Muskegon Public School’s district leaders credit Senator Gary Peters with securing the grant dedicated to the first-ever grades 6-10 Career Exploration Center, a program housed in the new Charles Hackley Middle School campus, which opens May 2nd.
“This 6-10 Career Exploration Center is designed to expose them to different modules of careers so that they have hands-on experience and can gain that experience and decide what are some of the things that I like to do.”
Superintendent Matthew Cortez says that by partnering with local union presidents, the district was able to create work-based learning opportunities at the new center, where students learn different trade skills during the day. The district then approached those leaders with a second request.
“But at nighttime, could we get you guys to come in? We’d allow you to use our facilities for free and run adult education courses to teach our adults that need to find livable-wage jobs how to become apprentices or how to get a start in the career that they’re looking for.”
Cortez says these forthcoming adult education classes will address the economic disadvantages that several district families face. He also says that this is only the first phase of transforming MPS into the go-to model for public education and that, though they’ll need more funding to make that happen, the ultimate goal remains the same.
“Every single graduate of our district, when they step off of that graduation stage, they are going to know exactly what they need to do on Monday. They’re going to know where they’re going, they’re going to know what they’re doing, and how they’re doing it.”