OSKALOOSA SCHOOLS USE NEW INNOVATION HUB TO HELP STUDENTS FIND THEIR FUTURE

OSKALOOSA — Oskaloosa High School is trying something different to help students prepare for life after graduation. The new program, called the Innovation Hub, takes students out of a normal classroom and places them into a downtown work setting where they can take on real projects, work with local businesses, and build skills they will need as adults.

School leaders say the program is meant to help students do more than just earn credits. It is designed to give them hands-on learning, real responsibility, and a better understanding of what they may want to do after high school. That could mean college, a trade, military service, or going straight into the workforce.

High School Principal Jeff Kirby said the idea has been in the works for a long time.

“I think it’s been something, a project I’ve been working on for about 20 years,” Kirby said. “The intention, I think, is to provide students authentic learning experiences, experiences that they’re going to be able to use when they leave school.”

That idea is at the heart of the Innovation Hub. Instead of just reading about jobs or hearing adults talk about careers, students are put into situations where they have to think, communicate, solve problems, and complete tasks that matter to people outside the school building.

The Hub is currently operating in a downtown location, separate from the high school. That is being done on purpose. Staff members say the goal is to make it feel more like a workplace and less like a traditional classroom. Students come into the space knowing they are expected to act differently. They are not just there to sit at a desk and wait for instructions. They are there to work.

The students take on two main types of projects. One is what staff call an incoming project. That means a business, nonprofit, or community group brings a need, problem, or unfinished task to the Hub. Students then work on that project.

Hub facilitator Carrie Bihn said that can take many forms.

“The hub is a chance for students to work with downtown businesses on projects,” she said. “Everybody has a to-do list, and we’ve just asked local businesses to give us the bottom of your to-do list that you maybe don’t have time for, or personnel resources. We would like to give some students an opportunity to work on some of those projects.”

That work might include event planning, research, fundraising ideas, design work, organizing information, or helping solve a local problem.

The second type of work is called an outgoing project. That is a project chosen by a student. It may be based on something the student cares about, something they want to learn more about, or a need they see in the community.

Bihn gave one example of a student who noticed trash near a cemetery while driving by. That student got permission and organized a cleanup around Earth Day.

That kind of project matters because it teaches students how to move from having an idea to actually making something happen. They have to ask questions, make calls, plan ahead, and carry the job through.

That is a major part of the program. Students are not just completing schoolwork. They are building real-life skills.

Bihn said even simple actions can be a big step for students.

“The student had to pick up a phone and make a phone call,” she said. “So we kind of script it out. Okay, well, what am I going to say? Who do I need to talk to? What do I need to do in order to be ready for that phone call?”

Those may sound like small things, but for many students, they are not. Calling an adult, writing a professional email, setting up a meeting, asking for help, and following through on a task are all important parts of life after high school. Many adults learn those lessons the hard way after graduation. The Innovation Hub is trying to teach them sooner.

Kirby said that is one of the biggest benefits of the program.

“They’re practicing those employability skills on how to send a professional email or how to shake a hand, or how to run a meeting, or how to mess up and learn from your mistakes and be able to admit it,” Kirby said. “All those challenges that adults face every day in the workplace.”

That last part may be one of the most important. The Hub gives students a place to make mistakes while they still have support around them. They can try something, see what works, and learn from what does not. That is far safer than spending years and money chasing a path that turns out to be the wrong fit.

Both Kirby and Bihn said one of the program’s main goals is to help students figure out what they want to do next. For some students, that means confirming they are already on the right track. For others, it means finding out they are not.

Kirby said that matters just as much.

“The win for us and for the students is that they go through experience and it solidifies what they thought they wanted to do,” Kirby said. “The other side of that is they think they want to do something, they experience it, and go, ‘No way, I don’t want to do that.’ And that’s great too, because in the long run, it maybe gives them a different path to look and explore.”

Bihn agreed and said learning what not to do can save students from making expensive mistakes later.

“The mom in me, I’m like, that’s tuition money that you’re not wasting,” she said. “That’s not having to change majors. That’s not having to go retrain or learn a different skill.”

That message may connect with many families. Young people are often asked to make life-changing decisions before they have had many chances to see how jobs really work. A student may think they want to go into a certain field, only to discover later that the day-to-day work is nothing like they imagined. The Hub gives them a way to test that earlier.

That can be especially important at a time when schools everywhere are trying to keep students interested and connected. In recent years, many educators have talked about student engagement, attendance, and the challenge of helping teenagers see the value in school.

Kirby said the push for programs like this has been growing for years, but the COVID era helped expose how serious the problem had become.

“I think COVID exposed some of those things,” Kirby said. “Students, their attention is being pulled a lot of different directions, and this is a way to help them make informed decisions, to stay engaged and really to learn through authentic opportunities and experiences.”

Bihn said part of the problem for some students is feeling like they have no control over what they are learning. In the Hub, students get more voice in the process. They look at available projects and choose the ones that interest them.

“This is not me saying you’re going to do this and you’re going to do this,” she said. “There’s a pool out there that the kids are self selecting, and because they’re self selecting, they’re in charge. They’re driving that. They’re making those decisions, and they have to be engaged.”

