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The MVPs of MVAs

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The latest acronym you may regularly hear in school districts across the KC metro is MVA. MVA stands for Market Value Asset and our “DiplomaPlus” initiative is that every graduate of the Lee’s Summit School District earns one before they graduate. You may be wondering, what IS a Market Value Asset anyway?! Fair question! We believe that students should have opportunities to set themselves apart and prepare themselves for life. An MVA is an experience that provides deeper learning connected to real-world application that prepares students for their futures. There are 4 different experiences that are considered an MVA:

  1. College Credit (9 hours): Many courses offered through LSR7 coincide with college curriculum, so students can earn dual credit, or get credit for high school courses and college credit at the same time. If a students earns 9 hours while in high school, it prepares them to handle learning beyond graduation. 

  2. Industry Recognized Credentials (IRCs): Many industries, especially those that are continually changing, look for workers who have credentials which typically require specific content knowledge and a passing score on a test. Examples include: Cisco Certified Network Association (CCNA), Fundamentals of Marketing (ASK), Machine Tool Technology (NIMS), and many more. IRCs earned empower our students to go straight to industry or earn and learn their way to their next goal. 

  3. Entrepreneurial Experiences: Some courses structure curriculum goals around a topic and allow students to pursue a project focused on student-driven solutions or ideas. When they take ownership of the learning by posing their own questions, leading in the research, and devising solutions, they engage with the content at a higher level. Presenting their ideas fosters communication skills, especially when the audience is comprised of business partners. Time to level up the learning!

  4. Client Connected Projects and Internships: Curriculum goals can also be focused around a real-world problem posed by a business partner. Students devise solutions to the problem and collaborate with industry partners and mentors. They not only learn the material at a different level, they also  practice the soft skills that industry leaders tell us are lacking in the work force. Some of our students who have taken extensive coursework in a pathway and display readiness, secure internships in the workplace. They work off-campus under a mentor/supervisor with a coordinator at their home school monitoring their experience and assigning reflective coursework. It is hard to match working experience when preparing for the future!

So there you have it, the MVPs of Market Value Assets! With multiple opportunities offered to students, their resumes should be in good shape when they walk across the stage and get that diploma! 

- Emily Hobbs, Career Navigator at Summit Technology Academy and 33 area feeder schools

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