Discovery Partnerships Pave Pathways Toward College Access and Career Success
There will be 55 million job openings in the U.S. economy through the year 2020, according to Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce—and 65 percent of these will require at least some college experience. However, federal data show that fewer than half (46 percent) of 25- to 29-year-olds held an associate’s degree or higher as of 2017.
Statistics like these underscore the need for programs that expose students to career options and help them attain a college education.
At Discovery Education, we have established collaborative relationships with a variety of like-minded partners who are dedicated to ensuring equitable access to college for all students—while also highlighting examples of the diverse career paths available to them.
These programs provide free resources that give students the knowledge and tools they need to find a career path that interests them, enroll in college and succeed after high school. Here are some examples:
Created in cooperation with the TGR Foundation, this is a free online platform with a variety of materials that help students discover who they are, what they want to be—and how to achieve these goals.
Program materials include hands-on lessons and activities that explore real-world applications of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) concepts; a virtual field trip that takes students behind the scenes at Facebook’s headquarters, where they learn about careers available to them in fields such as software engineering and data security; and self-paced learning modules that leads students through the college application and financial aid process.
A partnership with Tata Consultancy Services, this resource helps students and teachers learn and apply computational thinking, a foundational 21st century skill for successful careers in many sectors. The website also includes video vignettes that expose students to professionals in careers that use computational thinking to solve complex challenges.
Pathway to Financial Success in Schools
Developed in conjunction with Discover Financial Services, this website is designed to empower high school students to take control of their financial success. It includes standards-aligned curriculum materials for learning how to manage money wisely, pay for college, set savings goals, establish good credit, invest responsibly, make sound financial decisions and more.
Created in partnership with the Siemens Foundation, this resource includes dozens of hands-on activities to spark students’ interest in STEM disciplines, as well as career profile videos intended to inspire students to explore a rewarding STEM-based career. The videos demonstrate that there are multiple pathways to becoming a STEM professional.
A partnership between UBS, the Tennessee College Access and Success Network and Discovery Education, the TalentED Project connects first-generation, lower-income college-goers with institutions that are a good fit for their needs. Free for all users, the platform establishes an online community of college access advisors and admissions officers to strengthen the recruitment pipeline of underrepresented students.
Created with The National FFA Organization, this robust portal helps students explore the broad range of careers within the agriculture industry—including careers using advanced equipment, creating new hybrid seeds, raising animals, managing people or designing new products and packaging. A series of virtual field trips transport students into leading agricultural organizations to gain a firsthand account of diverse opportunities available within the industry. In addition, the AgExplorer Career Finder interactive matches students to potential ag careers based on their interests.
Created in partnership with the America’s Navy, the Navy STEM Virtual Field Trip allows students to hear the personal stories behind some of the Navy’s elite servicemen and women aboard the USS Nimitz. With one-on-one video interviews with an F-18 pilot, an aircraft maintenance officer, and others, students gain unique insights into a variety of naval career paths.
Dig into Mining: The Story of Copper
Developed in conjunction with Freeport-McMoRan, this interactive resource portal helps students in grades 6-12 develop a deeper understanding of the use of copper in their everyday lives. A virtual career exploration tool helps match students with possible careers within the mining industry based on their interests, and a virtual field trip takes them behind the scenes at a working copper mine.
The future success of our economy depends on some level of college completion for a solid majority of citizens. By showing students the breadth of possible career paths open to them, as well as how to apply (and pay) for college, we hope to make it easier for students from all backgrounds to earn a degree or certificate, and inspire students to reach their full potential in a gratifying career.
Explore the future of education at DiscoveryEducation.com.
