The Heart of Missouri RPDC is dedicated to college and career readiness for all Missouri students. We promote the development and implementation of successful career pathways and collaborate with school districts, area career centers, military, post-secondary institutions, and employers to ensure

that Missouri students will have the knowledge, skills and experiences to make successful transitions to post-secondary options.

Students will graduate success-ready with a rigorous and relevant Individual Career and Academic Plan (ICAP), which meets the five requirements outlined in SB638. The ICAP represents a roadmap to career pathways and helps students discover, plan, and prepare for their future.

Missouri Connections is a rich resource for educators, students, and families. The Heart of Missouri RPDC’s goal is to assist schools in broadening the use of Missouri Connections by helping teachers become better informed on how they can use this tool to expand student learning and career exploration within their content area.

Missouri Connections & ICAP Training

The Heart of Missouri RPDC assists school counselors, administrators, and teachers with implementation of ICAP and Missouri Connections. RPDC Career Advisors have developed a professional development session that provides classroom teachers with a simple, applicable, and relevant method to utilize Missouri Connections within their lessons.

Breaking Traditions Awards

The Heart of Missouri RPDC promotes and supports the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s Breaking Traditions Awards. These awards recognize outstanding non-traditional career and technical students and the programs, schools, and employers who support them.

Non-Traditional Career Exploration Events

A non-traditional career path is defined as one gender making up less than 25% of employment in that career cluster or pathway. The RPDC’s Non-Traditional Career Exploration Events are designed for 7th and 8th grade middle school students to:

• Have opportunities to learn about career paths and occupations through exploration and engagement;
• Engage in hands-on activities in a career path they may be interested in;
• Experience sessions created and led by college/university faculty, staff, and students focusing on specific career clusters;
• Identify beneficial courses and necessary workplace readiness skills needed for a chosen career path.

Students are encouraged to participate in Missouri Connections career cluster inventory, serving as the tool to identify possible career path interests.

Sessions for school counselors and administrators introduce community resources offered through the University and MU Extension programs such as 4-H.