To develop our community’s future workforce by providing students with a deeper understanding of career opportunities and aligning skills with current workforce needs; engaging employers directly with students, education and training providers; and better aligning programs and curriculum to the realities of the Minnesota economy.
REACH exists to prepare southeast Minnesota high school students for future careers in order to provide an employment ready, skilled workforce for major industry sectors in the greater Winona area.
Business Education Network (B.E.N.)
The B.E.N. Committee works on a variety of projects and activities that bring together business and education partners to support student career exploration and increase the likelihood that a high school or college graduate will stay in the Winona area to pursue their career. In addition, involving businesses in the education process ensures that our graduates will be prepared for current industry demands and trends. The activities of B.E.N. include:
  • CEO in the Classroom - business executives speak to 8th grade classes about how high school will prepare them for a career
  • Educator Resource Page on website - a virtual library of career exploration videos that teachers can use to support students
  • Hot Jobs Cool Companies (Manufacturing & Technology, Health & Human Services) - publications covering the high demand careers in our area
  • Life After High School - business executives speak to 11th grade students to prepare them for finding jobs and, eventually, careers
  • REACH - in-depth career preparation with high school students in specific high-demand industries in our area
  • Student Career Expo - a hands-on exploration of careers for area 10th grade students with over 75 businesses and 1,500 students
  • Teacher in the Workplace - local high school teachers get on-the-job experience for a week in the summer in a related industry
REACH: April 2021
As we near the end of possibly the craziest school year ever, our students are preparing for their next steps. All of our seniors (from Winona Senior High School only this year) are already employed with our business partners and 72% of them have already been accepted at one of our three higher education institutions.
The juniors who are already in the program at Winona, Lewiston-Altura, and Wabasha-Kellogg are ready for a combination of supplemental courses at Minnesota State College Southeast, work experience at a local related business, and training opportunities. With over 120 juniors between the three schools, we will have a robust group of seniors for the 2021-22 school year.
Recruitment of sophomores to join the program next school year continues. Rather than accepting only certain students, the focus has changes to allowing all students within certain classes to benefit from the training and industry experience. This begins during the acceptance into the program with an interview with one of our business partners to get to know each student and their specific interests and plans. In addition to practicing professional interactions, this allows us to support each student's individual journey to a career.
REACH graduates who continue their education in a related field of study at a Winona college or university are eligible to apply for the REACH scholarship of up to $1,000 per school year. With the lack of events due to current health restrictions, we have not had the opportunity to add to the scholarship fund in over 12 months. Please consider a small donation to support our REACH graduates of 2021.
Seeking new internship partners
The REACH program works closely with local business partners to offer paid internships to our students. The purpose of an internship and/or guided work experience is to provide an opportunity for a student to receive the guidance necessary to succeed in their first direct employment opportunity.
Internships are coordinated by the REACH Program Manager with the support and guidance of the Department of Labor Youth Skills Training Program. A great deal of preparation and planning is put into providing a safe and educational experience for each student. We are currently in the process of adding new internship sites, especially now that we have expanded to two more school districts.