Partnership for Innovation in Education

10/16/2026

WOW - $50K for a 10-week internship? The competition for emerging talent is starting earlier than ever.

In a new article for The Wall Street Journal, Callum Borchers highlights how leading financial firms are recruiting college students months in advance, offering extraordinary compensation for candidates with strong problem-solving, critical thinking, and analytical skills.

But beyond the impressive salaries, the article raises an important question: How early should career readiness begin? Well, for some states, skillset development starts in middle school.

In fact, the Ohio Senate GOP Ohio Senate Democratic Caucus passed Senate Bill 328 (https://lnkd.in/eFmpSXX2) sponsored by Kyle Koehler requiring middle schools to offer caree exploration and create a to make state education and workforce data more accessible. Ohio Excels Cassandra Palsgrove Lisa Gray Kevin Duff Pat Tiberi Andrew Brenner Catherine Ingram, MBA Jane Timken

As employers increasingly prioritize skills, adaptability, and real-world problem-solving, connecting education to workforce opportunities is more important than ever.

At PIE: Partnership for Innovation in Education, we believe and early career exploration help students build the skills, confidence, and connections needed to succeed in an evolving workforce. In fact, we are launching our newest, fee-free fundamentals curriculum in late October to all Ohio high schools, compliments of our funding from Ohio's industry partners and Ohio Department of Development Ohio Department of Education and Workforce Ohio Governor's Office of Workforce Transformation

Preparing students for tomorrow's careers starts long before their first internship.

How can educators and employers work together to make career-connected learning opportunities more accessible to all students?

Read the WSJ article: https://lnkd.in/eS856E3Y

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10/16/2026

300 flyers. One 16-year-old. One BIG question: What do I want to be when I grow up?

Rather than waiting until college to figure it out, New York City teenager Avi Lichtenstein decided to take matters into his own hands.

In a new article for The Wall Street Journal, Joseph Pisani shares how Avi spent $500 of his savings posting more than 300 flyers across NYC asking a simple question: “Do you have a cool job and a big heart?”

His request? Let me shadow you. I'm 16.

And it's working!

From dog grooming and radio broadcasting to working in a ramen shop, Avi is discovering careers firsthand. One job-shadowing experience even turned into a part-time job, where he's already contributing fresh ideas to help the business grow.

But beyond the creative flyers and inspiring response from New Yorkers, the story raises an important question: Why should students have to find these opportunities on their own?

At PIE: Partnership for Innovation in Education, we believe career exploration shouldn't depend on who you know, where you live, or how many flyers you can afford to print and post onto telephone poles.

Through and career-connected education, PIE works to bridge the gap between classrooms and careers, helping students develop the confidence, creativity, critical thinking, and real-world skills needed to navigate an evolving workforce.

Avi's story demonstrates something powerful: Students don't need to have their futures figured out at 16. They need opportunities to explore what's possible.
And sometimes, all it takes is one person willing to open a door.

How can educators, employers, and communities work together to ensure every student has access to meaningful career exploration opportunities?

Read the The Wall Street Journal article: https://lnkd.in/e6iXNKHk

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10/16/2026

10/16/2026

STEM education isn't just about preparing students for the future. It's about giving them the tools to shape it! 🚀

Today, our very own Matt Ernst represented PIE: Partnership for Innovation in Education at the 2026 Tri-state STEM+ Conference, joining educators and innovators committed to transforming the future of STEM learning.

Through conversations around innovation, hands-on education, and career readiness, today's event highlighted the importance of connecting what students learn in the classroom to the opportunities awaiting them beyond it.

At PIE: Partnership for Innovation in Education, we believe is the bridge between education and workforce development. By bringing educators, industry partners, and communities together, we can help students build the creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills needed to succeed in an evolving world.

A big thank you to Northern Kentucky University NKU Center for Integrative Natural Science and Mathematics University of Cincinnati College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services at the University of Cincinnati Ohio Department of Education and Workforce Ohio Governor's Office of Workforce Transformation Ohio STEM Learning Network (OSLN) Ethan Stanley Jr Cincinnati Public Schools Matt Ernst and everyone who helped make today's conference possible!

The future of STEM doesn't start with a career. It starts with an opportunity to explore.

📸 A few highlights from today's event! Ethan Stanley Jr

Check out our Brand New! AI GeneratE high school fluency curriculum here: https://piemedia.org/

10/08/2026

A strong education system ultimately comes down to outcomes: are students learning, growing and being effectively prepared for what comes next?

This insightful The Wall Street Journal commentary by Joel Klein raises important questions about , , and the we set for the systems serving students.

I believe, schools cannot be "black holes" devouring increasing amounts of public funding, without being held accountable for their results among a range of student populations. What does that look like? One example lies in the new publicly accessible Ohio Department of Education and Workforce Career Dashboard which can follow the success each Ohio School District has in graduating its students into and futures six years from their high school graduation. Now that's transparency down to the granular level!

PIE: Partnership for Innovation in Education excels in all these new data collection tools because our programs show efficacy, scalability and impact in connecting classroom learning with real-world experiences, career exploration and providing the skills students need for future opportunities.

