The 2025-26 school year was one of growth and new opportunities for the Wildcat Creek Career Cooperative (WCCC), which partners with local Clinton County schools to provide career pathways for students. Notably, WCCC had a successful first year of its LEARN Academy, where six students combined Ivy Tech coursework with hands-on job shadowing at local industry partners, including Covestro, Frito-Lay, NHK Seating, and Tenneco. WCCC also expanded its Criminal Justice program, adding a new scenario-based training simulator and offering Indiana Jail Officer Certification to second-year capstone students.
WCCC’s efforts also received special recognition in May when Work-Based Learning Coordinator Josie Miller was named a recipient of the 2026 CTE Awards for Excellence in Secondary Career Services. The statewide award recognized Miller’s impact on Career and Technical Education through innovation, student support, and workforce partnerships. Under her leadership, WCCC’s Work-Based Learning program grew from 11 students and eight business partners during the 2023-24 school year to 63 students, 45 business partners, and 17 career pathways by 2025-26. “Josie’s dedication to students and her ability to build strong relationships with employers and community partners have transformed opportunities for students throughout our cooperative,” said Wildcat Creek Career Cooperative Director Georgia Everett.
As the new school year gets underway, WCCC is continuing to build on that momentum. More than half of the first LEARN Academy cohort is returning for the capstone program and paid internships, while a new group of students begins its first year. The Biotechnology Manufacturing program will welcome its first Capstone Cohort, and middle school students from across Clinton County will soon have opportunities to explore careers through WCCC’s new Career Exploration Lab, featuring 17 hands-on stations.
“These accomplishments reflect our continued commitment to building meaningful pathways for students while strengthening partnerships with local industry,” Everett said. WCCC’s growing programs and partnerships will continue to give students across Clinton County opportunities to explore career interests, gain real-world experience, and make plans for what comes next. The Community Schools of Frankfort is proud to partner with Wildcat Creek Career Cooperative to provide access to career-focused experiences that allow our Frankfort students to directly connect what they are learning in the classroom to opportunities waiting beyond graduation.