Jackson Ignite expands hands-on career training through new Codefi partnership

FOX23 News at 9 p.m.

JACKSON, Mo. (KBSI) — Jackson R-2 students are learning how to use artificial intelligence safely and responsibly while developing software solutions for local businesses through a new partnership between Jackson Ignite and Codefi.

The partnership combines Codefi’s AI and business training with Ignite’s focus on hands-on career preparation. Students learn how AI tools work, meet with business owners and identify problems they can address through an application, database, website tool or other software.

The program comes as schools and families continue weighing the benefits and risks of giving students access to rapidly developing AI technology.

“I do think that there is some fear, maybe some anxiety, about the world of AI,” Jackson R-2 assistant Superintendent Janelle Pope said. “But as we know, it is here. It is here to stay. And the important thing to do is to harness the ability of AI to really solve problems.”

Pope said the district views AI as a tool that can help people work more effectively rather than replace human judgment.

What is Codefi?

Codefi operates a hub in Cape Girardeau that provides coworking space, AI training and support for people developing technology-focused businesses and applications.

The organization works with business founders and teaches people how to incorporate AI into their daily work. Its training covers building applications, improving existing processes and using AI to address business needs.

Codefi Director of AI Programs and Workforce Innovation Cara Dirnberger said Jackson Ignite students toured the organization last year. Codefi leaders then began working with Ignite instructor Ashley Rainey to create a program that would benefit students and local businesses.

The result is a Business Solutions course based on Codefi’s “Idea to App” model. The process begins with a problem faced by an actual business and ends with participants using AI to develop a working solution.

“It’s not fake. It’s not a simulation,” Pope said. “It’s a real problem that they are working on and solving.”

How the partnership works

Students begin by learning about Codefi and the work performed by software engineers, entrepreneurs and business owners. The training encourages students to think like developers while also considering the needs of the people who will use what they create.

Students then complete a six-week course totaling 12 hours through Codefi’s Vibe Labs online platform. They log into the platform twice each week to access lessons and AI tools.

“This is a six-week class, a total of 12 hours, that they learn about AI tools, how to build with them, the safety of AI tools and the responsible use of them along the way,” Dirnberger said. “They’re also learning how to talk to a business owner and identify a problem within the business that they need solved.”

Codefi provides students with support and mentorship as they complete the course. Staff members can also meet with students at the Ignite classroom when they need additional guidance.

Once students complete the initial training, they work one-on-one with participating business owners. Students visit the businesses, learn how they operate and identify a process or problem that could benefit from a technology-based solution.

Students then return to the classroom to build that solution. Their final products could include an internal database, a tool added to a company’s website, a stand-alone application or software that replaces a slower manual process.

By the end of the school year, each student should have experience taking a project from the initial conversation with a business owner to a working product.

Dirnberger said the technology students learn today may look different by the time they enter the workforce. The partnership therefore emphasizes the process of learning, evaluating information and adapting as AI tools change.

“What they’re learning today may not be exactly the same as what they’re going to be doing next year, but it’s teaching a process, and it’s teaching the responsibility of AI and the safety and how to navigate that,” Dirnberger said.

Pope said local employers increasingly want applicants who understand how to use AI effectively. Some employers now ask candidates how they use the technology and what AI-related skills they can bring to the workplace.

Students also learn professional etiquette, communication and networking. They meet business owners and other professionals who could become mentors or career contacts after graduation.

What is Jackson Ignite?

Jackson Ignite is a career-focused program that allows students to explore potential professions before leaving high school.

The program is in its second year and has doubled in size since its first year, according to Pope. It offers pathways in business, education and medicine.

Instead of learning only through a traditional classroom, Ignite students interact with professionals and enter the settings where those careers take place. Students can also begin earning college credit through Southeast Missouri State University.

Business students work with companies and community partners, including Codefi. They learn how businesses operate, make professional connections and complete projects based on actual workplace needs.

Education pathway students work with Jackson R-2 students and teachers from prePopegarten through high school. That exposure allows them to experience different grade levels and consider which area of education may fit them best.

Students in the medical pathway learn health care basics and prepare to earn CPR certification. The program is also working to arrange rotations with hospitals, medical offices and specialists based on each student’s interests.

Jackson senior Ella Yeager joined the medical pathway because she wants to become an aesthetic nurse. She said she has known what career she wants since her freshman year but did not fully understand how to enter the field.

“I wanted to use Ignite to get my foot in the door, meet new people, learn how to be professional and just learn really how to get into the field and know all the little ways to get in,” Yeager said.

Students across the pathways also practice professional dress, workplace communication and elevator pitches. The program aims to help them determine whether a career fits their interests before they commit additional time and money after high school.

Pope said the district hopes to continue expanding those opportunities as the program grows.

“We’ve doubled in size, and our students are excited,” Pope said. “We’re hearing great things from our community, and we hope to just continue to allow students opportunities to get real-world experience.”

Dirnberger said Jackson-area businesses can contact Ignite instructor Ashley Rainey if they want to participate as a community partner.