🎺 JCPS ALUM TAKES THE STAGE AT COACHELLA | From JCPS classrooms to one of the world’s biggest music festivals! 🎺✨ Nicholas “Nick Anthony” Recktenwald (YPAS Class of 2019) just performed in front of nearly 15,000 fans at Coachella alongside rising artist Gigi Perez—and he’s not done yet. From early music programs at Bloom Elementary, Noe Middle, and @duPontManual @YPASlouisville to the global stage, Nick’s journey is a powerful reminder of what arts education can make possible! STORY: jefferson.kyschools.us/artic… #WeAreJCPS

ICYMI earlier this month we proudly welcomed the Innovative Academies of Dayton Public School District in Dayton, Ohio, to the Ford NGL network. As our network continues to grow, so does the community connected movement to transform education for all learners. Watch this inspiring video to learn more about their commitment to “ALL MEANS ALL.” youtube.com/watch?v=_Ceae-Sd…

Honored to attend the ceremony recognizing ⁦@DaytonSchools⁩ as a member of ⁦@FordNGL⁩. Congratulations to Superintendent Dr. David Lawrence & ⁦@cherylmcarrier⁩ for their leadership in advancing student success. ⁦@OhioDevelopment⁩

Trying to solve complex problems with simple tools? Let’s change that. Learn more and register here: us06web.zoom.us/meeting/regi…

Can you believe we’re already nearing the end of February? With the 28th right around the corner, the deadline for the Ford NGL SAE Engineering Scholarship is fast approaching. See details below. sae.org/scholarships/sae-for…

Our panel at the 2026 Detroit Auto Show highlighted how strong partnerships between employers, K‑12 schools, and higher education are essential for helping students understand evolving career paths and access real‑world learning opportunities. Read a recap of our discussion with Valvoline Global Operations President and Chief Executive Officer, Jamal Muashsher, Macomb Community College’s President, Jim Sawyer, and Ford Next Generation Learning’s Partnership Director and Community Coach, Scott Palmer at: michauto.org/the-essential-e…

Dayton Public Schools is officially a Ford Next Generation Learning District! Thanks to our students, staff, families & community partners, DPS is leading innovative, career-connected learning, becoming only the 2nd district in Ohio to earn this honor. Stay tuned for more!

#CTE Month reminds us why #FordNGL exists. One powerful story, from our own Cheryl Carrier, shows how community connected learning can spark lifelong opportunity and real transformation. CTE is more than #career prep. It is a foundation. Get inspired here: fordngl.medium.com/cte-is-th…

If you are looking for proof that community connected education drives real outcomes this matters. @AkronPublic moved from 2.5 to 3.5 stars statewide and now ranks in the top fifteen percent for college career and military readiness. Full story and data here: fordngl.com/how-a-ford-ngl-c…

Ford NGL Circles bring together people doing the real work of community connected transformation. They are virtual professional learning communities for leaders in Phase 4 and Phase 5 communities to network with peers, tackle challenges impacting their day to day work, learn from innovative practices across the country, and get support for strategies they are actively implementing. Circles meet every other month for about 60 to 75 minutes and are organized by role so the conversations are practical, relevant, and immediately usable. Read our latest blog to get the scoop on what our Circles have been up to. These are not presentations or passive sessions. They are working conversations with people who are responsible for making transformation stick. If you are not yet connected and your role touches coaching, district implementation, or partnerships, now is the time to join a Circle that aligns to your work. Reach out to learn more, see upcoming dates, or get connected to the right Circle for you. fordngl.com/q4-2025-circles-…

