Beth Grzelak, Ford NGL Learning Design Lead & Community Coach
For those of you who have engaged with our Ford Next Generation Learning (Ford NGL) website (fordngl.com) over the past year, you may have noticed that its look and feel have been undergoing a makeover to make our identity and purpose clearer. Important to that change has also been to make it easier for our Ford NGL communities to access the great ‘U’ resources we have to support your transformation journey through Phases 4 (Implementation) and 5 (Go Further) of the Ford NGL Roadmap.
Our goal with the ‘U’ is to provide a carefully curated set of resources that enhance fundamental elements of the Ford NGL model and/or address emerging needs from across our network. Additionally, we want you to see the ‘U’ as part of the suite of resources that Ford NGL offers to its member communities that, when used in conjunction with community coaching and network convenings, support all Ford NGL communities in sustaining their community-connected transformation over time.
So, how do we develop ‘U’ resources to support your community’s work? We listen to you! We listen to you directly through our Superintendents’ Council, Leadership Council, and conversations you have with your account managers. We listen to you through the conversations you have with your great Ford NGL coaches. From these conversations, we look for patterns of interest and challenge, and use those patterns to inform course development, webinar creation, and Circle content. For us, ‘U’ content is meaningful and important work, and it’s also fun to think about how our communities will engage with it!
The ‘U’ develops courses to address areas of interest or challenge for Ford NGL communities. A course includes multiple lessons, a variety of guiding text, graphics, and resources, and requires an investment of time (60 minutes or more). Courses feature voices of Ford NGL coaches and staff, as well as those from our Ford NGL communities.
- Our newest course, just released in early April, focuses on Creating Strong, Sustainable Systems and Structures for your Community- Connected Transformation, and features voices from the 865 Academes (Knox County, TN), the Academies of Racine (WI), and the Academies of Hampton (VA).
- Onboarding new staff is always challenging because lots of folks outside of our communities are not familiar with the transformational nature of the work you are doing. We have a course, Getting Onboard with Onboarding, to help your leadership team think about what your onboarding process needs to be to integrate someone fully into your Ford NGL community in a way they can understand, support, and sustain your transformation.
- Launched last summer, Your Steering Committee: Jump-Starting or Refreshing, Revitalizing, Re-empowering It, has gained traction with our communities and coaches.
Sometimes, your community doesn’t need a whole course, but maybe just a lesson or two to jump-start some thinking. Turn to your Ford NGL coach or coaches to help you use ‘U’ courses well!
‘U’ webinars are quick learning moments of 30 minutes or less. They are focused on a specific topic, and have limited supporting resources. They are small, but mighty!
- Career Academies 101 is a great webinar to onboard new staff to the model and re-ground existing staff at the beginning of the school year on the ‘why’ behind the career academy model.
- Its companion webinar, Career Academies: A Deeper Dive Into Roles & Responsibilities, looks intentionally at specific roles within the model and how the roles, together, make the high school career academy model work.
- We have begun an occasional series for academy coaches related to the work-based learning (WBL) continuum that unpacks key reminders, planning points, and specific resources to implement Ford NGL WBL activities. Check out The Worksite Tour and The Business Roundtable.
Another core element of the ‘U’ are our Circles. ‘U’ Circles are virtual professional learning communities for roles unique to Ford NGL’s transformation model. Circles are places where members of your community with specific roles can network with peers, discuss topics that are impacting your community’s work, learn about innovative practices other communities are using, and get support for strategies your community is trying to implement. We currently offer Circles for the following roles:
- Academy Coaches (our longest-running Circle!)
- Academy Principals (our newest Circle! Just started in November 2024)
- District Transformation Leaders Circle (These are folks with both the responsiblity and the authority to lead the day-to-day work related to the community’s transformation)
- Partnership Directors (those in larger communities who coordinate work-based learning opportunities and business partnerships across multiple high schools)
Circles meet either quarterly or bi-monthly for 60-75 minutes. Want to learn more about any of our Circles? Start by talking with your great Ford NGL coach or coaches!
Last but not least, the ‘U’ produces occasional reports to showcase learnings from across our networks. These are always available for download. Current reports include:
- A Principal’s Role in Transformation: A Ford NGL Profile and Insights Report
- Community Structures: Profiles and Insights
- The Employer’s Guide to Career and Technical Education Partnerships
Bottom line, the ‘U’ is designed for YOU. The resources you will find there are intentionally designed to support your community-connected transformation journey and to help ensure it is sustainable over time. When used thoughtfully alongside coaching and network convenings, your community’s success will be assured and your transformation will definitely Go Further!
Are you a member of a Ford NGL community and need assistance logging into fordngl.com to access ‘U’ resources? Reach out to us at [email protected].
