Today on This Educational Life, we're heading to St. Louis, Missouri. Known as the Gateway to the West, St. Louis is a city marked by both a spirit of progress and a history of overcoming significant challenges. However, as today’s episode will show you, with the right collaboration and vision, challenges can also be opportunities to bring about positive lasting change.

Host Mariah Presley is joined by Tracy Hykes, a proud graduate of the St. Louis Public Schools district, former union sheet metal worker, and current St. Louis Public Schools (SLPS) board member, and Jennifer Geen, Senior Account Manager at Trane, who’s worked closely with Tracy and the St Louis Public Schools team on a huge education transformation project.

Together, Tracy and Jennifer discuss how St. Louis Public Schools and Trane are redefining what's possible for nearly 20,000 students, and saving $2.6 million in the process. By introducing industry certifications in skilled trades like HVAC, and leveraging major infrastructure investments to improve learning environments, they're creating pathways for students to secure not just jobs, but “life-sustaining careers”.

Listen to discover:

• How Tracy’s journey - from a student unsure of his future to a confident tradesman - reflects the life-changing power of access and mentorship.
• Why school districts must innovate to give students not just jobs, but meaningful, prosperous careers.
• How strategic collaborations between education and industry can significantly transform both student lives and entire communities.

This is the last episode in season 1! Thank you so much for listening and coming along this journey with us! If you've got an idea for a topic or know an educational leader who exemplifies the resourceful innovation we have featured all season long, let us know. You can drop us an email at [email protected], leave us a review on Apple, or a comment on Spotify or Youtube.

Let's continue to challenge what's possible for education, industry, and most importantly, for our students.