Our speaker this week was Melanie Smieja from MNCAPS.

In the 2016-17 school year, a joint venture between Lakeville and Prior Lake Savage School Districts called Minnesota Center for Advanced Professional Studies (MNCAPS) will be launched. In this innovative educational program, MNCAPS will offer two new courses in Global Business and Healthcare where high school juniors and seniors will work on academic coursework and, at the same time, gain specific real life experience related to these professional fields. They will be instructed by licensed teachers and guest instructors from these industries, participate in consulting projects for local companies, be mentored by executives and, most importantly, practice the skill-sets needed to succeed in a professional work environment in the 21st century.

MNCAPS is an example of how business, community and public education can partner to produce personalized learning experiences and educate the workforce of tomorrow, especially in high skill, high-demand jobs.

To learn more about MNCAPS and how you can get involved, visit their website at http://mncaps.org/.