E50-Corey Mohn Podcast, CAPS Organization

NewTech High Podcast

August 21, 2026 
Boy, two podcasts in a week? Catching up as there is so much to talk about it and little time to do it. Corey Mohn has been a colleague of mine through the CAPS organization for most of the last decade. He has a special ability to lead organizations towards growth. He has a unique ability through his natural listening skills, effusive energy and a great sense of humor to motivate and inspire people to change. If your high schools are moving towards pathways, or more relevance in your program, you should someday consider CAPS. There is a membership fee, but the value of this is definitely exceeding the cost. The podcast and a couple of graphics are worth the look! 

Corey Mohn Podcast (click on this link to view the podcast)

Background Reading Material: 

• Clark County Nevada is wanting to be a Destination District with their 300,000 students. 
• Indiana is considering a new post-secondary model for HS that looks a lot like Europe. 

As President and Executive Director of CAPS (Center for Advanced Professional Study) Network, Inc. Corey directs a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization focused on paving the education-to-employment path through profession-based learning. Programs that affiliate with CAPS Network share best practices and connections with professional partners, post-secondary institutions, teachers and students. The CAPS model is an example of how business, community and public education can partner to produce personalized learning experiences that educate the workforce of tomorrow, especially in high skill, high demand jobs.  

Corey has been leading the CAPS organization since 2014, as it has grown to nearly 100 programs nationally, encompassing 140+ school districts in 32 states and four countries. With full admission, I will let you know that I have been part of two CAPS school districts and that we’re considering this affiliation for NewTech, as well. There are currently about ten high schools in Minnesota affiliated with CAPS, including Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa and Alexandria in greater Minnesota. Many of these CAPS programs offer HS credit, college credit, workforce experience, mentoring and real work as part of their program. Entrepreneurship is certainly a focus! Any school that finds themselves as partisan to the ideas of CAPS is well on their journey towards Personalized Learning.

Durable Skills is one term that you probably can't go wrong in using. It presents the idea that what we know that lasts is more important than this things that we don't. I heard the America Succeeds people present this idea at a CAPS Conference 3 years ago and have continued to use that. It's an elegant way to describe the elements of our school systems that we really don't do well at.

Key Outcomes

Corey Mohn, Executive Director of CAPS Network, discussed the organization's model of profession-based learning (ProBL), its five core values, and strategies for driving innovation in high schools. The conversation covered how CAPS differentiates itself from traditional PBL frameworks, the importance of student-led learning, and the network's expansion into middle schools. AI's role in education was addressed, with consensus that human-centered skills become more critical as technology advances.

CAPS Model & Core Values

• Five core values anchor the network while preserving local flexibility:

  • Profession-based learning — all work authentically connected to professionals
  • Self-discovery and exploration — helping students understand strengths, interests, and purpose
  • Entrepreneurial mindset — failing forward, navigating uncertainty, breaking perfectionism
  • Responsiveness — staying attuned to rapidly changing world demands
  • Professional/durable skills — foundational skills that outlast technical ones
• Tagline: "We go where students lead" — drives professional learning, member support, and program design.
• High expectations for students are consistently set too low; curiosity and interest drive students to rise to the occasion.

ProBL vs. PBL

• ProBL (profession-based learning) is distinct from project- or problem-based learning; the key differentiator is authenticity.
• Traditional PBL: simulated scenarios, shared timelines, convergent solutions
• ProBL: real client projects, divergent student paths, authentic industry ROI — inherently messier but yields significantly higher engagement.
• A comparison grid was created to help educators transitioning from PBL understand the distinction [There is a great graph below!]

Student Engagement & School Practice

• Engagement is the ultimate goal; it traces back to how much control teachers are willing to release to students
• Top-performing schools share: student-led experiences + high expectations
• Asking students what they think and feel is underutilized — schools often avoid it out of fear of the answer

Network Growth & Innovation

• Launched an inaugural middle school network in January to build CAPS mindsets earlier; 15+ school districts enrolled including Blue Valley
• Philosophy for innovation: "Make a move" — stack small experiments rather than trying to boil the ocean
• "Run the experiment" principle (borrowed from Rich Sheridan, Menlo Innovations): give permission to try, learn, then decide
• Educators often underestimate the permission and space they already have to deviate from the status quo

AI in Education

• Corey uses AI regularly; views it as a "sidekick" or intern emeritus — useful when the user is grounded in their own voice and purpose
• Risk: using AI as a replacement rather than an amplifier diminishes learning and authenticity
• Consensus: as AI accelerates, the mandate for human-centered, durable skills grows stronger — schools must invest more in the human side
• Industry already expects students to use AI in real projects; restricting access may hinder authentic work

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America Succeeds

The Durable Skills Framework