What if high school students could gain real-world experience before they even graduate? That's exactly the vision behind LAUNCH, an innovative program within the Elmbrook School District that is redefining what education can look like.
LAUNCH is a program for high school juniors and seniors in the Elmbrook and Wauwatosa School Districts that allows students to explore industries of interest while immersing themselves in professional culture. Participants can earn high school credit—and in some cases, college credit—while working with industry coaches to complete real-world projects in their chosen fields.
The program, which was founded in 2016, offers partnership opportunities in professions including business, law, skilled building trades, data science, education, engineering, media solutions, and healthcare. In fall of 2027, there will be additional opportunities in construction management.
While most partnerships focus on project-based work, some professional areas, such as healthcare and education, involve field placement instead, in which students gain real-world experience working directly in the field.
Learning Beyond the Classroom
“The LAUNCH program provides students with the ability to look at education differently at the end of high school,” says Dr. Bob Hall, executive director of LAUNCH.
Hall has spent more than 30 years in education in roles including assistant principal and principal. But leading the LAUNCH program has allowed him to extend his impact beyond the traditional school setting and help students prepare for future careers in new ways.
LAUNCH manages about 300 projects with students each year. Some of the larger organizations that offer projects include Milwaukee Tool, Ascension Elmbook, and Froedtert, among many others.
According to Hall, these community partnerships are at the heart of what makes the program unique.
“Projects and experiences co-created with industry are rigorous, authentic, and important in building professional networks and social capital with students ,” he says.
Fresh Perspective for Brookfield City Lifestyle
For local businesses, the program offers an opportunity to invest in the future workforce while benefiting from the energy, creativity, and innovative thinking students bring to the table. The collaboration often becomes a win-win relationship that strengthens connections between education and the community.
This past semester, three Brookfield students—Rylan Budde, Luke Thomas, and Caleb George—worked alongside Brookfield City Lifestyle to help grow and strengthen the magazine's social media presence. Their efforts included developing content ideas, assisting with social media strategy, and helping connect the publication with a broader audience across digital platforms.
The experience provided the students with firsthand exposure to marketing, communications, branding, and audience engagement while allowing them to contribute to a real business with measurable goals. At the same time, Brookfield City Lifestyle benefited from fresh perspectives and creative ideas the students provided.
Ways to Get Involved
As workforce needs continue to evolve, programs like LAUNCH are helping ensure students graduate with more than academic knowledge. They leave with experience, professional connections, and a deeper understanding of their strengths and interests.
There are many opportunities to get involved with the program, whether as a skill mentor, project coach, guest speaker, among other roles. LAUNCH is always looking to partner with new organizations. For more information, contact Hall at hallr@elmbrookschools.org or visit launch.elmbrookschools.org.