Every successful transformation has a North Star. At Ford NGL, that North Star is the Portrait of a Graduate—a shared community vision that aligns systems, structures, learning experiences, and partnerships around what graduates truly need for college, career, and life. In our new and upcoming webinar, Your Portrait of a Graduate: The North Star for Community Connected Transformation, we draw on lessons from communities nationwide to show how a strong PoG keeps work aligned, focused, and moving forward—especially as systems evolve and mature. For communities refining or re-centering their Portrait of a Graduate, this webinar offers a clear, practical place to begin. Learn more here: fordngl.com/your-portrait-of… #FordNGL #CommunityConnected #SystemsChange #EducationLeadership #PortraitOfAGraduate

When education is designed around students, community, and real-world relevance, transformation follows. @FWCommSchools Schools of Success isn’t just a program—it’s a movement connecting classroom learning to meaningful futures. Through career pathways, guaranteed experiences, and deep partnerships with local employers and organizations, students are building skills, confidence, and clarity about what comes next. This is the kind of system-level transformation the Ford NGL framework makes possible: community-connected learning that serves every student, strengthens regional talent pipelines, and prepares young people for life, not just graduation. Learn more here: journalgazette.net/local/sch… #EducationLeadership #CommunityConnected #WorkforceDevelopment #SystemsChange #FordNGL

Real transformation happens when schools, industry, and community partners refuse to work in silos. In Albuquerque, the Academies of Albuquerque—built on the Ford NGL framework—are reimagining high school through a career-connected lens. With @SandiaLabs and @UnitedWay at the table, educators are aligning curriculum to real-world applications and future workforce needs. This is systems change in action: community-connected learning that prepares students for meaningful careers, strengthens local talent pipelines, and keeps opportunity rooted where students live. FNGL continues to show what’s possible when communities build the future together. #EducationLeadership #CommunityConnected #WorkforceDevelopment #SystemsChange #FordNGL

Transformation happens when education, industry, and community move together. @Ford Motor Company partnered with the @AcademiesofLou to connect local students to real-world manufacturing challenges—right in their own community. Over three months, students collaborated with Ford engineers to design solutions that improved quality, safety, and efficiency across Louisville plants. This is what community-connected learning looks like: students solving real problems, employers building local talent pipelines, and regions transforming how young people prepare for the future of work. FNGL continues to show what’s possible when systems align around students and communities. #EducationLeadership #WorkforceDevelopment #CommunityConnected #SystemsChange #FordNGL youtu.be/UA2zQKhbn5Q Thank you to the The Academies of Louisville Alliance for regularly showcasing the impact of the FNGL approach to the career academy model.

When people choose to show up for one another, communities grow stronger. Cheryl Carrier reflects on connection, belonging, and why Community Connected Learning is at the heart of transformation. Read more here: fordngl.com/rediscovering-th…

Our final newsletter of the year is live, and it’s one of the strongest reflections of our network’s progress, purpose, and people. This issue offers: ✔️ A powerful perspective from Cheryl Carrier on belonging and community ✔️ A major milestone as Raytown C2 School District joins the Ford NGL network ✔️ A look inside Akron Public Schools extraordinary gains through Community Connected Transformation ✔️ Celebrations of leadership across Michigan, Louisville, Albuquerque, Fort Wayne, and more ✔️ New tools, courses, and webinars to support the work ahead This edition will leave you inspired, informed, and optimistic about what 2026 holds for our students and communities. Read the full newsletter here: bit.ly/48uf02I

.@FordNGL community in Batesville #Indiana share.google/60r7oksuy6bUAok…

If you’re exploring ways to strengthen the Career Academy model in your area, deepen community connected learning, and accelerate districtwide transformation, our ACTE VISION 2026 sessions are designed with you in mind. Featuring our network of expert practitioners, you'll have the opportunity to leverage decades of experience to advance your work. In addition to the below, we're hosting some informal networking opportunities and would love to connect. DM us if you're going to be around and would like to join.

Future Ready-Time well spent with leaders sharing ideas and concepts shaping the way learning should look for students. @FordNGL @lisa_oleski @MarcEverettHill

RT @KetchamPaul: When communities and schools unite to create transformative opportunities for students, the earth moves. The Ford NGL co…