Rethinking High School: How Educators Are Bringing the Real World Into the Classroom

As student engagement continues to decline across the U.S. and employers struggle to find work-ready graduates, many educators are turning to a strategy that blurs the line between school and career: profession-based learning.

This approach was the focus of a recent national webinar titled “Start Small, Dream Big: How Educators Can Launch Profession-Based Learning,” hosted by the CAPS Network in collaboration with American Student Assistance (ASA). The event showcased how real-world projects, developed in partnership with local businesses and organizations, give high school students meaningful exposure to professional environments and reshape how schools think about college and career readiness.

“It’s not about waiting until graduation,” said Nate Clayberg, Business and Industry Director for CAPS. “It’s about giving students purpose and real responsibility now.”

Profession-based learning, or ProBL, is gaining traction in large and small districts to help students develop technical skills and “durable” traits such as critical thinking, collaboration, and communication. Unlike traditional internships, ProBL projects are embedded within the school day and driven by authentic business needs—from branding design to product launches.

At the heart of the webinar was experience.work, a national platform designed to support educators in connecting with industry and launching these kinds of opportunities in their schools. Developed by the CAPS Network with funding from ASA, the site provides project templates, video case studies, and practical guidance for initiating partnerships.

Real Results in Rural and Urban Schools

Educators from both ends of the geographic spectrum shared how they’ve made ProBL work in their classrooms.
In the rural community of Osborne, Kansas, math and media instructor Lacey Holloway turned a creative class project into a community-wide movement. Students began by filming school videos and soon produced marketing materials for local events, including a church conference and even a wedding.

“People in town started asking, ‘What else can your students do?’” Holloway said. “Now we’re getting more requests than we can handle.”

Meanwhile, at Mergenthaler Vocational Technical High School in Baltimore, MD, business instructor Nathan Burns guided his students through a consulting project for a local beverage company. Over three weeks, students researched the company’s market strategy, explored food desert data using AI tools, and presented recommendations to the business owner in a capstone-style pitch.

“It was their first experience applying what they’ve learned to a real business,” said Burns. “It changed how they saw themselves—and what school could be.”

Looking Ahead

The webinar reinforced a core message: educators don’t need to overhaul their curriculum to get started. One project, one local business, or one student can be the spark that shifts an entire learning culture.

“We’ve seen this model work in suburban, urban, and rural settings,” said Corey Mohn, Executive Director of CAPS. “The common thread is relevance. Students engage when the work matters.”

For educators interested in exploring the model further, the full webinar is free online, along with tools and success stories at experience.work.

📺 Watch the webinar: YouTube Link
📄 Slide Deck: Download Slides PDF