That student choice is important. It gives teenagers a reason to care about the work because they had a hand in choosing it. It also mirrors the adult world, where people often have to manage their time, speak up, and take ownership of their tasks.

The work students do in the Hub is still education, even if it does not look like the kind of classroom many adults grew up with. Instead of only using a test or worksheet to show learning, students build portfolios based on the district’s “Portrait of a Learner.” That includes six key traits, sometimes called the 6 C’s, such as communication, citizenship, curiosity, and collaboration.

Students gather proof of those skills through their work. That may include a screenshot of a professional email, project notes, research, meeting records, or examples of how they solved a problem.

Bihn said students are expected to show multiple strong examples of each of the six areas. That makes the work deeper than some people may realize.

Kirby said the academic side is still there too.

“I think when you look at some of the work that our students will do and are doing, it’s pretty rigorous stuff,” Kirby said. “They are employing a lot of different types of learning standards academically that maybe looks different than a traditional classroom where a teacher’s teaching them, and they’re actually learning those same standards, just in a different way.”

That point may matter to taxpayers and parents who wonder whether programs like this are true education or just a way to move students along. School leaders say it is real education, but done in a different form. Students still learn. They still have expectations. They still have to produce results. They are simply doing it in a way that connects more directly to the outside world.

The Hub also appears to fit with a bigger shift happening in education. Schools are trying to give juniors and seniors more meaningful choices as they get closer to graduation. Some students plan to attend college. Others want to learn a trade. Some are unsure. The Hub is meant to serve all of them.

Kirby said that is one of the strengths of the program.

“The beauty of a program like this is it’s for every student,” he said. “Whether it’s a student that thinks they want to work in manufacturing, or a student that maybe wants to go to a four-year college and beyond. We have opportunities for all those type of students.”

In other words, the Hub is not just for one kind of learner. It is not only for students headed to the trades, and it is not only for college-bound students. It is for anyone who needs a better look at what comes next.

That broad mission could also help the community. Kirby said one goal is to help Oskaloosa grow its own future workforce. Some students will leave town after graduation, but many will stay. If they can make stronger connections with local employers while still in school, that could benefit both students and businesses.

“We want every student to be able to know what their next step is,” Kirby said. “And I think locally, we want to help grow and retain our local talent.”

That means the Innovation Hub is not just about school. It is also about the future of Oskaloosa. A student who works with a local business now may one day come back to work there full time. A teenager who helps solve a problem for a nonprofit may become a long-term volunteer, board member, or leader. A student who finds the right path earlier may be more likely to stay rooted in the community.

For that reason, school leaders say the program depends on strong local partnerships. Businesses, nonprofits, and community members are being asked to take part by sharing projects, mentoring students, or helping provide opportunities.

Kirby said the school cannot do it alone.

“The school does not and cannot do this alone,” he said. “The partnerships with our community is really important.”

There are already signs of strong interest. Kirby said the school recently held a lunch-and-learn meeting with business leaders and expected around 20 to 30 people. More than 70 showed up.

“I think our business community and community leadership, I think they’re hungry for something like this,” Kirby said.

That kind of turnout suggests many local leaders see value in helping students connect learning with real life. It also suggests the community understands that preparing the next generation is not only the job of the school district. It is something the whole town can help with.

The program is still in a pilot stage, with a smaller number of students involved so far. Bihn said the classes have had about 10 students each term. She said there have been plenty of projects available, but the school wants more people to know about the class so more students will consider taking it.

Recruiting students can be a challenge because the Hub is not inside the high school building where students pass by it every day. It is a class that has to be explained. Parents may also play an important role by asking their children whether this is something they would like to try.

Bihn said she hopes families will start having those conversations.

“We’ve heard about this class. Is this something that you’re interested in?” she said. “Let’s figure out how to get it into your schedule.”

School leaders also want the program to grow over time. Right now it is a two-hour block, but there have already been talks about whether students might one day spend even more time in the Hub. There is also talk about making sure every student gets at least one term in the program by the time they are a senior, possibly tied to a capstone project.

Bihn said the possibilities are wide open.

“We would love to see it grow,” she said. “The possibilities are just exciting for me. There’s so many things we can do.”

There is one challenge ahead, though. The current downtown space is not permanent. The Hub has been operating in the basement of the former MidwestOne Bank building. That building has been sold, and the program will need a new home after this school year.

Bihn said the school is thankful it can stay there through the end of the current school year, but a location is needed for fall.

That means the future of the Hub may depend not only on student interest and school support, but also on whether the community can help find space for it to continue.

School leaders are already thinking beyond just a room with tables and chairs. They are trying to imagine what future students may need. That could include podcast space, hands-on tools, display areas, or equipment for building and design projects. Staff know the kinds of projects students want to do may change over time, and they want the Hub to be ready.

That kind of thinking reflects what makes this program different. The Innovation Hub is not built around a fixed textbook. It is built around people, projects, and possibilities. It is meant to move with the times and with the interests of students.

At its core, the program is trying to answer a simple question: How can school better prepare students for life?