Springfield highlights college, career and internship expansion; FAFSA and internship outreach ongoing
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Summary
District officials reviewed myCAP, Springfield Promise FAFSA work, and an expanding pipeline of internships and work-based learning; staff reported increased FAFSA completion and rising internship placements.
District leaders presented the Springfield Promise and college-career readiness work on March 27, reporting progress on FAFSA completion, myCAP adoption, dual-enrollment pilots and a growing internship program tied to local employers.
Doctor Goulet, Springfield Promise administrator, said FAFSA completion stood at about 45.3% in March, noting the district ended the previous year at 46%. "We are grateful for all the support... Our goal... is the 62% goal that the superintendent set," Goulet told the committee and described targeted outreach to students and families, evening workshops, and partnerships to raise completion.
School-to-career and internships: Pam Mathis of the School2Career team described a recent Career & Internship Fair that drew more than 500 students and about 70 industry partners; organizers increased hands-on demonstrations (ambulance, heavy equipment, lab demos, turnout gear) to give students direct exposure to careers. Mathis said the district has expanded internships and work-based learning and reported an increase in placements this year over last, with many internships targeted to juniors and seniors and including co-op placements.
Dual enrollment and early college: Doctor Johnson described dual-enrollment and an early-college pilot (an introductory sociology course at Putnam serving students from Science & Technology and Putnam). Staff said the district is exploring expansion of early-college models and dual-credit pathways, and developing innovation career pathways in areas such as digital media, environmental science and proposed manufacturing/optics pathways at Central High School.
Paid work and hiring outcomes: Committee members and presenters said some local municipal and private employers have hired students from district programs (water & sewer, DPW, fire department, IT) and praised programs that cultivate local talent and provide paid opportunities where possible.
Data and follow up: Doctor Goulet and Mathis said the district will continue outreach to raise FAFSA completion, expand internship opportunities, and provide follow-up data about participating schools, student demographics and work-based learning outcomes as requested by committee members.