Dallas ISD Workforce Development

What a special evening at Change the STARS 2026!

Dallas ISD Workforce Development was proud to celebrate our industry partners, students, workplace coordinators, campus leaders, and district leaders for the work they do to create meaningful opportunities for students.

Congratulations to this year’s awardees:

Sirius Award | Trailblazer of the Year
UT Southwestern

Stellar Impact Award | Commitment to Workforce Education
All Stars Project

Luminary Award | Dedication to Excellence
Deloitte

Shining Star Award | Influential Impact
Junior Achievement of Dallas

Supernova Award | Champion of the Year
Truist

Rising Star Award | Newcomer of the Year
UNT WISE

Rekindled Star Award | Phoenix Partnership
Kroger

Shooting Star Award | Excellence in Engagements
HAKing Innovation

Intergalactic Internship Award | Excellence in Internships
PepsiCo

Multi-Star Impact Award | Outstanding Support Across Programs
United to Learn

We also celebrated our Student Impact Award winners for their outstanding student support: Workforce Solutions, Gresham Smith, Gulfstream, DPD, Kings Accountability Group, Children’s Health, Capital One, Capital One Café, and Vickery Meadow Youth Development Foundation.

And we were honored to present a special Polaris Honorary Recognition to Dr. Cheryl Nevels, Deputy Chief of College Readiness and Workforce Development, in recognition of her leadership and commitment to expanding opportunities for Dallas ISD students.

A special thank-you to for hosting us in such an inspiring space, and to Jarrad Toussant of the for joining us and sharing remarks.

Thank you to every partner who continues to show up for our students. Together, we are changing the stars!

STEM on Wheels with Infosys Foundation and Miami EdTech was a hit! Students from The Barack Obama Male Leadership Academy and New Tech High School at B.F. Darrell wowed our judges with presentations of creative, real-world robotics solutions.

Using the Freenove robot platform, students tackled everything from disaster response rovers to micro-targeted crop treatment systems designed to reduce pesticide use. The level of innovation, collaboration, and problem-solving on display was seriously impressive.

Thanks to our industry partners for helping us bring opportunities like this to Dallas ISD scholars. Our students absolutely brought their A game. 🏆

Exploring what a future in healthcare can look like, step by step.

Dallas ISD seniors spent time with professionals from Children's Health, gaining insight into entry-level roles, building strong resumes, and practicing essential interview skills.

From career conversations with hiring managers to sessions about professional best practices, students walked away with tools, confidence, and a clearer vision for what comes next.

Experiences like this help connect learning to real opportunities, and that’s what workforce development is all about.

Knowledge that Makes Cents! 💡This event stands out as an impactful financial literacy experience that sets the bar for what’s possible when industry partners and educators come together.

Through collaboration between Truist, Dallas ISD Workforce Development, and the Dallas Education Foundation, 280 students had the opportunity to earn an Everfi financial literacy certification while building hands-on skills in budgeting, saving, and financial decision-making.

These are skills students can carry with them well beyond high school, no matter where life takes them.

A huge thank you to our partners and the 33 volunteers in attendance for making this experience possible.

Truist Financial Foundations Program Brings Financial Literacy to Dallas ISD Students More than 250 Dallas ISD students gained real-world financial skills through the Truist Financial Foundations Program, a new partnership with Dallas Education Foundation.

Hillcrest P-TECH students recently visited Equinix for a hands-on experience in the Learning Lab, where they explored what a day inside a data center looks like and how data moves across the globe.

Thanks to our partners at the Equinix Foundation for hosting our students and creating meaningful connections with professionals from around the world.

This is one of many ways Dallas ISD students engage with industry partners to explore what’s possible after high school.

Our 2026 Internship Expo was an incredible day of opportunity and connection. It was exciting to see our industry partners and Dallas ISD scholars connecting, engaging in meaningful conversations, and opening doors to future opportunities.

This event represents the culmination of our year-round program that provides paid internships for students. What began as a small initiative has continued to grow each year, expanding access and creating more pathways for career success.

A special thank you to our incredible industry partners, , district stakeholders, and the students who helped make today such a success.

The WorkReady Team is officially kicking off the 2025–2026 school year! We brought together our amazing campus coordinators for a powerful kickoff session hosted at Digital Realty, one of our incredible industry partners. We also learned more about all the school branding opportunities from . Here’s to a year full of career-ready moments, student success, and strong partnerships. Let’s make this WorkReady journey one to remember! 💼🤩