OSKALOOSA, Iowa – What began as a simple question, “How engaged are our students, really?” has grown into a multi-year effort to rethink how learning happens in Oskaloosa Schools. Through listening, research, and collaboration with students, staff, families, and employers, the district is steadily expanding authentic, work-based learning opportunities designed to better prepare students for life beyond graduation.
Over the past several years, Oskaloosa Schools has become known for programs that push learning beyond the traditional classroom. Student-run enterprises like Spirit Cafe, hands-on pathways such as Building Trades, where students build a new home a year, and professional storytelling through Oskaloosa Video Production (OVP) have shown what is possible when students learn by doing. More recently, the Innovation Hub has added another layer, connecting students directly with community partners to solve real problems and complete meaningful projects.
Through these opportunities, students engage in real-world scenarios across many fields, including accounting, engineering, teaching, entrepreneurship, business leadership, nonprofit leadership, interior design, healthcare, banking, and insurance. Rather than simulated assignments, students are researching needs, developing plans, managing budgets, creating designs, presenting ideas, analyzing data, and responding to professional feedback, the same expectations they would encounter in college, careers, or community leadership roles.
The Innovation Hub is designed to serve a wide range of students, including those who are college-bound, pursuing career and technical pathways, exploring their next steps, or seeking a different learning environment. It can be a strong fit for high-achieving students and those who find traditional classroom settings less effective. For any student who wants to grow, take responsibility, and learn through real-life experiences, the Innovation Hub offers a meaningful pathway.
These programs did not appear overnight. According to Oskaloosa High School Principal Jeff Kirby, the work grew from clear challenges the district could not ignore. Student engagement, he said, has long been a concern nationwide, and disengagement often shows up as chronic absenteeism. At the same time, local employers were asking for stronger talent development and better retention of young people in the community.
“Businesses have a really good sense of what they’re seeing from the workforce,” Kirby said. “For years, they’ve told schools they need people who can collaborate, communicate, show up on time, and solve problems. That’s not about training kids for one job. It’s about developing productive citizens.”
Students were asking similar questions from a different perspective. Students wanted to know what they were learning mattered and how it connected to the real world. Those conversations pushed district leaders to look more closely at how students experience a typical school day.
That reflection became more concrete through the Billy Madison Project, a district initiative in which school board members, administrators, and teachers shadowed students for an entire day. The experience was eye-opening.
“We saw teachers working incredibly hard,” said Marcia DeVore, Oskaloosa Schools director of teaching and learning. “But we also saw long stretches where students were compliant, not deeply engaged, and often unsure why their learning mattered.”
Those observations sparked a deeper study. District leaders visited schools across the country to see how others were addressing engagement and relevance through project-based, competency-based, and work-based learning models. The goal was not to copy another system, but to adapt proven ideas to fit Oskaloosa’s community and values.
At the same time, the district embedded this work into its strategic plan. For the past four years, Oskaloosa Schools has prioritized “engaged and transferable learning,” a focus that emphasizes skills students can carry from one setting to another. That vision is reinforced through the district’s Portrait of a Learner, which identifies six competencies every graduate should demonstrate.
“The hub fits directly into that focus,” DeVore said. “When students connect learning to authentic work experiences, engagement goes up and skills become transferable. They’re not just learning something once. They’re learning how to use it.”
The Innovation Hub, led by teacher Carrie Bihn, grew from this foundation. Drawing on years of experience with project-based learning, Bihn has worked with students to take on real projects from local businesses and community organizations, while also encouraging students to pursue passion projects that benefit others.
“What I’ve seen is an increase in student pride,” Bihn said. “When their work is for someone beyond their teacher, it matters more. Students take ownership, and for some, it opens doors to career paths they never considered.”
Kirby said the Innovation Hub’s off-campus location is intentional. Schools, he noted, have their own culture, and students often behave differently once they walk through the doors.
“If we want students to practice real-world skills, we need to put them in real-world environments,” Kirby said. “That authenticity changes expectations and behavior.”
Together, these efforts represent a deliberate shift, not away from strong classroom instruction, but toward expanding opportunities for students to apply what they learn. Building Trades allows students to construct real structures. Spirit Cafe places students in charge of running a business. OVP gives students professional-level experience in media production. The Innovation Hub builds on that success by opening the door to even more community-connected projects.
Currently, eight students are participating in the Innovation Hub program. District leaders said interest from students continues to grow, but additional enrollment is limited by available space. As the district looks ahead, expanding access to the Innovation Hub will depend on securing additional space and resources to support more students while maintaining the quality and authenticity of the experience.
The work has required patience and partnership. Kirby emphasized that the school district cannot do it alone.
“This is a true collaboration,” he said. “Our community gives students real opportunities, and in return, students give back through their work. It’s a win for everyone.”
As Oskaloosa Schools celebrates five years of listening, research, and steady progress, district leaders say the work is far from finished. The focus remains on optimizing and expanding authentic learning opportunities so more students can access experiences that are meaningful, challenging and connected to life beyond school. The result is not just new programs, but a stronger alignment between what students learn, what the community needs, and how Oskaloosa prepares its next generation of leaders.
