Cedar Rapids schools announces the career pathways it will offer at each high school

CEDAR RAPIDS — Pathways in medical sciences, aviation and engineering, agriculture, education and technology are just a few of the careers students in the Cedar Rapids Community School District will be able to explore under a new learning model launching next fall.

The district announced Wednesday afternoon which “pathways” will be available to students in 10th-12th grade at four of their high schools: Washington, Jefferson, Kennedy and Metro.

Each high school will offer different pathways for students to explore and gain experience to determine if it’s the career field for them.

Superintendent Tawana Grover said the infrastructure needed to support these programs will require a school bond referendum in November 2025. “It will take the bond to complete our vision,” she said. “Hopefully, we’ve demonstrated our commitment to doing what’s right for our students here in Cedar Rapids.”

The pathways will break down barriers and raise student achievement by giving students the opportunity to explore careers while in high school and be empowered in their learning, Grover said.

The pathways “is fundamentally a transformation of how we’re going to educate our students and prepare them for life after high school,” Grover said.

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The addition of college and career pathways to Cedar Rapids high schools — starting with freshman academies launching in fall 2025 — will bring real-world experience to classrooms that align with students’ career interests.

In the following year — the 2026-27 school year — the district will launch pathways for sophomores, juniors and seniors at the schools. The pathways will be small and supportive learning environments contained within a larger high school setting.

Many of the details of this plan still are being decided with input from students, educators and the business community and local colleges and universities. Some of those details include deciding what happens when students choose a career interest that’s not offered at their home high school, or how students can move to a different academy if they change their mind about their career interest.

The College and Career Pathways will create small learning communities for students beginning in their freshman year of high school. Students will engage in conversations with teachers and school counselors in selecting a program of study or pathway interest.

Students will complete a three-course progression in a specialized college and career connected pathway and earn a college and career recognized credential. Regardless of which high school students attend, they will continue to have access to world languages and fine and performing arts opportunities.

Other opportunities, including Advanced Placement classes and dual enrollment in college courses, also will continue to be offered at each high school.

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Earlier this month, the Cedar Rapids district was awarded nearly $15 million from the U.S. Department of Education’s Magnet Schools Assistance Program to be used to support its pathway programs that school leaders say will graduate students better prepared for high-wage, high-skill and in-demand careers.

With the funding, the district will invest in state-of-the-art technology, innovative equipment, and hands-on learning experiences that will connect students with industry-leading careers.

What are the pathways?

Under the plan, each Cedar Rapids high school will have its own identified pathways and academies.

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Washington High School

College & Career Pathways at Washington High School will include the Schools of Medical Sciences, Business & Media, and Engineering & Technology.

In the School of Medical Sciences, students can participate in academies that specialize in their career interests of Pre-Med/Nursing, Mental Health, or Medical Laboratory Science.

In the School of Business & Media, the academies are Finance & Entrepreneurship, Marketing, and Creative Media & Production.

In the School of Engineering & Technology, there are academies in Engineering & Manufacturing, Architecture & Construction, and Information Technology & Artificial Intelligence.

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Jefferson High School

The College & Career Pathways at Jefferson High School are Law & Human Services, Aviation & Engineering, and Environmental Science & Sustainability.

In the School of Law & Human Services, there are Academies of Pre-Law, Public Safety, and Education.

The School of Aviation & Engineering will have Academies in Aerospace & Aviation, Automotive Technology, and Engineering, Construction & Manufacturing.

The School of Environmental Science & Sustainability will have Academies in Agriculture Science, Environmental Science, and Business.

Kennedy High School

The College & Career Pathways at Kennedy High School will be the School of Liberal Arts. The academies under the School of Liberal Arts at Kennedy will be:

Metro High School

The College and Career Pathways at Metro High School will be the School of Health & Hospitality. This will include academies in Food Science & Urban Agriculture, Hospitality & Business, and Medical Laboratory Science.

Community support for College & Career Pathways

Adam Zimmermann, director of innovation for the Cedar Rapids district, said the pathways will provide students and families choice in their learning. It will equip students with relevant and rigorous coursework and hands-on experiences that will prepare them for life after high school.

Doug Neumann, executive director of the Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance, said the Cedar Rapids district’s college and career pathways “is the creation of our future workforce.”

The pathways will expose students to careers in Cedar Rapids and Iowa — like health care, aviation, engineering and manufacturing — “the very career pathways that help us have a better chance of keeping them here,” Neumann said. “Too often we lose students to other cities after graduation. A key goal of the program is to retain our talent.”

Graduating students with “real world skills and direction” will “fuel business growth, attract new companies and drive economic development,” Neumann said. It’s “an investment in our business community’s future, in our city’s future and in helping Cedar Rapids remain a hub of innovation and opportunity.”

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Through the pathways program, students will learn essential skills like communication, problem solving, time management, organization and teamwork, which Neumann said he hears from business leaders every day is what they want to see from employees.

Lori Weih, director of community engagement at UnityPoint Health, spoke about the importance of a “well trained workforce” The College and Career Pathways give employers a way to provide experiences, training and support to students in the community as they are considering their future, she said.

Pathways can help students “discover their abilities” and “how much they matter to our community,” Weih said.

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Kristy Black, an executive dean at Kirkwood Community College, said pathways opens up opportunities for students to pursue careers that “might otherwise be out of reach for those individuals.”

Cedar Rapids school board President Cindy Garlock said the students who “walk through our doors every day … may be the ones who cure cancer, walk on Mars or create the next groundbreaking invention that transforms our world.”

“To do that, they need our support right now … It takes more than the work done in our classrooms. It takes all of us — the business leaders here today, community advocates, policymakers — coming together to ensure our students have the tools, knowledge and opportunities to realize their dreams,” Garlock said.

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