{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"GREEN OUR PLANET: GROW Together","title":"Building Career Pathways: Internships, Equity, and a Grow Your Own Teacher Pipeline with Ian Smith","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":2650,"description":"\nIn this episode of GREEN OUR PLANET: GROW Together, host Ciara Byrne sits down with Ian Smith, Director for High School Instruction at Community Unit School District 200 in Illinois. Ian oversees academics across Wheaton North and Wheaton Warrenville South, and he’s helped build some of the most practical, student-centered systems for engagement: real career pathways, real work-based learning, and a standout Introduction to Teaching program that gives students clinical classroom experience before they ever graduate.\n\nIan shares how his own journey into education was shaped by watching his father-in-law change students’ lives—and how that same “full circle” story now shows up in the programs he built for students. If you’re trying to make high school feel meaningful again, expand opportunity beyond the already advantaged, and scale hands-on learning without overwhelming staff, this conversation is packed with real steps and lessons learned.\n\nKey Moments\n\n04:01 \"Mentorship's Transformative Impact\"\n09:03 \"Growing Diverse Future Teachers\"\n12:01 Inspiring Future Generations\n16:11 Determined, Goal-Oriented College Approach\n17:17 Overcoming Scheduling Challenges\n21:33 \"Student Internships in Various Fields\"\n\n25:01 \"Team Effort for Student Internships\"\n29:48 Building High School Manufacturing Program\n\nWhy You Will Love This Episode\n\n\nA practical, hopeful blueprint for rebuilding high school relevance—showing how career assessments, four-year pathways, dual credit, internships, and a grow-your-own teacher pipeline can increase engagement, improve equity, and give students real clarity before they ever step onto a college campus.\n\nConnect with Ian Smith | Director for High School Instruction, Community Unit School District 200\n\nCompany Website: https://www.cusd200.org/ \n\nFollow Us\n\nGREEN OUR PLANET: GROW Together\n\n\nHost: Ciara Byrne\nLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ciara-byrne-3548619\nWebsite: https://www.greenourplanet.org/\nLinkedIn:...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/Mm5Ziu847Kx8NlT_fwQMbppCo_z7qV-Qe6yhphFK7YQ/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9jMjgw/NGYzOTk1MDZiN2Nl/NDVmODVhOWY2NDA5/Y2IwMC5qcGc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}