BUNKER HILL — Bunker Hill Community Unit School District #8 has been selected by Transcend, a national nonprofit that helps communities reimagine and redesign schools so every young person can thrive in a rapidly changing world, to participate in the Rural Career-Connected Collaborative—a 15-month program that launched in January 2026 to support a national cohort of school communities as they lead the way in innovating towards the next chapter of their career-connected learning models in ways that reflect their community’s strengths, aspirations and future trends.
“We are extremely honored to have our district selected for this prestigious opportunity by Transcend,” says Bunker Hill CUSD 8 Superintendent Dr. Todd Dugan. “While we know that we have greatly increased opportunities for students these past few years, we are excited to design this next step alongside the BH8 learning community.”
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The Rural Career-Connected Collaborative is grounded in community-based design to designing career-connected learning. Students, families, educators, local employers, and community partners work together to create innovations in career-connected learning that reflect their rich places, the dreams of their young people as well as the demands of an evolving world—no one-size-fits-all blueprint.
Throughout the program, Bunker Hill CUSD 8 will explore proven career-connected learning approaches, assess current efforts, engage students and community members in shaping the vision, and develop a continuum of experiences to test and scale over time.
Superintendent Dr. Todd Dugan will serve as the “chief architect” of this work and participate in a six-month Superintendent Fellowship designed to build enabling conditions and align policy, people, and resources for lasting impact.
The cohort represents diverse rural communities and was selected from over 110 interested districts. The participating communities are:
- Bunker Hill Community Unit 8 School District (Illinois)
- Edgecombe County Public Schools (North Carolina)
- Floyd County Schools (Virginia)
- Lyndonville Central School District (New York)
- Montgomery County Schools (North Carolina)
- Northeast Academy for Aerospace & Advanced Technologies (North Carolina)
- Rutland Northeast Supervisory Union (Vermont)
- Sampson County Schools (North Carolina)
- Turner County School District (Georgia)
These districts range in size and demographics but share a commitment to championing economic mobility and strong learning experiences for every young person. Cohort members will participate in in-person convenings, receive dedicated coaching from Transcend, and build stronger partnerships with industry partners, postsecondary institutions, and community stakeholders.
About Bunker Hill CUSD 8
Bunker Hill Community Unit School District #8 is a PK-12 school district located in southern Macoupin County, Illinois serving approximately 600 students. With a mission of “Inspire, Empower, Innovate” Bunker Hill CUSD 8 pushes the boundaries of a typical K-12 experience in a rural setting. By embracing a “cradle to career” approach, the district has received multiple awards and recognition for its work in preparing students for post-secondary success. With three years of consecutive enrollment growth, Bunker Hill CUSD 8 continues to defy the local trend in rural communities by demonstrating how reimagining education can lead to the revitalization of a rural learning community.
About Transcend
Transcend is a national nonprofit that helps communities reimagine and redesign schools so every young person can thrive in a rapidly changing world. Across the country, communities recognize that classrooms built for the industrial age no longer prepare learners for what comes next. Schools must be designed for continuous evolution: relevant, resilient, and ready for the future. For more than a decade, Transcend has partnered with school and system leaders to build the capacity for bold, lasting change led by the people who live it every day. We have worked with 600 schools and 160 districts serving 270,000 students in 42 states. Together, we have seen what becomes possible when communities lead redesign with proven methods, insight, and support. From that work, we develop and share tools, research, and models that help schools everywhere make the leap to extraordinary learning for every child, in every community.
About RCCC Cohort
To learn more about the Rural Career-Connected Collaborative, please visit: Rural Communities Leading the Future of Career-Connected Learning - Transcend Education
