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"PWCMR Highlight: Lewis County Schools Expands Opportunities and Elevates Career Readiness for Middle and High School Students
Lewis County Schools is charting a bold new path for rural career readiness, using its Innovative School Models (ISM) grant to transform how students explore careers, build skills, and plan their futures. What began as an effort to close opportunity gaps has grown into a deeply integrated system of advising, exploration, and experiential learning that now reaches students from grade 6 through graduation.
Through ISM-funded expenditures, Lewis County Schools has purchased curriculum-aligned simulators, virtual reality tools, and industry-specific equipment, allowing students to experience authentic, hands-on learning that mirrors real workplace environments. These immersive experiences have shifted instruction from theory to active problem-solving. As CTE Director Trina Weaks shared, the district’s mission is “to close the divide between academic preparation and regional workforce demands by enhancing career readiness through personalized advising and real-world exposure.”
A major strength of Lewis County’s approach is how deeply career development is woven into daily learning. At the high school level, nine programs of study now serve roughly 300 students each day, and work-based learning enrollment has surged from six students in 2023 to over 40 students in the 2025-26 school year. The district’s early college model; nonexistent before ISM; has produced 24 graduates who simultaneously earned a high school diploma and a postsecondary credential, including associate degrees and technical diplomas. The number of students earning early postsecondary opportunities has grown 46 percent since the 2021-22 school year, supported by intentional advising for middle and high school students.
Industry partnerships have also expanded rapidly, growing from zero formal partners to ten in just two years. These partners participate in high impact initiatives such as the district’s “World of Work Day,” job shadowing, mentorships, and skilled trades mobile labs.
Perhaps the most transformative progress is occurring in middle school. With a dedicated Career Coach and STEM instructor, approximately 374 students receive daily exposure to STEM, career exploration, and aptitude-based learning. Students in grade 8 participate in TCAT Hohenwald tours, high school CTE showcases, and hands-on skilled trades experiences. These early opportunities ensure students begin high school with clearer direction and stronger alignment to their natural strengths. According to Weaks, the district has shifted from “general guidance to a structured, multi-layered advising system,” creating individualized learning plans and stronger transitions into high school pathways.
By expanding access, strengthening advising, and building intentional partnerships, Lewis County Schools has reimagined what rural career readiness can look like. The ISM grant has not only opened doors—it has built an enduring, future-focused pipeline ensuring students graduate with purpose, confidence, and the skills to succeed in Tennessee’s workforce.
Pictured from left to right: student operating a workforce simulator purchased with ISM funding; and student receiving advisement from a career coach, a position funded through the ISM Grant.
Strategies
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Integrate immersive, industry-aligned learning into daily instruction. Lewis County Schools used ISM funding to embed high-fidelity simulations, virtual reality career exploration, and hands-on labs directly into classroom routines. These experiences help students move from learning about careers to actively practicing skills, behaviors, and decision-making aligned with real workplace expectations.
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Build a comprehensive, grade-banded advising system that supports students from middle school through graduation. With the addition of a workforce career specialist, middle school career coach, and STEM instructor, Lewis County now provides structured, personalized career advising beginning in grade 6 and continuing through high school graduation. This coordinated model ensures students receive intentional, aptitude‑based guidance as they select courses, explore careers, and pursue EPSOs and work‑based learning.
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Strengthen industry partnerships to expand authentic career exposure and workforce-aligned pathways. The district rapidly grew from zero formal partnerships to a network of ten employers who support mentorships, job shadowing, Work Ethic Wednesdays, and high impact events like the “World of Work Day.” These collaborations ensure curriculum stays aligned to regional workforce needs while connecting students directly with high‑demand career pathways.
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Create early college and workforce pipelines that provide students with a head start on postsecondary success. Prior to ISM, Lewis County did not offer early postsecondary credentialing through Middle College or TCAT pathways. With grant support, the district now graduates students each year with an associate degree or technical diploma alongside their high school diploma, demonstrating a sustainable and expanding pipeline to high skill, high‑wage opportunities.
Expand career awareness for middle school students through daily exposure and experiential learning. ISM-funded staff and programming now reach approximately 374 students in grades 6 through 8 with daily STEM and career exploration instruction, aptitude assessments, and experiences such as TCAT tours and skilled trades simulators. This early foundation builds confidence and clarity, helping students enter high school with purposeful plans and stronger alignment to Programs of Study."
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