Last Wednesday, I, along with many industry partners, parents, and interested adults, gathered at CAST Tech High School to hear students present as part of a year-long “Legacy project.”

Students are asked to spend a year in teams exploring ways to make their school or community stronger to leave behind a Legacy. Most of the projects focus on the school, and many past projects have been implemented, such as a girls’ leadership group,, a mental health room, and more.

As the executive director of CAST Schools, I am repeatedly struck by how willing the teachers and administrators of CAST Tech are to open themselves up to a critique by students, and how their vulnerability and openness sets them apart. Even as these projects teach us how to better serve our young people, sometimes they also break my heart a little.

For example, I heard a team of 4 first generation students talk about how they wished they had better understood many things about the college process earlier in their school careers, because they would have made different decisions, taken harder courses, and cared more about grades. 

At CAST, we strive to begin these conversations in 9th grade, and to ensure that students visit colleges throughout their time in high school, take college classes, and participate in experiences at colleges. It was hard for me, listening, to realize that for this group, this had not been enough. As the audience asked questions, the students reminded us that this class in particular had spent nearly the entire year online, so both they and their parents missed out on critical information sessions and more.

Even as my heart hurt, I was so grateful to this team of students for not only challenging us but pointing us to powerful ways that we can continue to serve our students better, and I am confident that the teachers and leaders will respond.

Jeanne Russell

Executive Director

CAST Schools