Project EXPAND works with school educators and administrators to help them gain knowledge about what options are available to D.C. students who choose an apprenticeship pathway.
iddle and high school students in District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) and charter schools searching for additional pathways after graduation will have opportunities to learn more about apprenticeships through Project EXPAND, a new initiative that aims to help educators provide students with more options as they plan their futures.
Project EXPAND was created by the Department of Special Education and Disability Studies at the Graduate School of Education and Human Development (GSEHD) at George Washington University in partnership with the D.C. Department of Employment Services Office of Apprenticeship, Information and Training(DOES OAIT).
In 2022, DOES OAIT announced it was seeking proposals for programs that would work with local school districts to help educators learn about apprenticeships as a viable post-high school option and prepare students to develop in-demand academic and technical skills.
The Department of Special Education and Disability Studies wrote a proposal for an immersive program aimed at engaging D.C. educators in innovative professional learning experiences focused on apprenticeships.
Beth Tuckwiller, department chair and an associate professor of special education and disability studies, said their goal was to offer educators collaborative professional learning experiences and the opportunity to connect with local registered apprenticeship provider programs through immersive experiences, including visits to apprenticeship training centers and job sites.
“So the educators can take that experiential knowledge, as well as what they're learning in our professional learning sessions and think about how they can expand knowledge in their school communities about apprenticeships,” Tuckwiller said.