Iowa Jag, Inc.

iJAG is needed now more than ever to graduate students and prepare them for success in the workforce and life. iJAG is the premier non-profit organization connecting business and education to provide the most cost-effective dropout prevention and school to career solutions in Iowa. Students in the iJAG program have trouble making it in a conventional classroom because of the distractions and barriers at home, outside the classroom or even inside the classroom. Relying on real-world, project-based instructional methods and an unconventional approach to personal connections with students, the iJAG teaching specialists work within conventional learning environments to help remove barriers and show students how to achieve the next step of their career or education. 

The Gift of Self Sufficiency

Iowa Jobs for America’s Graduates unlocks student potential. We help kids build the skills they need to be successful in the classroom, on the job, and in life. It’s the gift of self-sufficiency and it pays dividends to individuals, schools, employers, and communities.

Programming is delivered in partnership with schools and is offered during the school day, for elective credit. iJAG provides trained specialists to implement the model, and schools provide physical space, materials, and seamless integration into the school day.

How does it work?

Graduation

Strategies: Adult mentoring, academic remediation
iJAG teachers provide individual attention to students helping them overcome barriers which prevent them from taking advantage of their high school education. Staff are trained in trauma informed care, a model which recognizes the effect of adverse childhood experiences on later life and uses that knowledge to inform care decisions.

Workplace Skills

Strategies: Classroom instruction, competency-based curriculum, work-based learning
iJAG teachers provide small group instruction to students, helping them master 37 core competencies related to school, work, and life success. Employers visit the classroom to make presentations, critique student work and resumes, host mock interviews and provide mentoring. They also provide students hands-on learning opportunities including job site visits, job shadowing, internships, pre-apprenticeships, summer job training or work for pay.

Post-Secondary Transition

Strategies: Job and post-secondary education placement services
Staff use interests and aptitudes to identify career pathways with students and then work to place them in appropriate post-secondary environments. Options may include direct entry to the workforce, registered apprenticeships, vocational training through community college, or education with a focus undergrauate degrees. Staff will support students through the application process and provide 12-months of follow-up support after graduation to assist with challenges students encounter at home, in the workplace or at school.