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Welcome to spring!
This is always my favorite time of year—a season of growth, renewal, and new opportunities. It’s also a time to reflect on the impact of agriculture in our lives. This month, we celebrated National Ag Day with the theme “Together, Let’s Grow,” highlighting the essential role agriculture plays in connecting us all—from food and fiber to fuel.
The DeBruce Foundation’s founder, Paul DeBruce, built his career in the grain business here in Kansas City, and his work continues to inspire our mission to expand career pathways for future generations.
Growing up in a rural community, I’ve dedicated my career to advancing agriculture education. I’m passionate about helping individuals discover their strengths and explore the vast opportunities available to them—both in agriculture and beyond. At The DeBruce Foundation, we’re committed to providing free tools and resources to help people of all ages and backgrounds map their career paths. Whether it’s in agriculture or another industry, our goal is to empower individuals to thrive.
This spring, let’s continue to grow—together.
Agilities© Kids: Innovating
In this month’s Agilities character highlight, meet one of our new Agilities characters — Innovating!
Innovating is all about thinking creatively, coming up with new ideas, and looking at things in a new way. Kids who like solving problems and trying fresh ideas often have the Innovating Agility. Kids might use Innovating at recess by inventing a new game to play with friends. How can you practice Innovating? Watch the video for an overview of Innovating, how this Agility can help at school, home, or a future job, and how to practice using this Agility.
Building Indiana’s future workforce: The DeBruce Foundation in the news
The DeBruce Foundation was recently featured in Building Indiana Business and Inside Indiana Business for efforts to enhance career readiness among Indiana students. Through a partnership with the Indiana Department of Education and Commission for Higher Education, The Foundation is training hundreds of career coaches.
Additionally, the Agile Work Profiler© was highlighted for supporting students’ connections to the workforce as Indiana rolls out a new high school diploma.
Learn more about The DeBruce Foundation’s partnerships to build Indiana’s future workforce.
Craig Moore II joins Startland’s Board of Directors
Congratulations to Craig Moore II, Partnerships and Special Projects Manager at The DeBruce Foundation, who recently joined Startland’s board of directors.
Startland is a nonprofit that supports start-ups in Kansas City, providing skill building, storytelling, and networking opportunities for entrepreneurs to grow as leaders and collaborators.
“With a long history as a reader and partner, I am eager to contribute to the organization’s mission of enhancing its impact on the entrepreneurial ecosystem,” shares Craig.
Read more from Startland.
Rebecca Kessler earns spot in University of Missouri-Columbia’s doctoral program
Congratulations to Rebecca Kessler, Education and Integration Specialist at The DeBruce Foundation, who was accepted into the doctoral program at the University of Missouri-Columbia to earn her EdD in Curriculum, Teaching, and Learning. Her research will be focused on ways for students with disabilities to improve their success outcomes in the workforce.
Rebecca is interested in how schools and communities can expand economic pathways for all their students through building their Agility Advantage.
“Everyone deserves to have a job that they love to do and feel value in doing,” she shares.
Christopher Laubenthal named Data Visualization Society’s Executive Director
Christopher Laubenthal, Data Design Manager at The DeBruce Foundation, was recently named as the Executive Director of the Data Visualization Society.
Christopher holds over 15 years of experience using data visualization to drive change across the nonprofit sector. His expertise in data design has contributed to many mission moments here at The Foundation. We look forward to seeing the learning opportunities he will bring to the data community in his newly appointed role—while continuing his impactful work with The Foundation!
Read data points introducing all of the new Data Visualization Society board members, including Christopher!
Record day for the Agile Work Profiler©: making a nationwide impact
Since its public launch in 2019, the Agile Work Profiler (AWP) has consistently grown in popularity and reach. In 2024, the AWP was taken more than 100,000 times, and recently, the AWP had its largest number of completions in a single day!
In that single day, completions came from a variety of geographic locations, including Indiana, Arizona, and Louisiana. Every day, the AWP is used in a variety of settings: classrooms, workforce development centers, and businesses, and more.
Learn how the Agile Work Profiler can impact your career or organization—anywhere in the world!
Ideas into action: DeBruce Career Corps members tackle product development
Members of the DeBruce Career Corps have been learning about the product development cycle!
• Ideation – Identify a need or problem, envision a solution, and brainstorm possible approaches.
• Prototyping – Develop and test initial product models.
• Optimization – Gather feedback, assess gaps, and identify any new needs or challenges that arise.
Of course, they’re already putting this cycle to action to promote the visibility of their work and the impact of The DeBruce Foundation. After the validation process is complete, they will share their ideas with senior leadership for continued development and testing!
Learn more about DeBruce Career Corps projects and membership.
Bringing classrooms to life with Agilities©
Jada Mason, Teacher at Joplin High School, shares how the Agilities© framework transformed the academic experience in her classroom:
“Bring learning to life by connecting it to real-world experiences, and watch as your students’ engagement and confidence soar.”
Discover how Jada seamlessly integrated the Agilities into her lessons to best prepare students for future careers through hands-on, interactive activities that promote critical thinking, collaboration, and practical skill development.
Read the blog here.
Join us for a training
Are you looking for resources to build career pathways in your classroom, curriculum, or organization? Register now to explore our career tools and join us in expanding career opportunities!
4/1 Agilities Tour
4/2 Introduction to Agilities: Resources for Educators
4/15 Agilities Tour
4/15-16 Agilities Coach Training (Indiana)
4/29 Agilities Tour
4/29-30 Agilities Coach Training (Indiana)
5/13 Introduction to Agilities: Resources for Educators
