What Happened?
The Global Technology Preparatory school in East Harlem recently launched a program to connect members of the private sector with public education students. The after-school initiative has volunteer professionals teach students valuable technology skills that can be applied in real-world jobs.
The Goal
The Citizens Schools program expands the school day for middle school children in low-income communities nationwide. The goal is to introduce job-related skills in technology fields to students early to enhance academic achievement and make education more engaging at a young age. In East Harlem, New York, volunteer professionals are offering instruction on video game creation, digital marketing, political campaigns and other skills to demonstrate the value of certain classes and exercises for professional success.
How It Works
Throughout the school year, professionals within the local community’s private sector offer to teach a 10-week course on various business-related skills and exercises. Some instructors engage students in hypothetical projects such as designing a product’s advertising campaign. Others guide students as they incorporate their own artwork into video games or other products. At the completion of the after-school course, the students and instructors create a final presentation to showcase what has been learned and achieved.
The Citizen Schools initiative is not designed to take the place of classes offered throughout the regular school day, but rather complement typical classes with hands-on exercises and direct association with the public sector. The instructors help students make a connection between the skills taught in the classroom with the activities and demands of a real-world career. The students meet with instructors twice a week after school to work on their projects, while other days during the week the volunteer instructors offer guidance for further education and professional development.
Technology Investments
As East Harlem is building a network of professional instructors to enhance math and technology education, the Marietta City Schools in Georgia have purchased more than $1 million in technology equipment, programming and upgrades. The school board is also considering spending another $526,600 for additional tools as part of its Project Engage initiative.
A blended learning environment will be provided to students involved in the Project Engage effort. Technology resources and targeted teacher instruction will be merged to ensure instruction is up-to-date and applicable in the real-world setting. Instruction will be provided to students in a workshop setting where participants are able to work on projects independently with support and guidance from educators or online tools. The projects will be hosted online, allowing students to work on initiatives outside of the standard school day as well. The project’s goals include:
- Supporting student efforts with teacher guidance and instruction
- Providing students with elective courses that have a real-world application
- Encouraging students to work together on projects
- Nurturing student passions in an academic setting
Only seventh grade students in the district will qualify for the program, based on reading level, learning style, teacher recommendations and grade point average. Students must apply to the program and plan to work with specific instructors for two years before presenting their capstone project.
Education Evolution
Gov1 is also following new education strategies that focus on technology innovations.