Jason Van Nus is the Director of Work-Based Learning (WBL) and Youth Apprenticeship (YA) Programs for Lowndes County Schools, in Valdosta Georgia. With over 18 years of experience teaching Career, Technical, and Agriculture Education (CTAE) in Georgia, Jason is a content expert in multiple instructional areas of CTAE. Still, he remains teachable and is committed to being a life-long learner. His experience teaching Business Education, Business and Computer Science, Graphic Communication, and Work-Based Learning makes Jason very diverse in CTAE. Jason is a sought-after presenter in the field of Work-Based Learning, where he utilizes his content expertise in conjunction with his passion for technology and his skillset as an excellent recruiter, a diligent networker, and a tireless promoter for CTAE in Georgia. Jason has spent the past four years coordinating the WBL/YA programs for Lowndes County Schools. Under Jason's leadership, the WBL/YA program enrollment has grown 288%, from 51 students to 198. In a county with a population of 117,406, Lowndes County's WBL/YA program has generated over $3,659,943 million in wages earned over the first four school years under Jason's direction--with a conservative total for economic impact of over $15,025,000 million during those same school years. Jason's Youth Apprenticeship program and creative industry partnerships have garnered national attention and recruitment to present his best practices in Iowa, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Mississippi, Utah, Virginia, and New York.

Jason was selected to participate in an elite leadership program for Georgia Career Educators, LEAD CTAE, in 2019. That same year, Jason was also recognized as Coordinator of the Year for the Southwest Region and separately recognized as the overall 'TopGun' of the 2020 TopGun Cohort for Georgia's top Work-Based Learning Coordinators. In 2020, Jason began service of both the Georgia State Work-Based Learning Executive Board, and separately on the National ACTE Policy Committee for the Work-Based Learning Division

Academically, Jason has a Bachelor's degree from Valdosta State University in Business Education and a Master's Degree from Valdosta State University in Adult and Career Education. He possesses a Specialist Degree from Auburn University in Business and Marketing Education. Jason is currently writing the dissertation for his Ph.D. in Career and Technical Education at Auburn University. His primary research interest is the impact of Work-Based Learning on Career, Technical, and Agriculture Education, Workforce Development, and Economic Development.