Pike Valley Pathway Program Provides Educational Opportunities

Educators in north-central Kansas have noted the importance of hands-on experience in an educational environment.  Students at Pike Valley Jr./Sr. High School are encouraged to follow a pathway, or plan for future employment, throughout their high school education.

These pathways are set up in different career areas including education, business, teaching, and agriculture.  The goal of this plan is to reach the application stage, where students are eligible to complete an internship with a local business in their career field during the school day.

Pike Valley Agriculture Teacher, Katie Carlgren states that, “When students participate in an educational pathway they have the opportunity to focus on their interest area and develop skills and experiences that will benefit them and ensure postsecondary success.  These internships are a great opportunity for students to engage their local business community and explore the options in north-central Kansas.”

Internships teach students important skills such as interviewing and soft-skills for the workplace, but can also provide instruction on more technical skills related specifically to the job at hand.

Seniors at Pike Valley are interning at a variety of local businesses. Khloe Langston is interning with Lindsay Graber Runft, owner of Prairie Public Relations, where she is learning many skills such as writing press releases, event planning, and more.  Erica Sublett, interning with JenRus Freelance, learns about graphic design and website management, as well as screen printing techniques.  Leah Benne is an intern at Central Valley Agriculture, where she learns about agronomy and general business management.  These interns, along with others who are also completing the pathway program, are learning many valuable skills related to their future career field.

“I am very glad I got this opportunity to expand my knowledge of web and graphic design, and I hope that this internship will provide me with a good base to continue my education,” Erica Sublett expresses.

The pathway program provides students an opportunity for relevant experience, local businesses with an extra set of hands to teach, and the community with a well-rounded educational environment from which students can succeed.