Work-Based Learning Starter

Work-based learning does not require a big program. Start with three low-lift templates: a guest-speaker request email, a job-shadow observation sheet, and a client-project brief, plus a menu of options from low to high lift.

What’s inside

• A low-to-high-lift WBL options menu
• A guest-speaker request email and thank-you note
• A job-shadow observation sheet
• A client-project brief and a reflection worksheet

Why teachers love it

• Start small: one speaker or one real task
• Templates remove the setup work
• Ties classroom learning to real careers

How to use it in class

Try this in week one of a work-based learning unit, or on any Monday when you want students thinking beyond the classroom walls. Hand out the low-to-high-lift options menu and ask each student to circle one option they could realistically pull off this semester. Then walk through the guest-speaker email together as a class, filling in the blanks with a local business contact or a parent’s workplace. By Friday, one student has sent the email, another has booked a job shadow, and you have real momentum without ever setting up a formal internship program.

Questions teachers ask

Is this really free?
Yes. Everything in the Free Library is free for teachers. Enter your email once and we send you a single password that unlocks every freebie.

What formats are the files in?
A print-ready PDF plus an editable Word (.docx) version of the fill-in pages, so you can make it yours.

What grade levels is it for?
Built for high school CTE (grades 9 to 12), and easy to adapt up or down.