ConnectED to Students and Industry
PHOTOS BY JORDAN RANDALL | DEVELOPED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CONNECTED POLK
Educators are focused on meeting state requirements, constantly monitoring test scores that dictate their annual School Grade and are trying to keep up with ever changing technology that requires staff to adapt more quickly than ever. Industry leaders are locked in on finding career-ready new hires who can sustain and propel their businesses forward.
Sometimes, in what often feels like a survival of the fittest, the part that becomes blurry is honestly assessing how effectively high school and college graduates are prepared to make an immediate impact for businesses that are eagerly awaiting their help.
A 2024 study conducted by the national nonprofit Jobs for the Future revealed 62 percent of young people (ages 16-24) don’t feel empowered or in control of their career path.
That’s where ConnectED Polk—a non-profit that fosters collaboration among educational institutions, students, community stakeholders and industry partners—comes to the table as a connector and solutions provider that puts student development at the forefront of strengthening our community.
“They (industry leaders and educators) both want the same thing—they want what’s best for the students,” said ConnectED Polk President Melody Rider who has been a changemaker in the education sector for nearly three decades, including serving as President of Keiser University for four years. “But it’s colliding those two ecosystems together to create opportunities with their limited bandwidth that we are working to create sustainable, scalable systems of engagement.”
What began as Lakeland Leads in 2019 has morphed into ConnectED Polk, a name that symbolizes its true purpose. Lakeland Leads started with the intent of focusing on economic development, but as Rider and her board of directors dove into the work, they discovered the importance of the business sector getting intimately involved in helping create opportunities for students, who eventually become their employees.
That’s why the past several years have consisted of hundreds of conversations and presentations that built relationships with people with “shared goals and different perspectives,” as Rider puts it, that can create viable wins for the community.
“They (industry leaders and educators) both want the same thing—they want what’s best for students.”
Rider has developed a deep understanding of the current challenges and opportunities of Polk County Public Schools (and its 117,000+ students and 13,000+ staff) by building a relationship with Superintendent Fred Heid where she says, “I see through his perspective and he sees through mine, which is representative of the local business community.”
When it comes to engaging with industry stakeholders, Rider has developed an impressive team that serves as ConnectED Polk’s Executive Board and Advisory Board. The Executive Board is chaired by David Hallock Jr., Shareholder of GrayRobinson, P.A. and is a dynamic team that includes the likes of Saddle Creek Logistics CEO Mark Cabrera, Lakeland Regional Health President & CEO Danielle Drummond and Superintendent Heid, among others. The Advisory Board has 11 established leaders, including Mayor Bill Mutz, Watson Clinic CEO Jason Hirsbrunner and Callie Neslund, President and CEO of GiveWell Community Foundation.
“Fostering partnerships with key industries and curating targeted curricula has become essential for preparing students to excel in specialized fields,” Mutz said. “ConnectedED Polk serves as a vital conduit, creating opportunities that connect classrooms with workplaces.”
Craig Collins, an educator for more than 40 years who is known in part for his leadership in K-12 and higher education, serves as a consultant for ConnectED Polk through Sterling Creative Consultants. He says industry leaders want to find permanent hires with relevant skills, and that Melody and her team are working diligently to create a system that helps K-12 schools be “current and industry driven.”
One way ConnectED Polk is narrowing the gap is through the implementation of career exploration programs at seven local high schools, where businesses come in to provide hands-on activities in school and work-based learning, externships, and internship opportunities outside of
the classroom.
Rider says stakeholders need to commit to more than just “visiting a classroom a few times a year” to create awareness about their business or industry, they need to develop partnerships with schools that are lasting and that give students the skills to become informed graduates who can pursue careers in fields that are short on skilled laborers.
Polk County Public Schools is proud to partner with ConnectED and Junior Achievement to support the development of the JA Polk Discovery Center, an innovative program that will provide real-world learning experiences for students.
“We have had great success working with the District to connect business with students,” Hallock Jr. said. “For many students, the interaction with business turns the light on to show them the relevance and importance of their academic work.”
An example of this in action is the pipeline of talent being developed by PCPS in partnership with Lakeland Regional Health at Lake Gibson High School and Kathleen High School. In an effort to bring healthcare professionals like RNs and LPNs into classrooms full-time, LRH provides annual stipends to supplement the standard teacher salary.
Drummond said ConnectED Polk plays an instrumental role in furthering partnerships between businesses and K-12 schools in the community.
“We are excited about the innovative programs that support our local students and school district, while also helping to meet the workforce needs for area businesses in the years ahead.”
Outside of the medical arena, Rider says other sectors of great opportunity in Central Florida include supply chain/manufacturing/logistics, skills trades, finance and careers in information and cyber technology.
Superintendent Heid is grateful for the district’s partnership with ConnectED Polk.
“By aligning educational practices with real-world needs, we are creating pathways for student success while fostering a robust economy,” he said. “Together, we are making Polk County a model community where families, businesses, and future leaders can thrive, supported by a strong foundation of educational excellence and opportunity.”
Last year the school district made a commitment to provide the technological capabilities to make it simpler and more convenient to connect students, care givers, counselors and the local business community by signing a contract with SchoolLinks, a digital platform that supports a student’s journey from classroom to career.
FIRST PHOTO: Left to right: Former Publix Sr. VP Jeff Chamberlin, ConnectED Polk President Melody Rider, Mayor Bill Mutz, Congressional District 18 District Director Alice Hunt and Polk County Public Schools Superintendent Fred Heid.
SECOND PHOTO: Left to right: ConnectED Polk President Melody Rider, Lakeland Regional Health President and CEO Danielle Drummond, ConnectED Polk Executive Board Chairman David Hallack Jr., Polk State College President Dr. Angela Falconetti and Saddle Creek Logistics Services CEO Mark Cabrera.
It will take time to implement district-wide, but it has the potential to eventually provide dynamic personalized dashboards that include everything from career fairs to local businesses students could job shadow or intern with to universal processes related to the education and career development process.
ConnectED Polk is leveraging its relationships and understanding of the educational and business landscape to stir up change that addresses the challenges that keep industry leaders and educators from establishing a clearer line of communication.
“We create the opportunities, we manage the process to execute and keep that connectivity going between industry and educators,” Rider said.
The organization does not have capital restraints or direct political ties, but as a non-profit its impact will only go as far as collaborators and donors help take it.
Rider said the question she has for every business and corporation in Polk County is simple: “Are you willing to come to the table of collaboration and bring your time, talent and treasure to provide opportunities for our students?” To Rider—and for all students in Polk County, whether at public schools, charter or private schools—it is how the compass of the future will be recalibrated for generations to come.
“It is more of a moral imperative for the children in our community to have accountability on both sides of the table, in industry and education,” she said.
ConnectED Polk Executive Board Member Jeff Chamberlin, who worked at Publix for 47 years, including as Vice President of Real Estate and Sr. Vice President of Real Estate and Facilities, says he sees a great purpose being fulfilled with so many like-minded people coming together for a distinctive purpose.
“I’m confident that ConnectEd’s efforts to foster collaboration between the business and education communities will better assist our students in creating and accomplishing their goals. This burgeoning partnership can build upon Superintendent Heid’s efforts to provide the skills and knowledge needed to ensure the success of our students and community.”