Ready for the Real World
This affects approximately 12 million 6th, 7th and 8th graders enrolled U.S. public schools
This delivers Promises Four – An Effective Education and Five – Opportunities to Serve
This strategy seeks to engage every middle-school student in service learning and career exploration. By designing “real-world” experiences relevant to them, Ready for the Real World will, through exposing youth to service learning and career exploration, increase the motivation of 11-14 year-olds to achieve in their schools, communities and later, their environment.
The Ready for the Real World strategy includes partners from professional societies and businesses looking for ways to connect with and prepare their future workforce. These partners provide a range of resources and real-life experiences, such as job shadowing and mentoring. Coupled with our “Where the Kids Are” strategy, Ready for the Real World could involve after-school and summer programs for youth who are too old for daycare and too young for jobs. Programs could also be integrated into school curriculum so that school experience connects young people to the world beyond middle school.
Why is this strategy important? Many students who ultimately drop out of school say they become disengaged during the middle-school years.The choices young people make at this age could set them on a course for active citizenship and engaged learning – or down a path of risky behavior and potential failure.
Not enough opportunities currently exist for these children to engage in active learning through real-world experiences – such as school or community-based learning and career exploration. Ready for the Real World looks to provide experiential learning that will motivate at-risk youth to achieve academically, pursue higher goals and see themselves as positive contributors to their communities. Targeting the “tween” population also helps ensure a smooth transition to high school and helps youth identify their interests and abilities at an earlier age.
Working Group Co-Chairs:
- Don Floyd, President & CEO, National 4-H Council
- Kathy Payne, Director, Education Leadership, State Farm Insurance