LYNX, which stands for Linking Youth to New Experiences, is an innovative high school experience, which allows students to create highly individualized learning plans and provides choice and flexibility never before seen in a Frederick County school.
Frederick County Executive Jan Gardner is proud to see this level of innovation in public schools a
The LYNX program began with 9th grade Frederick High School students in the 2017-18 school year. The program is based on the concept that no two students are alike; each student has unique goals, aspirations, challenges, and talents. LYNX expands on the idea of customizing education, by offering new approaches to teaching and flexible scheduling, all within a structured framework.
Students are supported by a network of LYNX Advocates, including school counselors, advocacy teachers, and local business, community, and higher education partners. With the help of their families, students identify interest-based learning ambitions and career aspirations, then design a schedule of coursework, programs, networks and partnerships specifically designed to support their goals.
This year, about 65 area business and community partners, called LYNX Partners, provided career-related experiences for LYNX students. A partnership with LYNX allows Frederick businesses and organizations to cultivate and influence their future workforce. Partners choose the type of experiences they wish to provide (such as guest speaker, field trip, job shadow, etc.), and LYNX Advocates work with partners to develop these experiences and target interested students to participate.
The plan is to phase in an additional class each year at Frederick High School until all grades have access to the LYNX program. Over time, the program may expand to other Frederick County high schools.
Additional LYNX Partners are needed to provide real-life learning experiences for students. Additionally, as the program expands to include juniors and seniors in upcoming years, LYNX will seek mentors, internships, and apprenticeships to further students’ career goals.
According to LYNX Project Manager, Michelle Shearer, “Our students have diverse interests and backgrounds, therefore we welcome a variety of partners representing all career fields. We greatly value the partner perspective!”
If your business is interested in becoming a LYNX 2018-19 Partner or learning more about the LYNX program fill out the simple online questionnaire to get started. A LYNX Advocate will be in touch to link your company to LYNX.