Columbus, Ohio — A Tribe for Jazz and Columbus City Schools’ Fort Hayes Career Center are redefining workforce development by embedding high school students alongside internationally recognized musicians to produce a full-scale concert experience.
On March 23, students collaborated with Grammy Award-winning bassist and composer Linda May Han Oh to produce a live performance at Fort Hayes Career Center—gaining hands-on experience across design, media, and technical production.
“Workforce development can’t live in theory,” said Stephanie Matthews, Executive Director of A Tribe for Jazz. “Students don’t need more simulations—they need stakes, standards, and real responsibility. What we’re building with Columbus City Schools is a sustainable model where young creatives produce professional work alongside world-class artists. And this is just the beginning.”
Rather than simulating industry experience, students at Fort Hayes’ Career and Technical Education (CTE) campus participated directly in it—collaborating with accomplished artists, meeting professional standards, and producing work with real-world stakes under the professional oversight of A Tribe for Jazz.
“Through this partnership, our students are able to take the design, media, and production skills they learn in class and apply them directly to real industry projects,” said Erica Dodson, Principal of Fort Hayes Career Center. “Creating promotional materials, producing live performance recordings, and learning alongside professional jazz musicians gives them an authentic understanding of creative careers and better prepares them for entering the workforce.”
“When we talk about college and career-connected learning, we are talking about hands-on opportunities for students to learn by doing,” said Dr. Angela Chapman, Superintendent of Columbus City Schools. “Through partnerships like this, they develop expertise in media production, technical execution, and creative collaboration alongside professionals. This is meaningful workforce development in today’s creative economy.”
The collaboration reflects Columbus City Schools’ broader strategy to modernize workforce preparation and expand access to high-growth creative industries.
Together, A Tribe for Jazz, Fort Hayes Career Center, and Columbus City Schools are building a replicable model for modern workforce development—aligning education, industry, and community to create immediate, career-connected pathways for students.
