Grantee Spotlight: Wes-Del Community Schools Expands Pathways for In-Demand Technical Careers
Over the past several years, the Indiana Department of Education has made significant changes to graduation requirements. Students must now complete “Graduation Pathways” which include a range of project-based, service-based, or work-based learning experiences. To help students meet pathways requirements, local schools are creating new opportunities for students to prepare for future careers. Ball Brothers Foundation is supporting a number of programs across the community, including niche programs offered by Wes-Del Community Schools in cyber and STEM fields that align with the foundation’s Project Sybertooth and Future of Work special projects.
Tammie Gill, business and computer technology teacher with Austin Williams, STEM coordinator and math and engineering teacher
Technology is transforming the way we work, live, and solve problems. In response, Wes-Del Community Schools is redefining what career preparation looks like in a rural district. As employers across East Central Indiana are on the hunt to find skilled technical talent, Wes-Del has built a system where students graduate with a diploma, hands-on experience, industry certifications, and a clear sense of where they want to go next.
After several years of district-wide planning, Wes-Del has built a comprehensive set of graduation pathways designed to prepare high school students for college, training programs, and in-demand careers across East Central Indiana including: Engineering, Information Technology (IT), Computer Science, Advanced Manufacturing, Digital Design, Construction, and more. These offerings rival what’s typically found in much larger districts, giving students early access to real-world skills long before they reach a college classroom or job site.
Since 2021, Ball Brothers Foundation has supported this forward-thinking education model through targeted grants totaling $93,000, helping Wes-Del enhance two critical learning spaces: the district’s Computer Science/IT Lab and STEM Lab. The funding has equipped these classrooms for K–12 students with updated computers, industry-grade tools, flexible furniture, and workstations. These improvements increased the capacity of the lab, allowing the district to grow from accommodating eight students per class period to twelve. Even more impressive, Wes-Del stretched funding further by involving students in the design and construction of many of their own custom worktables.
Students can begin taking pathway-aligned courses as freshmen or sophomores, starting with foundational ‘principles’ classes that introduce core concepts in each field. As they progress, students have opportunities to earn industry-recognized certifications, build technical portfolios, solve real-world problems, and participate in hands-on training that mirrors workplace tasks. Even before students reach high school, elementary and middle school classes are using the labs for hands-on projects—creating a true K–12 pipeline that builds skills year after year.
In 2023, Wes-Del became the first K–12 STEM-certified school district in East Central Indiana, earning recognition from the Indiana Department of Education. This distinction reflects the district’s commitment to advancing opportunities for students, with careful documentation of programs and coordinated curriculum designed to meet the rigorous certification standards.
The momentum didn’t stop there. Recently, Wes-Del received national STEM.org accreditation with the help of EES Innovation, a rare accomplishment for a district of its size. A new billboard along State Road 28 will celebrate the achievement.
Inside the STEM Lab, high school students work with engineering design software, prototype ideas on 3D printers, explore engineering applied physics and digital electronics, study bridge engineering, and soon will operate six-axis robotic arms used widely in today’s advanced manufacturing sector. Many earn Autodesk Fusion Certified User certification as early as their freshman year.
“When they see they can do it, their confidence grows incredibly fast.”
Down the hall, computer science students are ‘learning by doing,’ a model their Wes-Del teachers intentionally build into the curriculum. Students rebuild laptops, troubleshoot hardware issues, program routers, and learn the foundations of network infrastructure. Thanks to an idea from business and computer technology teacher Tammie Gill, the lab now functions as a self-contained network environment, giving students a rare opportunity to manage users, devices, and permissions just as real network or cybersecurity specialists would.
“I wanted students to experience what IT work really feels like, not simulations, but the actual commands, the problem-solving, the responsibility,” said Tammie. “When they see they can do it, their confidence grows incredibly fast.”
According to a report from Indiana University’s Public Policy Institute, Indiana will need to fill nearly 168,000 high-skill STEM positions by 2028. Wes-Del is preparing students for those future careers right now.
Many students begin these courses with limited exposure to technical careers. But as they progress, teachers are able to connect learning with potential next steps, often sparking conversations that shape a student’s entire future.
Graduates have stepped directly into technical roles, completed industry certifications, and entered post-secondary programs with work samples and portfolios already in hand. One former student completed the IT pathway, earned an associate degree through Ivy Tech, and soon after returned to Wes-Del—now employed as an assistant to the district’s IT director.
Others are assembling engineering portfolios, exploring work-based learning with local employers, and discovering careers they had never previously considered.
“One of the most important things we can do is help students build real connections in our own community,” said Austin Williams, Wes-Del STEM coordinator and math and engineering teacher. “If they can see a future here after meeting employers, understanding the opportunities, and feeling confident in their skills, they’re far more likely to stay in Indiana after they graduate. These pathways give us a structure to make those conversations and relationships happen early.”
Wes-Del Community Schools may serve a student population of 850, but “small” has nothing to do with the opportunities students can access. Graduates leave with the skills, confidence, and credentials to pursue in-demand careers or advanced education, proving that size doesn’t limit ambition.
Ball Brothers Foundation’s support for these efforts at Wes-Del Community Schools aligns with the foundation’s interest in supporting the cyber workforce pipeline and STEM education/advanced manufacturing. While the majority of BBF’s funding for public education is focused on schools in the heart of Muncie, the foundation provides occasional and limited funding for schools in Delaware County with unique, niche programs.