →
Friday May 1, 2026 9:15am - 10:15am EDT 5571 Sabin Street, Providence, RI
By first exposing your students to their aptitudes, their natural talents, you can ensure the best fit placements for their work-based experiences. In conjunction, you can use student aptitude data to help fuel your industry partners pipeline. Students receive opportunities based on careers and roles in which they're naturally more likely to thrive. Industry partners are getting opportunities with students that are aligned to their pathway. We'll help explore how this works in theory and in practice.
