Big changes are coming for Indiana high school students, starting with the Class of 2029. A new state-mandated diploma will require students to complete work-based learning, increasing the number of credits from 40 to 42 and adding a focus on career readiness through internships, apprenticeships, or public service. Students will choose from three graduation pathways—enrollment, enlistment, or employment—and earn “readiness seals” by completing up to 650 hours of hands-on experience or 100 hours of public service. While work-based learning isn’t new, schools like Loogootee and Orleans High School are expanding internship opportunities to meet growing demand. Loogootee already has 26 seniors interning locally, and Principal Nancy Harrison is building partnerships with more businesses to support future students. Internships range from health care and culinary arts to cybersecurity and insurance. At Washington’s Daviess Community Hospital, nearly 90 interns—many of them high school students—are exploring careers in medicine. The state’s changes also reduce some course requirements—like Algebra 2 and economics—and add practical classes like personal finance and communications. Schools are phasing in the new diploma requirements starting next school year.
