CareerForward (cFWD) is a partnership with Microsoft Partners in Learning, Michigan Virtual University, the Alabama State Department of Education, and the Alabama Best Practices Center. This project provides FREE professional development for teachers and district leaders for use of an online curriculum that may be used to meet the online experience requirement for graduation.

 The cFWD course offers 20-plus hours of online curriculum centered around financial literacy and making decisions about a possible future career. It was designed by the Michigan Virtual University and underwritten by Microsoft to be a self-contained online learning course where students explore topics online and interact with their teacher in class and through specific hands-on projects. It can also be used in companion with a variety of online career planning tools that provide students with the opportunity to assess their career interests, explore career options, and create an educational development plan. Alabama is the second state in the country, besides, Michigan, to utilize this top-notch curriculum. The Alabama Best Practices Center launched the first wave of FREE professional development for teachers and administrators in September 2009.

Schools that wish to use CareerForward to meet the online experience requirement should contact the Alabama Department of Education’s technology initiative division or contact Deputy Superintendent Tommy Bice. To learn more about how a district is using CareerForward, contact Susan Poling, director of technology for the Shelby County Schools. For more information about the professional development provided for CareerForward, contact Magan Merritt at the Alabama Best Practices Center.