Educators, and their union representatives, must be willing partners in leading this change -- not only for their students -- but for their own job preservation and career relevance.

https://lnkd.in/emUwhevk

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10/05/2026

For anyone who knows me personally, or at least my aggressive driving style, they know I'm a big fan of Formula Drive Formula 1 Liberty Media Honda Racing Corporation USA Honda UAE Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team Audi Revolut F1 Team Scuderia Ferrari HP McLaren Racing Red Bull Racing & Red Bull Technology Alpine Formula One Team Haas F1 Team Williams Aston Martin F1 Team Cadillac Formula 1® Team Formula Buckeyes Ravi Bellamkonda Giorgio Rizzoni Scot McLemore Rich Granger DriveOhio Kristy Venne, M.Ed. Harvard Business School Harvard University Nick Hegemier Theodore Angel Robert Tanner Emma Schlueter Pamela Boratyn and the tactics used to stay on the cutting edge, both from a physical and automotive (product engineering) perspective.

Today's The Wall Street Journal offers a window into how F1 drivers - and their teams - acclimate to various time zones during their racing season. And it's quite simple: Stay on European time across all race season time zones. It's a clear and easy-to-communicate strategy, but it only works if the entire team follows it precisely.

This article offers a keyhole view of transformation-based tactics established in industries mired in process-driven strategies. For stakeholders wanting a competitive edge on a short schedule, translating innovation that engages all stakeholders' perceived and real needs, and providing a collaborative solution showing efficacy with increased performance (ie., race improvement), and happier employees is a successful end-game deliverable.

Enjoy the article - I'm starting my car now....(577 HP, if you must know). PIE: Partnership for Innovation in Education

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10/02/2026

We all agree: Listening is a key skillset in the CEO role. However, the actions "taken next" determine the relevancy, impact and authenticity of an executive's actions.

In fact, Frances Messano of NEW SCHOOLS FUND of the Center for Effective Philanthropy argues funders, like themselves, must move beyond listening sessions and respond to what leaders actually say they need.

That means greater flexibility, more transparency and a willingness to use every available resource — from funding and expertise to relationships and introductions.

For organizations working across education, community and workforce development, strong partnerships begin with understanding the needs of the people and communities being served — and then acting on what we learn.

“The measure of good listening isn’t how many listening sessions we hold, it’s whether the people we listened to can see their needs reflected in what we do next.” How could you not agree with that?

https://lnkd.in/eS-FqEtg

Ann Christensen Clayton Christensen Institute Shaun Yoder Cassie Barlow Cassandra Palsgrove Sean Kelley Heather Sherman Sara Tracey Derek Chancellor

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10/02/2026

Sitting in the audience for the Aim Hire Ohio Excels Conference three days ago, Ravi Bellamkonda hinted about the upcoming announcement between The Ohio State University and Google Google DeepMind creating a new strategic partnership to accelerate scientific discovery, expand campuswide technology access, support AI Fluency, and assist students from admission to graduation and beyond. Which takes me to Michael Horn The Future Of Education Jeff Selingo column detailing a visit with Google outlining how "AI is about people, not just technology".

We agree fully with our Harvard Business School Harvard Graduate School of Education Harvard University colleagues at PIE: Partnership for Innovation in Education ! In fact, our soon-to-be-released curriculum echoes the sentiments that without educator buy-in, the call for building an AI infrastructure will not succeed. Finding , and educators who introduce their students to "what's next" must be a top priority for institutions committed to elevating workforce engagement, stakeholder value, and continued institutional financial health. Yes, we believe educators need to be in the room "where it happens" (Hamilton the Musical)

We walk our talk. Keep an out eye for GeneratE's release! Although PIE is Ohio-headquartered, this curriculum is scalable and free to anyone over the next 18 months. It's appropriate for ANY educator (STEM+) to use in their school day classroom, afterschool, summer or capstone sessions.

And who knows, perhaps will knock on our organizational nonprofit door and collaborate with us across their high school spectrum! Ohio Department of Education and Workforce Ohio Department of Development Ohio Governor's Office of Workforce Transformation JobsOhio Susan Grayson Aimee Kennedy City of Cincinnati United Way of Greater Cincinnati Thanapat Vichitchot Aftab Pureval Shauna Murphy Lisa Gray Joe Glavan Baiju Shah Jeremy Varner Davis Stanard Emma Schlueter Stephen Dackin

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10/01/2026

As the job market changes, colleges are rethinking what degree programs should look like — and how they can better prepare students for emerging careers.

A new episode of NPR’s The Indicator from Planet Money explores degree programs in areas including AI, health sciences and influencing, highlighting how higher education is responding to changing workforce demands.

For PIE: Partnership for Innovation in Education, this conversation reinforces the importance of connecting education with the skills, technologies and career pathways shaping the future of work.

Listen to the episode here:
https://lnkd.in/etnPK-wW

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09/30/2026

Senate Bill 328 highlights an issue central to PIE’s work: helping students connect what they learn in the classroom to the careers and opportunities ahead of them.

The proposal would expand opportunities for career exploration in grades 6–8, strengthen academic and career planning, build professional skills, and improve how Ohio measures education and workforce outcomes.

For PIE: Partnership for Innovation in Education, these priorities align closely with our focus on experiential learning, workforce readiness and career-connected experiences that help students build relevant skills.

As Ohio continues discussing how to better prepare students for life after graduation, partnerships among schools, employers and organizations that connect education with real-world learning will remain an important part of that conversation.

Learn more from Ohio Excels: https://lnkd.in/eNq62djM

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