Education Council

In 2022, leaders from both the School District of Janesville (SDOJ) and Forward Janesville gathered to discuss the intersection between education and workforce development -- specifically, how might they work together to better prepare local students for long-term success in the face of changing workforce needs and priorities?

This turned out to be the first of many meetings to come, and what today is known as the Education Council.

To learn more about the formation and objectives of the Education Council, read "The Future of Education" from a 2023 issue of our FJI Report.

The Education Council has also been intstrumental in the launch of Craftsman with Character in the School District of Janesville. Craftsman with Character (CWC) is a pre-youth apprenticeship program that exposes students to career options while character-building and mentoring. The program launched in the 23/24 school year. In its first year, career exploration partners included: Blain Supply, the City of Janesville, JP Cullen, Prent Corporation, Rock Road Companies, the School District of Janesville, and United Alloy. CWC is in its second year and career exploration partners include: Blain Supply, Combs & Associates, Farm & Fleet, JP Cullen, Prent Corporation, Rock Road Companies, and United Alloy. FJI hosted a BreakFAST with BMO event to showcase this program to our membership and the Janesville Gazette highlighted it in a front page article.  

The Education Council was also key in opening the Janesville Business Hub at 1 Parker Place in downtown Janesville. The Hub is home to the Janesville Business Academy, an internship program for high school students at Craig and Parker where they solve challenges for real-world businesses and organizations. 

Fostering Economic Success Through Education

Forward Janesville has long recognized that strong, well-supported educational systems are essential to a thriving economy and vibrant, growing communities. When our educational frameworks succeed across all generations, our businesses and communities do, too. To ensure education and learning are top of mind when discussing community health and economic development, our Community Dashboard includes key primary, secondary, and post-secondary education metrics in the categories of Strong Educational Foundation and Higher Education. 

Additionally, Forward Janesville supports strong educational systems through 4 Key Actions: Building Strategic Partnerships, Expanding Work-Based Learning, Championing Life Long Learning, and Supporting Accountable Funding.