As we close out the year, seniors from across our CAST Schools are sharing what we call “legacy” projects. They spend a year exploring an idea to make either their school, or their community stronger. 

CAST Lead students built an incredible guide to their school, designed to correct misimpressions and help welcome new students to the campus. CAST Tech students proposed a myriad of ways to boost school spirit and student engagement, promote mental health and peer mentorship.

These projects are one of the many ways CAST Schools solicit student input in how we can continue to make sure we are meeting the needs of our students, and they are designed not just for presenting to an audience, but for future implementation.

I consider it an act of bravery by school leaders to open these presentations up to families and the community, as they then commit publicly to taking this feedback and implementing it.

And sometimes the feedback is hard to hear. As state funding for public schools has been cut, schools are forced to make difficult cuts. One of the most profound effects has been on college advising resources, and this was perhaps the most common topic raised by CAST Tech seniors.

We do not take their concerns lightly, and we are examining all the ways we can do more to support students with college planning, preparing and advising in creative ways so that those funding cuts do not impact their ability to achieve their goals.

Jeanne Russell

Executive Director

CAST Schools