Preparing Elementary School Students for 21st Century Jobs

Posted on November 16, 2012 by Global Career Compass

And you thought I was only paying attention to the higher education sector…This is the press release from Johns Hopkins: Supported by a five-year $7.4 million National Science Foundation grant, experts at The Johns Hopkins University are partnering with teachers and administrators in Baltimore City Public Schools on a program to enhance teaching and learning in science, technology, engineering and math in city elementary schools by making STEM a community affair. The program, called STEM Achievement in Baltimore Elementary Schools – SABES for short — not only will benefit more than 1,600 students in grades three through five in nine city elementary schools, but could also become a national model for science, technology, engineering and math education.

This project should make Tom Friedman of the NYT pay attention. Hope he reads my blog. I think it’s a fantastic collaboration pointing to the undeniable linkage of future employment to purposeful planning right as kids start their education. Even though there’s no way to imagine the kinds of jobs these kids will compete for 15-20 years from now, the preparation of teachers, educational training provided to teachers, and engagement with families –all point to a cadre of students who are bound to develop highly marketable skills and I’d imagine, also an openness to jobs which others might shy away from. We need education to prepare students to be excited, even fearless, about the jobs they see in the marketplace – not to feel hopelessly unprepared for the work society needs them to perform.

I can see those T-shirts saying: “STEM Is A Community Affair!”