Foundry Career Field Trips

ABOUT THE FOUNDRY

The Foundry is a new learning space at Lincoln High designed for students who have had difficulty earning credits in school.

When you visit the Foundry, the first thing you notice is that this “school within a school” looks different. Less like a classroom, more like an office. More like the real world.

Foundry students follow a more flexible schedule and are held accountable for being productive with their own use of time. They take fewer courses at a time, and get more teacher support. Foundry students find that the effort they put in turns into credit toward graduation. They also find that students are recognized for the knowledge and experience that they bring to the table. No more starting from scratch with new teachers every semester.

Foundry students take online courses at a guided pace, with teachers there to help in the classroom. They also have the opportunity to participate in a lot of other fun learning activities.

• eLearning—Foundry students take a few online courses with a teacher nearby for help through the hard parts and to push them along when they need it.
  
• Coaching—Foundry students “clock in” and “clock out” each day, and a Foundry Coach will help monitor student progress.
• Breaks—We all need to chill sometimes. Students can earn break time by coming to school on time, staying on task, and participating every day.
• Work Experience—We want Foundry students to get connected to the real world and support students in finding and keeping employment or internships.
• Study Skills—Foundry students will practice skills that help them succeed in their online courses.

THE CAMPAIGN

Students in the Foundry need a way to connect what they are doing in their classes with life beyond high school. At the same time they sometimes struggle to stay motivated to complete high school. To this end, we are launching this campaign to fund a three-part career-focused field trip for approximately 20 students:

1. Students will depart LHS and visit the Kawasaki factory to see first-hand what industry Lincoln has to offer. We will get a guided two-hour tour and be among the first to see Kawasaki's latest products. While there, we may also run into a graduate of the Foundry's inaugural class who went on to work at the plant!
2. Lunch at Goodcents, where Foundry students will hear first-hand about entrepreneurship opportunities in Lincoln from the restaurateurs behind the Pillar Restaurant Group, which includes Goodcents, Venue, Cactus and Piedmont Bistro.
3. A behind-the-scenes look at the Lincoln Zoo, including a guided tour emphasizing animal-related and biology careers. The Lincoln Zoo is currently hiring, so interested students can apply on-site!

Donations to this campaign will pay  for:

• Yellow bus fare to and between the field-trip sites.
• Zoo admission and guided tour.
• Lunch.

Please consider donating to this campaign to support the students who need it most: Bright and talented young high school students who just haven't yet decided what they want to be when they grow up.

FUTURE PROJECTS

If this campaign is successfully funded, our next campaigns might include:

• Food-handlers permit class taught on-site at LHS for resume and job readiness skills
• CPR Training for enhanced hireability
• Team-building / ropes course to build comaraderie among students in the Foundry
• Foundry apparel to promote community and enhance program visibility  
• Other career-focused field trips!

Thank you for making a difference in our students' lives.