Oskaloosa’s Hub Turns Student Projects Into Career Opportunities
Oskaloosa High School student Lilia Morris, left, and Hub facilitator Carrie Bihn discuss how The Hub connects students with local businesses, workplace skills and career opportunities during an interview with Oskaloosa News.
OSKALOOSA – Lilia Morris decided to join The Hub because she liked the teacher in charge of the class.
After two trimesters, the Oskaloosa High School student helped create the program’s visual identity, tried out graphic design, shadowed professionals at Musco, and found paid work at a local bank.
She started with no summer job lined up, but through people she met in The Hub, she received three different job offers.
Morris’ story highlights what Oskaloosa Schools wants to achieve with the program. The Hub moves students out of the usual classroom and into real workplaces, where they team up with local businesses and community groups.
The program is now on the second floor of The Office at 108 First Avenue East in downtown Oskaloosa. This new location lets classes run all day, not just in the afternoon.
Hub facilitator Carrie Bihn and Morris recently talked with Oskaloosa News about how the program is growing, its new location, and the impact it is already having on students.
Learning Through Real Work
Morris joined The Hub in its first trimester and stayed involved through the second.
One of her main projects was creating The Hub’s branding. She learned graphic design with some help and developed a visual style for the program, including a logo, business cards, and letterhead.
The project helped Morris find a talent she didn’t know she had. Before joining, she didn’t think of herself as artistic, but the feedback she got made her see that graphic design could be part of her future.
Her career plans have also shifted.
Morris used to think she would study finance because she likes math. But her time in The Hub has her thinking about business administration, which could let her mix her interests in numbers, business, and design.
The people she met were just as important as the projects she worked on.
Morris got to shadow workers at Musco and meet business leaders through Hub meetings. These connections later helped her find job opportunities, including her current job at a local bank.
The experience also made her feel more comfortable with everyday tasks at work.
Making a call, answering the phone, or writing a professional email might seem easy to adults who have done it for years. But for students starting out, these tasks can feel stressful.
The Hub gives students a place to practice these skills. Morris said that each phone call or professional interaction feels less intimidating the more she does it.
The Hub partners with businesses, nonprofits, and community groups that have projects for students to work on.
These projects help students practice communication, planning, organization, and problem-solving while doing work that matters outside of school. One student who was good with computers worked with the George Daily Community Auditorium to create an inventory spreadsheet. The system tracked parts and supplies and included links to reorder commonly used items.
This project made it easier for auditorium employees to check supplies or order replacement parts.
Another student saw litter in a local cemetery and decided to organize a cleanup.
The student figured out who to ask for permission, made the needed phone calls, picked a date, and made flyers to invite other students to help. Those who joined could earn Silver Cord community service hours for graduation.
Bihn said the student managed almost every part of the project.
These examples show both sides of The Hub’s work. Some projects start when a business or group asks for help, while others begin when a student spots a problem or comes up with an idea.
In both cases, students are expected to take charge and keep the project moving.
A Place to Explore Careers
The Hub also helps students figure out if a certain career is right for them.
A project, workplace visit, or job shadowing can confirm a student’s interest, or it might show them that a job is different from what they expected.
Learning this in high school can save students time and money. They can change direction before starting college, paying tuition, or beginning training that doesn’t fit their interests.
Earlier Oskaloosa News stories looked at how The Hub uses local projects to help students practice professional communication, teamwork, and decision-making. was operating from shared space in the former MidWestOne Bank building and needed another location.
A report in May announced that The Office would be The Hub’s new downtown home. The move gave the program meeting spaces, presentation technology, elevator access, and a setting shared with other professionals.
The latest interview shows how the program is starting to make use of its new home.
New Location Allows Program to Expand
Bihn said The Hub’s agreement at The Office is open-ended. The program can stay in the building until it outgrows the space.
The new location also lets students join at different times during the school day. Before, the program mostly ran in the afternoons.
The Hub mainly serves juniors and seniors, since students usually need two class periods open in their schedules. The longer block gives them time to travel between the high school and downtown and get real work done.
Students currently receive career and technical education, vocational or elective credit through the class.
Bihn hopes that, in the future, students can show skills that count toward other subjects too. To make that happen, the program will need more students and more teachers.
The Hub aimed to reach about 30 students as it started the 2026-27 school year.
Bihn said interest from the community and the number of projects keep growing. Several businesses and organizations have reached out to her after learning about the program, recruiting enough students to complete those projects.
Keeping Local Talent in Oskaloosa
The Hub’s work can also help local employers meet students before they graduate.
Students often walk by businesses without knowing what goes on inside or what jobs are available. The Hub gives them chances to meet employees, attend business meetings, and see how local workplaces run.
These connections could help students find internships, part-time jobs, or even future careers in Oskaloosa.
Morris’ story is an early example. The relationships she built through The Hub led to job opportunities before she finished high school.
Bihn hopes other students get the same chance to explore local employers, build professional skills, and find out where their abilities fit.
How Students Can Participate
Parents and students who are interested in The Hub can reach out to Bihn through the Oskaloosa High School staff directory.
Students can also talk to their school counselor to see if they have room in their schedule for the two-period class.
With a new location, more class times, and projects lined up from community partners, The Hub is getting ready for its next stage. For students like Morris, the program is already doing what it set out to do—turning classroom learning into real experience that can shape life after graduation.
