May 5 Instructional Policy & Student Achievement Committee meeting
Covered by Documenter Ken Evans (see his notes here)
First steps after high school can be daunting.
Adulting, after all, arrives quicker than expected. Continuing education. Financial independence. Housing. Jobs. Social life, mental health and more.
To ease the transition, Akron Public Schools has expanded Dream Day, a program that offers seniors opportunities to envision life post-graduation. The program, launched by Yvonne Culver, the program director for the school district’s counseling department, places dozens of high school seniors in experiences where they can explore the “Four E’s” of post-graduation journeys — employment, enlistment, enrollment and entrepreneurship.
The students also hear from notable speakers, participate in breakout sessions and attend a college and career fair.
Beth Winter, a partner engagement coordinator for the school district’s College and Career Academies, told Akron Board of Education members at the May 5 Instructional Policy and Student Achievement Committee that the initial program ran smoothly and was well received by students.
“Our academy coaches started wondering, ‘Could we take it to the next level?’” Winter said. “So as we talked about it, they suggested that we do a Dream Day as a longer experience over the course of their senior year, a deeper dive, with very targeted tasks and events based on what students were choosing.”
Akron Dream Day starts during junior year
For the 2024-25 version of Dream Day, students started thinking about their “E” at the end of their junior years.
“We let them make that decision, and then we support them along the way of their senior year,” said Clayton Cundiff, a CCAA coach at Garfield Community Learning Center. Cundiff also presented about Dream Day at the May 5 committee meeting.
These opportunities included quarterly checklists created by CCAA coaches that guide students throughout the school year, ensuring milestones are met and practical skills mastered. During the 2024-25 school year, CCAA coaches created road maps for students to help them explore options, create a playbook, build momentum and cross the finish line.
Cundiff said intentionality is the program’s core principle. For example, this October, students who choose the enlistment route can start the school year by taking the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) Test, which determines what jobs new recruits can perform.
