The idea for Elevate has been in the works since the 2016-17 school year after Assistant Principal Shawn Kane attended a state Academic and Career Planning Conference hosted by the Department of Public Instruction (DPI). Hoping to enhance the Craig COOP, Internship, and work study programs, Kane attended a break-out session at the conference where he had the opportunity to interact with staff from the Pewaukee Insight Program.

Inspired by the Pewaukee business program Insight, Craig administration and teachers have created a global business module called Elevate, consisting of six semester courses, three with a business emphasis, two with an English emphasis, and an economics course. Students should expect greater freedom and autonomy in their education with new information being presented with opportunities for immediate application.

“The main objective is to learn things in a classroom setting and then immediately apply them,” said Future Elevate Instructor, Brandon Miles.

The key components of this program include classroom instruction, business collaboration, and working with a mentor in a specific career field. The classroom instruction will be led by three teachers, one being Mr. Miles, the other being Mr. Elsen, and an english teacher for the other aspect of instruction. The classes include: Economics, International Business, Finance and Investing, Entrepreneurship, Written Communication, and Oral Communication.

Sacrificing three credits in a slim eight credit day is difficult, but there is always a tradeoff on what is more beneficial to the student. Some of the benefits that make this tradeoff of a higher value is that Elevate provides students with the opportunity to interact with business leaders.

“If they’re a college-bound student, I would tell them (Craig student) that universities and higher institutions are looking for kids who participate in innovative programs. If they’re not a college-bound student, but they are interested in entrepreneurship or going into business, they will develop really critical experiences…they are also developing the written and oral communication piece, which is an important part of any job, not just business,” said Assistant Principal Shawn Kane.

Students planning to apply for this program can expect a non-traditional educational experience rooted in immediate application and creativity. Although the program was created with a group of excelling business students in mind, individuals can still gain valuable, once-in-a-lifetime experience that can be applicable to any career and learn if their career interests lie in the business field.

“I would say if you’re someone who is frustrated about learning something that you feel like you’re never going to apply someday, then Elevate Global Business is a good idea for you, because not only do you learn important things, but then you also have the opportunity to immediately apply them in the real world with real business professionals outside of the school district. If that excites you, I think this program is built for you,” said Mr. Miles.

Students taking Elevate will learn interpersonal skills will make them successful employees. By interacting with professionals on a daily basis, student will see the effects no matter the career. Individuals will get an idea of what it’s like to work in a professional setting. Elevate will teach students other soft skills including public speaking and project management skills. Additionally, students are able to learn in a more effective way with real-world application instead of traditional testing.

“I think one of the biggest not so obvious benefits..is to significantly increase their interpersonal skills. Many business owners have come to us, the school and as a district, and talked about the number one thing high schoolers are lacking is interpersonal skills. And when I say that, I’m talking about the ability to communicate with another person in all forms,” commented Mr. Miles.

Students applying for the program will go through a competitive interview process. Following acceptance, individuals will be given in-depth questionnaires to discover their interests. The staff working to make Elevate a success will find mentors for the students in or out of Janesville. Over the summer, the students will be aligned with a mentor and explore business projects.

Throughout the year, students will connect with their mentors to gain crucial insight into their career field. In addition to the curriculum and mentor, students will complete two ten-week business projects where they can make a difference in community business with the addition of unique perspectives.

Students who have taken one of the classes already will be eligible for an internship opportunity or an independent study with one of the Elevate teachers in which the student will have the resources to present at a conference with business professionals.

Students who are planning on taking Elevate can expect three things: Innovative, authentic, entrepreneurship.

“Innovative because students have to be problem solvers in this kind of setting, authentic is because it’s a legitimate, real-life business solution, and entrepreneurship because they are learning the business process along the way,” said AP Shawn Kane.