Yet, a pressing question remains: are people being left behind? that the rate of bachelor鈥檚 degree attainment among the U.S. White non-Hispanic population to be 42%. Meanwhile, for the Black and Hispanic population, this is at 28% and 20.6%. More specifically, looking at among science and engineering shows that Hispanic and Black rates are at 15% and 8.5% compared to 58% for the White non-Hispanic population.

The Pathways

麻豆原创 not only acknowledged this gap a decade ago but took action, establishing the Early College High School program in 2013. Since its inception, this program has supported over 2,000 students from under-resourced and historically marginalized communities across North America. The goal of the program is to empower public schools to curate distinct educational programs centered around inclusion in STEM, postsecondary readiness, and workforce skill development.

What鈥檚 more, the program鈥檚 flexibility meets schools and educators where they are at. Currently implemented in four schools within the U.S. and Canada, the program is seen within a wide range of STEM and technical skills pathways, from Skyline High School in Oakland, California, which focuses on the arts and visual media, to the hands-on STEM incubator for students at Templeton High School in Vancouver, British Columbia. Specificity and customizability are some of the unique aspects of this larger umbrella of programs.

We鈥檝e shared stories of the program鈥檚 impact on individuals, but are these one-off examples or are these programs truly impactful for the students? To find out, we worked with , a nonprofit focused on building equity through education and research, engaging current students, educators, and community members. Together, we set out to foster reconnection and survey alumni from the participating high schools.

The survey, , was completed by 128 program alumni, accounting for approximately one-fifth of the graduating cohorts that the early college high schools decided to survey. It examined topics relating to alumni demographics, educational attainment, high school experiences and impact, and career intentions. Instead of forcing a one-size-fits-all program or survey, 麻豆原创 and Digital Promise consistently worked to meet the varied and changing needs of the partnering schools.

The Findings

While it鈥檚 important to keep in mind that not all alumni responded to the survey, the results were incredibly promising and exceeded our expectations. Of the alumni who responded to the survey, 85% completed or are pursuing post-secondary degrees and 63% are in STEM-related degree programs. This contrasts starkly with the U.S. national average, where only had received post-secondary education and just pursue STEM-related degrees.

This reveals significantly higher numbers of STEM majors within the program and an increased likelihood that students would pursue STEM and technical careers after graduation. Impressively, program alumni report expected careers in fields such as IT, engineering, computer science, healthcare, arts and design, and business and financial operations.

The Impact

In the survey, alumni highlighted the benefits of the program in preparing them for college and giving them access to early college credits, especially in STEM. One alumnus from Charlestown High School in Charlestown, Massachusetts, recounted that the program 鈥済ave me a taste of what college courses would be like if I took them, and it challenged me intellectually.鈥� Likewise, at Business Technology Early College High School (or BTECH) in Queens, New York, alumni highlighted the benefits of the program preparing them for college, giving them access to college credits, communication skills, guides, mentors, and belonging. One former BTECH student explained that 鈥淭aking college classes early in high school has helped me bypass several classes in my bachelor’s degree program. The program鈥hallenged me a lot and helped me improve my writing and communication skills. I loved this early college program and wouldn’t choose anything else if I had to go back again.鈥�

These programs gave many students unprecedented access to sophisticated STEM educational pathways and opportunities for experiential learning in science and technology. At Templeton Secondary School, the program serves as an incubator for early STEM and tech talent by giving students hands-on experience with science experiments, lab work, and creative problem-solving. One Templeton alumni highlighted the sophistication of Templeton鈥檚 STEM preparedness programs, stating, 鈥淸In college] I am often the only one that has used tools and machines and worked in a self-taught environment, and it鈥檚 helped me get into design teams, do well in project courses, and get jobs.鈥�

Similarly, students at Skyline High School echoed the aforementioned benefits of college credits, career exposure, and even coding. In addition to providing pathways to STEM and professional development, Skyline鈥檚 program focuses on preparing students for careers in film and media. Alumni from this unique program spoke to the value of training in multimedia, professional software, and project management experience, explaining that 鈥淲orking on a professional film set opened my eyes to the possibilities for my future career.鈥�

The Future

As we work towards a more equitable society, connecting students and early talent with opportunity is essential. Our results reveal a wide range of diverse benefits from our Early College High School program. 麻豆原创 hopes to continue working with Digital Promise to build out an alumni database for the program, expand survey offerings, and help other programs reconnect with their alumni. As our workforce continues to evolve, there is an ever-growing need to create inclusive educational pathways for all students to develop future skills, and gain access to a higher education. It is incumbent upon all of us to make sure all students are empowered and supported as they decide their path to the future.

