Many people are not aware that CAST Schools was initially born out of an industry-led effort that also led to SA Worx, which is now an arm of Greater SATX. In those early years, a small group of business leaders and consultants, including myself, tackled two tasks:   We scheduled one on one interviews with… Continue reading Building Pre-Apprenticeships at CAST

Readers of our newsletter will know that CAST Schools announced last June that we were working with the San Antonio ISD (SAISD) to open a new elementary campus on the East Side.   The school is intended to build on the success of the Pre-K-12 Advanced Learning Academy (ALA), which typically has a wait list… Continue reading An Update about CAST’s New East Side School

When I was a child, my father worked for a plastics manufacturer and as part of his work he somehow acquired an enormous box of defective Legos. I mostly remember that some of the colors bled or were slightly faded. My brother and I used these Lego blocks to build entire cities and craft crazy… Continue reading What Is the Role of the Learner?

Last week, young people from across our campuses came together at the Contemporary at Blue Star to engage in team building activities, make collaborative art pieces, and express their ideas of leadership using haikus. It was the second meeting of our CAST Network Student Advisory, a group of young people from across our campus who… Continue reading What Are We Learning from Apprenticeship Work?

This week, I had the opportunity to share a bit about the CAST story to graduate students at the University of Texas at Austin’s LBJ School of Public Policy. It was a fun chance to field thought-provoking questions from smart young(-ish) people who have big ideas to change the world. They focused on what it… Continue reading What Does It Take to Innovate?

On Thursday, CAST Schools hosted a virtual town hall in partnership with local news station KSAT12. The town hall aimed to highlight the importance of mentorships for today’s students. For students preparing to transition into adulthood and the workforce, being a mentor to young people during this crucial time can act as a bridge that… Continue reading CAST Hosts Virtual Town Hall with KSAT 12

This week, 49 6th grade students from CAST Imagine, CAST’s very first middle school, toured the Arboretum San Antonio, a brand new park designed to be a place for trees and native trees on San Antonio’s Southside.   The Arboretum, a former golf course, has been hosting a series of focus groups and surveys with… Continue reading Imagining a Brighter Future with CAST