News

This November, the Consortium’s YouTube channel marked it’s ninth anniversary. From our humble beginnings, it now features more than 275 videos with 197,000 views during that time. We’re excited for the content we’ve shared that’s been valuable to you and for new content that we’ll continue to create in the months and years ahead. If […]

Following a hiatus in 2025, the Consortium will again host its hugely popular Future Ready Partnerships Conference (FRPC) in 2026. Scheduled to take place on March 31 at Community College of Allegheny County’s Boyce Campus in Monroeville, the event will again bring together employers, postsecondary programs, and K-12 educators interested in sharing and learning about […]

The Consortium’s Building a Positive School Climate (BPSC) cohort feels like a gathering of old friends. At the program kickoff on October 8th, 70+ educators from 14 districts buzzed around the room, sharing hugs and telling stories. If you didn’t know, you might think they’d been working together for years.  However, it’s not the longevity […]

When Act 56 was first passed, allowing student time to be counted by hours instead of days (990 hours or 180 days), the first question asked was how can we help schools take advantage of this opportunity to benefit their students.  Because of the Consortium’s position as an intermediary, Executive Director Jackie Foor, was familiar […]

What does it look like when educators come together to collaborate, share ideas, and build strategies to help students explore future careers? That question launched the Consortium’s new Career Connections Network (CCN) program. On October 15th, more than 40 educators from 24 school districts came together for the first workshop, led by Jenn Sethman and […]

New this year is an opportunity for individual or small teams of educators to participate in our Educator in the Workforce (EIW) program. EIW immerses educators - teachers, school counselors, school-to-work coordinators, or any educator interested in learning more about the career opportunities for students in their district to learn about the region’s key industries [...]

With an increase in applications during the past several years, Central Westmoreland Career and Technology Center (CWCTC) came up with a novel way to expand programming without expanding its own campus. Instead, it’s launching satellites on campuses of its sending districts. It’s also collaborating with the Westmoreland County Forum for Workforce Development, the Economic Growth […]

This September, leaders from seven school districts and one local nonprofit embarked on a professional learning experience to address challenges they face in supporting students. Through two professional development options – one 25-hour virtual course and one 50-hour in-person course – school and nonprofit leaders identify challenges and work with stakeholders in their own communities to […]

While the Consortium began as a nonprofit focused exclusively in the Mon Valley in Western Pennsylvania, our project-based learning (PBL) training and support continues to expand our reach beyond the Commonwealth.  In September, our PBL training team, Aaron Altemus and Christy Kuehn, kicked off a hybrid training series with a cohort of alternative education teachers, […]

What if educators invited students to co-design the career-ready learning experiences in their schools?   That question launched the Consortium’s Future Ready Leaders (FRL) program back in 2021. Over the next four years, hundreds of FRL students collaborated alongside teachers, counselors, and administrators to create meaningful, personalized learning experiences for kids K-12. The program is back […]