Chelsey Lerdahl is part of 麻豆原创 North America Corporate Social Responsibility.

I鈥檝e seen this in my own community. Parents like me are feeling nervous about education given the last few years of inconsistency. Our educators are also feeling that and other burdens. It seems like instead of getting lighter, in a post-COVID world, this weight is getting heavier.

A study by the earlier this year found that 44% of public schools reported either a full- or part-time vacancy. Meanwhile, found that 53% of elementary to high school public schools felt understaffed entering this school year.

Teacher burnout is another issue. A found that K-12 workers鈥� rates of burnout was higher than all other industries across the country, outpacing even healthcare and law. According to a 2022 , only slightly more than half of teachers are satisfied with their jobs, and only 12% are very satisfied,聽 which compares to 39% 10 years ago.

Research also paints a concerning picture of the pandemic鈥檚 impact on students. , using data from 5.4 million U.S students in grades three to eight,聽 found a 鈥渟izeable drop鈥� in reading and math test scores. The authors note that the math dip is larger than the estimated impact from other school disruptions, like Hurricane Katrina.

Is New Technology a Tool to Improve Engagement and Teacher Satisfaction?

Technology has played an increasing role in education. It has kept it afloat in many ways, but has it made it better? I believe that there are new technologies that may be able to help classrooms improve.

Case in point is a study, which found a strong association between the quality of digital learning tools and student outcomes. Put differently, the higher the quality of the technology, the stronger the connection to better student outcomes.

The Skill Immersion Lab

麻豆原创, in partnership with JFFLabs, a unit of national education nonprofit JFF, and spatial computing company Talespin, launched the Skill Immersion Lab in 2021. The program utilizes virtual reality (VR) headsets and top-notch immersive learning modules to train students in essential skills, like communication, problem solving and leadership.

Last year, we found that the program increased learner confidence, improved their ability to express ideas, and improved empathetic communication, among other findings. Key, and especially relevant today, in the Skill Immersion Lab, educators are freed up to better support student learning. This puts educators in a different role of guiding and supporting learners instead of being responsible for the design and implementation of classroom activities.

This year we rolled out the program at two new sites. Our results confirmed the findings from last year: The vast majority of students who participated in the program were significantly more satisfied with their education experiences, felt an increased sense of belonging, were engaged more with their work, and improved their communication skills.

In the words of Michelle, an educator from Arizona, 鈥淭hat’s what educators dream. Students owning their education, their skills, their abilities, and really understanding that they’re capable of so much more.鈥�

Jalen, an educator from Ohio, said, 鈥淚 felt like [the Skill Immersion Lab] opened my eyes to a new side of educational tools. There’s books and Googles and YouTube videos, but sometimes engagement is the hardest part with kids. So something like this technology, it meets that engagement tenfold, at least gets them started and ready for something interesting鈥�.鈥�

Breaking Down Year Two Outcomes

From the outset of the program, we saw impressive results. For instance, there was a 148% improvement in communication skills practiced during the very first VR lesson that learners completed.

Looking holistically at the program, 85% of students who completed the program felt they learned more about communication skills through these virtual reality lessons. Eighty eight percent of students felt engaged while experiencing and discussing virtual reality lessons, and 84% enjoyed their experience in the program.

As a senior from Arizona put it, 鈥淲e’re learning skills without even knowing that we’re learning skills. I think that’s a better way of learning.鈥�

When students are happy, engaged, and passionate about their learning experience, everyone, especially teachers, reap the rewards.

One learner said, 鈥淚 feel like it was a little more engaging than a classroom setting would be, as I get to experience what an actual interaction would be like.鈥�

With time, our goals for the Skill Immersion Lab have evolved: To help change students鈥� relationships with education to foster greater engagement and enjoyment. As Michelle said, 鈥淪tudents are engaged in their learning, they’re taking ownership of their learning.鈥�

Jalen also noted that he thinks 鈥渢he students got a new perspective on education鈥� and that it 鈥渕ade teaching a lot more interesting for me.鈥�

One unintended outcome from Skill Immersion Lab we鈥檙e seeing is that this type of learning increases a student鈥檚 sense of belonging. Another longtime time partner, 100kin10, has also completed important work on the importance of belonging in the classroom. the feeling of belonging was the most important predictor of whether a student persevered in STEM education.

