SCHOOL-TO-CAREER SOLUTION: iJAG program coming to WEST Academy

A new program available to WEST Academy next year will allow struggling students to participate in a for-credit, elective course to learn valuable skills that specialists say will not only help them graduate high school but also plan for what happens next, like finding a job.

The Newton Community School District Board of Education on Monday, March 8 voted in favor of the Iowa Jobs for America’s Graduates (iJAG) program, which WEST Academy Principal Tara Zehr said will launch next school year. A position for an adjunct iJAG specialist will be posted in April.

The iJAG program targets students “who have trouble making it in a conventional classroom because of the distractions and barriers at home, outside the classroom or even inside the classroom.”

Two representatives from iJAG told the school board that the nonprofit corporation has a 20-year track record of working with students, and also has a 97% graduation rate. Carly Voltz, vice-president of iJAG, suggested the work doesn’t stop after students retired their caps and gowns.

“We follow them for 12 months and … we’re working with students on their career pathways with employers like Principal, John Deere, Alliant Energy, Mid-American, Hy-Vee — you name it,” Voltz said.

About 280 unique employers this year are working with the nonprofit, which sees about 50 students for each program level.

The iJAG program has five primary performance goals:

• 90% graduation/GED rate;

• 80% overall success rate at the end of the 12 months after graduation, with participants either employed in a job leading to career, in the military or enrolled in a postsecondary education or training, or a combination of work and postsecondary education;

• 60% of are employed;

• 60% of employed graduated are in full-time jobs leading to careers;

• 80% of the graduates are employed full-time and/or are combining work and school.

Ultimately the public-private partnership plans a “customized pathway” for students of the iJAG program. Voltz said the Newton school district would only pay about 27% of the overall program costs, which were to be paid for using At-Risk Dropout Prevention categorial funds.

Between state matches and grants, the iJAG has been able to create a “sustainable financial model” and continue providing opportunities for students in 34 school districts across the state.

Despite the pandemic and its challenges, the iJAG program was able to keep close engagement with students and Voltz says it was because of the nonprofit’s value on relationships. It was also able to endure while the rest of the state was facing a staggeringly high unemployment rate of 11%.

Young people ages 18-24 were facing upwards of 30% unemployment rate, Voltz said. However, iJAG students’ unemployment rate was sitting comfortably at 8%.

Typically in the first year iJAG serves about 35-40 students, program manager Cara Rypka said. These select students that can enroll in the course are building their confidence, soft skills and leadership skills. Rypka said the No. 1 is to get students graduated on time and then make sure they have a strong career plan.

“We look at our selection as: need, want and benefit,” Rypka said. “… All kids need it, let’s be honest. All kids these days need that extra support, that little push. The biggest pieces are: Do they want it? And, if they want it, are they going to benefit from it? Are they going to show up for it?”

Based on the conversations Rypka had with Zehr, she believes any student at WEST Academy would be a “potential perfect candidate” for the program. The adjunct iJAG specialist will be recruited to facilitate the program and will be following up with students after graduation.

School board member Robyn Friedman said, “I actually love that piece a lot because I think that is a missing piece.”

These iJAG specialists are the people building those crucial bonds with students inside the classrooms and working with the community to get them into the workforce. Rypka said she worked as an iJAG specialist a number of years ago and still gets students that call her multiple times a month.

“I still have kids that are now 24, 25 years old and I’m just still part of their lives,” Rypka said. “That connection is really strong. It’s very powerful. I call it ‘iJAG magic.’ It sounds corny but it’s true.”

Contact Christopher Braunschweig at 641-792-3121 ext. 6560 or cbraunschweig@newtondailynews.com