Pascagoula-Gautier School District

Partners: Chevron, Ingalls Shipbuilding, Singing River Health System, Jackson County Economic Foundation, Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, Jackson County Chamber of Commerce, Pathways2Possibilities, Alion Science & Technology, University of Southern Mississippi, Miss Gulf Coast Community College, Mississippi State University, Jackson County Chamber of Commerce and Economic Foundation, University of South Alabama, Port of Gulfport, Mississippi Export Railroad, Beau Rivage, Union Baptist Church

Students impacted: 6,877
Volunteers: 125
Duration of partnerships: 3 years

The inaugural Business-Education Summit hosted by the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce in August 2015 was a wakeup call for educators. Its purpose was twofold: to start a direct dialogue between the business community and educators on future skills that students needed to enter the workforce, and to strengthen the collaboration between business leaders and educators that would result in improved workforce skills and a better quality of education for all students. The summit included educators from all four local school districts in Jackson County, but educators in the Pascagoula-Gautier School District took the candid message to heart and immediately got to work on a plan of action to better prepare their students for the workforce.

Activities:

• Dress for Success Days at all schools
• Job Shadowing Days and Career Days
• Participation in Pathways2Possibilities career fair
• You’re Hired Interview Day

Impacts:

• Ingalls established a partnership with the district’s College and Career Technical Institute
• Every CCTI program has been adopted by a major sponsor
• All 500 eighth grade students are in Keystone classes
• Career Academies will be implemented in 2019-2020 school year