THE ORCHARD FOUNDATION

The Cenla Work Ready Network is a program designed to link education and workforce development efforts and align them with regional economic needs. Through the Cenla Work Ready Network, high school students, and unemployed or under-employed adults are able to earn a nationally recognized certificate that demonstrates their work ready skills to a potential employer. The Cenla Work Ready Network consists of the following components:

(1) Career Ready 101 - a web-based, career training course that prepares students for certification with WorkKeys assessments
(2) WorkKeys - a job skills assessment that measures foundational and soft skills. Assessment through WorkKeys can lead to earning the National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC)
(3) National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC) - a portable, evidence-based credential that measures essential workplace skills and is a reliable predictor of workplace success.

Career Counseling is being provided to Central Louisiana high school students individually and through group seminars to help students prepare for success after high school. Administered by The Orchard Foundation, and in partnership with the Central Louisiana Technical Community College and the nine public school districts, The Rapides Foundation is funding Career Compass of Louisiana to operate and provide these services in Cenla schools.

Career Compass of Louisiana, is a nonprofit education organization located in Baton Rouge with coaches across the state. Career Compass coaches partner with high school counselors and are an added resource for students on their campuses. With state accountability, exit test coordination and administration, and scheduling and transcript issues, it is a challenge for guidance departments to help every student with postsecondary planning.

In partnership with the guidance department, Career Compass coaches act as a liaison between the students of Central Louisiana and the postsecondary institutions in the state. Career Compass coaches are educated on all of the postsecondary schools in the area they serve and the programs each offers, thus helping students find the right school for their needs.

Among the services offered to students by Career Compass coaches are assistance in navigating through the complexities of applying to postsecondary institutions, helping students go through a "career inventory" to find out what their interests and strengths are, and building good relationships with parents and guardians to assist with applications and securing financial aid for their student.

The SECO Expo is an interactive, student-focused event designed to introduce public school students to career possibilities and is available to all tenth graders from the nine Central Louisiana public school districts served by the Foundation.

SECO provides a dynamic venue for students to experience simulations and demonstrations from industries such as information technology, healthcare, advanced manufacturing, construction, finance, and others. It is specifically designed to provide tangible hands-on activities aimed at fostering student engagement and ultimately sparking an interest in future careers. SECO provides tenth graders with the opportunity to get a head start in learning about different careers in Central Louisiana. Providing career information to this age group can help make school more relevant and can be a key contributor for them to stay in school and graduate.

The Workplace Experience Exchange (WEE) Camp enables educators to learn through direct, hands-on experience about trends, skill requirements, and opportunities in industries within the region, and how externships can work for educators and students.

Through the Workplace Experience Exchange Camp, teachers have the ability to connect theory with practice, and bring an understanding of workplace practices and policies into the classroom, increasing the relevance of student learning. The experience also gives teachers insight about programs offered at the postsecondary level and how it correlates to local businesses and industries.

Educators can choose from two WEE Camp options:

Option 1: WEE Camp I - For first-time participants; 4-day program for educators to visit local businesses and postsecondary institutions to learn about skills requirements for jobs, find out about available resources for educators, and tour facilities.

Option 2: WEE Camp II - Preference given to past WEE Camp I participants; 5-day program with a more intense focus on the skills students need in today's workforce. Participants are embedded for two days in the day-to-day activities of select businesses to observe the successful workplace skills. The other days of the program consist of visits to local businesses and postsecondary institutions.

The Orchard Foundation, with funding from The Rapides Foundation, provides summer institutes on Kagan Cooperative Learning, which provides teachers with resources, tools and strategies they can use to increase student engagement and learning.

The Kagan Cooperative Learning workshops are presented by Kagan Publishing and Professional Development, and give teachers structures to implement in the classroom to improve student engagement, rigor and collaboration. Kagan Structures also help teachers manage their classroom and promote a positive classroom climate.

The Orchard Foundation administers school readiness training institutes for PreK, Head Start and Childcare centers who are participating in the state of Louisiana’s Early Childhood System Community Network pilots.

The School Readiness training includes: Teaching Strategies Gold, the state’s Birth to Kindergarten assessment tool; and CLASS (Classroom Assessment Scoring System) Observer Reliability training, which prepares an observer to conduct CLASS observations.

The Orchard Foundation developed and coordinates its early literacy program, Read to Soar, to help prepare young children for school success by cultivating a love for reading long before they set foot in a classroom. The goal of the Read to Soar program is to help develop and strengthen a culture of reading at home through parent engagement so that children will have the tools for school success once they enter kindergarten.

By the end of the program, children get a certificate of participation and 40 new books to adorn their home library, while the parents come away with tips and resources that help them teach their young ones.

Each session focuses on a different topic area and is designed to be fun, giving parents and caregivers a chance to bond with their kids in a learning environment. Sessions include music, dancing, crafts and refreshments.

The eight Read to Soar sessions follow early childhood education best practices and are specifically tailored for Central Louisiana.

The Orchard Foundation was awarded a $4.5 million grant by the U.S. Department of Education to recruit, train, support and retain math and science teachers in high-needs middle schools in the nine-parish area served by The Orchard Foundation.

The goal of the CLIP project is to improve student achievement in nine rural, high-needs school districts in Central Louisiana by preparing highly qualified educators to teach in the critical shortage areas of science and math. CLIP will be implemented through an innovative teacher residency program with integrated professional development and induction support. Applicants selected for the CLIP program will complete a 15-month accelerated graduate program of study culminating in a Master of Arts in teaching degree from Northwestern State University and a professional teaching certification.

While completing their graduate coursework, CLIP residents will be immersed in an academic year school-based residency in a high-needs school identified by the nine partner public school districts. CLIP residents will experience a variety of learning opportunities alongside a trained and experienced mentor teacher. Upon completion of the program, graduates will be placed in CLIP-participating schools and will receive two years of induction support with sustained coaching and professional development. CLIP graduates are required to teach in a Central Louisiana high-needs school for at least three years following graduation as part of the CLIP agreement.

Math to Build On is a free, eight-session early math literacy program for children ages birth to five and their parents or caregivers. The program helps develop and strengthen math skills through reading and activities by educating parents, building a child's home library and increasing awareness about community resources to help ensure the child has the tools for school success.

By the end of the program, children get a certificate of participation and a Math to Build On bag. Families receive five books each session they attend the program. If a family attends all 8 sessions, they will have 40 new books to adorn their home library, while the parents come away with tips and resources that help them teach their young ones.

Each session focuses on a different topic area and is designed to be fun, giving parents and caregivers a chance to bond with their kids in a learning environment. Sessions include music, dancing, crafts and refreshments.

The eight Math to Build On sessions follow early childhood education best practices and are specifically tailored for Central Louisiana.