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By Dylan Peterson, MPA, Business and Community Coordinator at Fort Osage R-1 School District
Fort Osage School District serves approximately 4,000 students across urban, suburban, and rural communities in Missouri. In recent years, we have gone “all in” on Real World Learning, an approach that helps students connect classroom experiences to future careers. As part of this effort, we have explored countless tools to connect students from all grade levels to their ideal future.
One of the most impactful resources we’ve found is The DeBruce Foundation’s Agilities© framework. Agilities are a set of work skills, like Innovating, Managing, and Selling and Communicating, that are used across all careers. This framework has given us a shared language to bring our Profile of a Graduate to life at an individual student level.
Starting in Kindergarten, students reflect on who they are, what they like, what they are good at, and how those strengths can shape their future. Our goal is for every student at Fort Osage High School to have a 5-year plan of success—a personalized roadmap that can carry them through their first year after graduation.
Helping Students Envision Their Future
One of the key tools we use is Draw Your Future with Agilities©, an activity that helps students visualize and map out their goals. At the beginning of the school year, our counseling department (counselors, a social worker, a college and career advisor, and business and community coordinator) visits every 9-12 English Language Arts classroom to lead this activity.
During these sessions, students reflect on where they are now and where they want to be by the end of the school year. For some students, it’s about joining a club, getting their driver’s license, or applying for college. For others, it’s about improving their GPA, figuring out finances, or improving their mental health. For all students, it is a way for each of them to develop their own meaningful, bold steps for the year ahead.
Building Reflection into the School Year
After students have created their maps, we collect and scan them, giving each student both a digital and paper copy. Many students keep their maps visible, setting them as their Chromebook or phone background, so their goals stay top of mind.
We have built time into our Advisory period to pull the maps back out, and they are also listed as a resource for student-led conferences in the spring. Throughout the year, students’ goals remain front and center.
Supporting Students Through MTSS and Counseling
These maps have not only been an asset for students; they have also been a great resource to use during MTSS (Multi-Tiered System of Supports) interventions. Rather than conversations solely focusing on grades or attendance, we can center the conversation on the future they drew on their map. This shift helps students see the connection between their current choices and their long-term goals.
The counseling department is able to use these maps during enrollment to help students figure out what classes will get them to where they want to go. Students and staff alike have reported that it is a great way to start the school year with intention. In fact, in the weeks following Draw Your Future, many students come to talk to our counseling department about what resources we have available to help them take their first bold step, like finding tutoring for a class they are struggling with, completing their FAFSA, or prepping for a job interview.
Identifying Strengths with the Agile Work Profiler
Another key resource we rely on is the Agile Work Profiler©, typically used in conjunction with our mid-year resume update. This tool helps students identify and articulate their strengths using the Agilities framework.
The Agilities provide language around a student’s strengths, which is especially helpful when students are participating in an internship, client project, or entrepreneurial experience. It gives them a way to communicate their value to potential employers with confidence and clarity.
As we continue to expand our usage of the Agilities, our plan is to integrate them into our annual college and career fair. This would allow students to select career sessions that align with their strengths, creating a more personalized and meaningful experience to explore potential career paths.
Expanding Career Awareness in Elementary School
We are piloting the use of Agilities into our elementary counseling curriculum. The lessons fit right into Missouri DESE’s career awareness standards and help students start identifying and growing their skills.
The rest of our counselors will be trained in the Agilities framework in time for next school year, supporting a consistent, district-wide approach to career development.
Looking Ahead
We are excited about how these tools are shaping the way our students think about their futures. By helping students better understand their strengths and take intentional steps forward, we are building a culture where every student can see a path to success and feel empowered to pursue it.
Learn more about bringing the Agilities to your schooland sign up for a free trainingto help you get started.
