Our program consists of a comprehensive set of services designed to keep young people in school through graduation and improves their success rates in education and career.
Classroom Instruction
A trained JAG Specialist provides individual and group instruction to 35-45 students carefully selected by an in-school advisory committee comprised of faculty, administrators, and counselors. JAG classes are scheduled during the school day for credit.
Competency-Based Instruction
Our program equips students with no less than 37 employability skills competencies plus career exploration and developmental. Multi-year JVG students are eligible to master 81 competencies.
Project Based Learning
PBL methodology creates engaging classrooms to deliver our competencies, allowing students to participate realistic learning experiences that better reflect the work place.
Trauma Informed and Caring Adults
Our specialists provide individual attention to students to overcome barriers that prevent them from taking advantage of their high school education, completing requirements for a high school diploma and/or securing employment or pursuing a post-secondary education leading to a career after high school.
Advice and Support
Our specialists provide advice and support as students make significant career and life decisions and serve as a “one-stop” connection for participants to access personal, behavioral, and other youth services in the community. Support services are provided during the school year as well as the summer months.
Employer Engagement
We engages employers in the classroom as well as in the professional setting to expose students to job opportunities and career pathways in their own communities.
Student-Led Leadership Development and Experience
As a highly motivational student-led organization, our career association develops student civic engagement, public service, leadership development, career preparation, and social awareness.
Job and Post-secondary Education Placement Services
Specialists help graduates identify job opportunities, assist in exploration of post-secondary education, and navigate financial aid enrollments to pursue a degree program, certification, or industry-recognized credential.
12-Month Follow-up Services
We provide twelve months of follow-up services after high school graduation to support student transition into employment, military service, and/or post-secondary enrollment.
Accountability
We are an evidence-based organization that uses metrics to reward performance and identifies best practices for continuous improvement. Comprehensive tracking and reporting collects information in three categories – students served, services delivered, and outcomes achieved.
The Ultimate Advantage
We will give students an advantage that will set them apart from all other youth in today’s emerging workforce through student-centered programs that help young people achieve their fullest potential.
Employer Engagement
Employer engagement has been a cornerstone activity of our program since inception. In leveraging employer engagement as an instructional strategy, we elevate the practice by developing meaningful connections between our students and professionals, ideas and skills, and the classroom and real-life situations. Employers invest their resources, talent and knowledge to customize individual learning experiences for our students. Work-based activities and learning advances effective employer partnerships to provide students with the inspiration, motivation, knowledge and skills needed to be successful in post-secondary education and career pathways. This strategy deepens career exploration and first-hand experience in working environments to optimize advancement for learners. PBL provides a natural vehicle to implement workforce development practices in the classroom, preparing students for employer experiences.
The JAG Model blends these approaches and when delivered effectively, Specialists will deliver our competencies, engage the Student Center Association, and work with employers in strategies that are healthy and supportive to our students.
Project Based Learning
Project Based Learning (PBL) is a proven approach to prepare students for academic, personal and career success, where other strategies and traditional curriculum has failed. Research identifies the principles of PBL as a foundation to implement more learner-centered, inquiry-based, and active learning methods. Our program follows the Buck Institute for Education PBL model, a nationally recognized practice. We shifted to a PBL instructional strategy in 2015 as a vehicle to deliver employability skills competencies, specific industry and employer content and engagement, and community problems and solutions. Elevating our education practice to this gold level standard ensures learners gain the benefit of real-world relevance that is critical to today’s workforce needs.
Trauma Informed Care
An increasing number of our students have experienced trauma. In the book Fostering Resilient Learners: Strategies for Creating a Trauma-Sensitive Classroom trauma is described as “an exceptional experience in which powerful and dangerous events overwhelm a person’s capacity to cope.” Our program is a resiliency model. It demonstrates how to build relationships, gives learners voice and choice (even more so through PBL), teaches life skills, and helps learners overcome adversity.
JVG Incentive Grants
JVG Incentive Grants are periodically available to schools or divisions interested in bringing JVG to their site. We are continually looking to grow our membership and increase our impact on students across Virginia. If you would like to explore bringing JVG to your school or several schools in your district, please contact us today.
Antonio Rice
434-953-9291
antonio.rice@jobsforvagrads.org
Grant Resources
- Sample Budget – Click here to download a sample of the budget section of the grant
- Job Description – Click here to download the Jobs for America’s Graduates job description to use as a reference
- Program Guide – Download our program guide below to for an overview of the program components and considerations