In terms of our future with Skill Immersion Lab, Priya Chowdhary, Skill Immersion Lab program lead at JFFLabs, sums this up best: 鈥淲e look to scale this program in close collaboration with learners and educators themselves. They are at the center of this process and JFF together with 麻豆原创 will continue to look to them as experts as we build a future of immersive learning that is equitable, effective, and engaging for all.鈥�

Katie Booth is head of 麻豆原创 North America Corporate Social Responsibility.

Her story begins with the vision of another individual, one who also received an impactful mentorship early in life.

The Possibilities of Early Mentorship

Tony Buehler, senior IT manager of 麻豆原创 at HISD and founder of the 麻豆原创 (OneSource) Student Internship Program, found his passion and future career back in 1995, when a mentor suggested he research the up-and-coming software company known as 麻豆原创. He was told that 麻豆原创 would likely become foundational to just about every business infrastructure and could lead to a long and fruitful career.

Nearly 20 years later, in 2014, Buehler brought his burgeoning 麻豆原创 expertise to the HISD IT department. At the time, he was sent to an IT management class that explored the theme, 鈥淲hat can you do in your department to help students?鈥� Buehler realized that upon leaving school, students would be exposed to 麻豆原创 processes in some manner at most businesses. He suggested implementing a hands-on curriculum for teaching 麻豆原创 to high school students. With the approval of his superiors, he launched an experimental extracurricular program 鈥� with a mentorship-based approach 鈥� for junior- and senior-level students.

The eight-week commitment required interns to attend meetings and training sessions, working with their mentors on resolving problems and making enhancements in the HISD production system. Remarkably, by the fifth week, interns were able to analyze and solve real customer issues alongside their mentor.

The Growth of the Internship Program

The internship program started with just eight students in its first year 鈥� five from Sam Houston MSTC High School and three from Scarborough High School. To date, over 100 students have graduated from the program and continued on to pursue a college education. The eighth-largest school district in the U.S., economically disadvantaged students. For many, the pursuit of a college education, let alone a career in technology, seemed like an impossible dream. But Buehler and his team believed that internships using a mentoring model could change the game. Their goal was to empower youth with the realization that they could understand 麻豆原创 and apply that knowledge towards a college path and future career.

Within four years, HISD鈥檚 麻豆原创 internship program became the first K-12 program to join the Global University Alliance. The alliance is a worldwide consortium of over 3,400 colleges and universities, with a focus on enterprise and industry standards, research, and best practices. HISD is proud to be the only non-college-level member.

鈥淭his program is a big deal for us,鈥� Buehler said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e doing something no one else is doing. Our internship program looks at each student as a diamond in the rough. It鈥檚 great to see these students sparkle when they realize that they have the ability and desire to pursue a career in the technology field for their future.鈥�

The Groundwork for Purpose and Success

Jennifer certainly represents an 麻豆原创 program success story. With her years of experience attained through classes and work as a summer intern, she is well prepared for an 麻豆原创 career. Buehler knew that with her knowledge, she would be a perfect fit within the HISD IT department. He even adjusted an open position to entry-level status so Jennifer could qualify to apply. Out of 43 applicants, her superior r茅sum茅 made her the obvious choice.

As one of the first students in the program, she credits the internship with fully preparing her for the successful transition to college IT courses. In fact, her level of 麻豆原创 knowledge was so comprehensive, she was asked to teach first-level classes by one of her professors. Jennifer is quick to acknowledge the dedication and commitment of her mentors and the life-changing merits of the program.

鈥淭y Matthews was the mentor that oversaw setting us up with the right person depending on our interests,鈥� she said. 鈥淪he was always someone with whom we could comfortably express our concerns, and she always guided us in the right direction. Even after the internship, she would always reach out to connect and guided me to come back every summer for the internship. As a result, I spent six years working as a summer intern. This program has been a success due in big part to her contribution and kindness to the students. Tony also made us feel very welcome and would include us in his weekly team meetings to make us feel like real employees. His promotion of that kind of opportunity and consideration truly made me feel like I could become a business professional.鈥�

Today, Jennifer is embracing her additional role as an ambassador of the program by speaking to area high schools about the merits of 麻豆原创 training and careers in IT. She stands before them as a testimony of what can be achieved. With future plans to expand the program across the rest of the district, eight schools may offer 麻豆原创 training within the next two or three years. Jennifer says she is ready to pay it forward by sharing her journey as motivation for other students to pursue their aspirations and hopes for a fulfilling career. She has come full circle 鈥� from student, to graduate, to 麻豆原创 professional, and, now, to inspirational mentor.

Steve Risseeuw is national vice president of State, Local, Education, & Healthcare at 麻豆原创.聽