Our Solution
Magnolia Project empowers students, many with limited resources, to shape their own economic futures through community-connected learning that bridges education, mentorship, and an entrepreneurial mindset.
Our Model
Magnolia Project partners with public schools to embed semester-long, hands-on Career Exploration and Apprenticeship pathways into the school day. Our programs incentivize school attendance and graduation, expose students to a variety of different educational and career paths, and help students make economically empowered decisions for the future.
Our Approach
Our approach centers student agency while connecting to educational and career goals:
Our career exploration and apprenticeship pathways include extensive preparation for and reflection upon life after high school. This includes personalized career exploration and reflection, as well as exposure to trusted mentors and to industries and careers that align with personal interests, spark excitement, and build upon their strengths.
At Magnolia Project, the meaningful next phase is not a one-size-fits-all solution, nor is it a specific pathway into which students are tracked. Our programs support all students in their exploration of their future careers, including college, career, or other path such as military or gap year. We do help students weigh the potential costs and benefits of their choices, but we do not sort or track students based on their future plans, nor do we pre-select experiences for students or otherwise attempt to influence students’ meaningful next phases.
At the end of their program experience, all Magnolia Project students complete a plan for their meaningful next phase. This plan is shared with teachers, guidance counselors, administrators and family members so that everyone is on the same page about student’s future dreams and desires, and can work together to support them.
