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As The DeBruce Foundation’s Data Design Manager, I interact with our data daily. This means when I get asked about our impact, my mind turns to numbers. And there have been many significant numbers recently.
This National Career Development Month has seen 6,985 uses of the Agile Work Profiler© (AWP) from 1,774 cities (nearly 1 in 10 in the United States). This month is on pace to be our best November ever! In fact, our total for the year so far is 163,071 AWP uses — the highest yearly total to date. (The AWP lifetime total stands at a whopping 441,260.)
Let’s not stop there. What about the 638 people who signed up for our Employment Empowerment event? They represent schools, non-profits, workforce development initiatives, and state agencies from 44 states and 11 countries. Educators were the most represented group, being 49.5% of attendees!
Our research points out that 8 out of 10 young people feel confident in their future career, but only 5 out of 10 know how to prepare for it. We are dedicated to closing this gap through free resources, including the AWP, Career Explorer Tools©, blog posts, podcasts, research, classroom resources, and events. We take it as a good sign that the AWP has reached students or educators in more than 1 in 10 public school districts nationwide.
See more of our impact in our new, interactive dashboard, Mission Momentum.
Agilities© Kids: Working with Information
In this month’s highlight, meet one of our Agilities characters — Working with Information. This skill helps you understand technology, analyze data, and organize information. People with this Agility might enjoy sharing opinions on a topic and explaining their thinking.
Watch the video for an overview of Working with Information, how this Agility can help at school, home, or a future job, and how to practice using this Agility.
Agilities featured in Empowered Education Blog
Empowered, one of our newest partners, is now featuring Agilities tools on its platform and in a new blog spotlighting how our shared missions help students connect classroom learning with real-world opportunities. Empowered supports more than 50,000 educators nationwide with free resources that re-energize teaching through:
- Hands-on, interactive activities that build engagement and curiosity
- Tools that strengthen classroom culture
- On-demand professional development and a supportive teacher community
The blog shows how Agilities complement these tools by helping students see how their interests and strengths can guide their futures.
Together, Empowered and Agilities spark curiosity and confidence—and connect learning to life skills. Read more here.
Kristie Larson at FFA National Convention & Expo
Kristie Larson, Strategic Relationship Manager at The DeBruce Foundation, recently represented The Foundation at the 98th Annual National FFA Convention & Expo in Indianapolis.
With a career dedicated to advancing agriculture education—including nine years as the Director of Education at the American Royal—Kristie brought deep industry experience to the event, along with The DeBruce Foundation’s Agilities insights.
At the event she served on the Employability Skills Career Developlemt Event (CDE) committee and helped judge national finalists.
We’re grateful for her leadership and proud to support FFA’s mission to grow the next generation of leaders in agriculture.
Bethany Orban Chew at Workforce2030
At the recent Workforce2030 conference— the Missouri Chamber of Commerce’s flagship event focused on building a thriving future workforce—Bethany Orban Chew, Senior Director of Partnership Experience, led a breakout session titled “Agilities in Action.”
Speaking to an audience of HR professionals, she explored how The DeBruce Foundation’s Agilities framework can be integrated into workplaces to support internal mobility, employee development, and upskilling.
Through hands-on tools and interactive strategies, attendees learned how Agilities helps teams understand their strengths, increase engagement, and build a more agile, collaborative workforce while honoring individual identity. Learn your Agilities here.
Member Anyshya Hemphill on InspireED Podcast
DeBruce Career Corps member Anyshya Hemphill was recently featured on InspirED: A Project Lead the Way Podcast, sharing her journey as a student and emerging leader in STEM.
A computer science and psychology student at the University of Missouri-Columbia, Anyshya balances academics with leadership roles across multiple campus organizations.
As a member of The DeBruce Career Corps, she has contributed to projects such as webpage updates, badging, and event planning, allowing her to gain hands-on experience. Listen to the podcast to hear more about Anyshya’s work and her path to success.
Learn more about DeBruce Career Corps here.
Event Recap: Employment Empowerment for K-12
During National Career Development Month, The DeBruce Foundation hosted its annual Employment Empowerment Event, highlighting how K–12 classrooms can spark early career confidence in students.
Featuring insights from Dr. Brad Johnson and new research on Career Literacy and Network Strength, the event delivered meaningful guidance for how educators can support students’ futures. Also featured in the event were educators using K-12 lesson plans in their classrooms, working within different curriculum and age groups
Read our blog here for a full event recap, including classroom examples, student reflections, and free tools that help young people identify their Agilities© and take early steps toward becoming employment empowered.
Are you looking for resources to build career pathways in your classroom, curriculum, or organization? Register now to explore our career tools!
Available on-demand now:
Employment Empowerment for K-12: From Classroom to Career – Virtual Event
Virtual Agilities Tours:
November 25, January 6, January 20
Virtual Introduction to Agilities K-12 Resources for Educators:
December 10, January 21
In-Person Agilities Coach Training:
January 29-30 (Kansas City, MO)
February 5-6 (Kansas City, MO)
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