School-to-Career

Working with schools and the business community, EDC develops career pathways for young people. We produce curricula that integrate academic and technical education, preparing young people for careers in growth industries like information technology, bioscience, and health care. Collaborating with educators and business leaders, we draft national skills standards for many industries and provide the support schools need to meet those standards.

Discovering Technology in Jordan

As technology businesses are booming in Jordan, educators are striving to prepare schools and students to keep pace. In 2003, an education initiative was launched to upgrade technology skills and knowledge. EDC’s Daniel Light spent time in these classrooms evaluating the program.

Scores Are Only A Start

Op-ed by EDC’s Judi Sandler and Barbara Brauner Berns discusses the need to prepare Massachusetts students for careers in science, technology, engineering, and math.

EDC to Create Law and Justice Program for California Schools

EDC will design a four-year law and justice program and develop curriculum for high schools throughout California, with $2 million in funding from the San Francisco-based James Irvine Foundation. The new program will integrate existing resources, build connections to potential careers, and address California state and national standards.

A World In Motion: Replacement Activity

In the 1990s, EDC’s Center for Educational Resources and Outreach (ERO) developed an interdisciplinary curriculum for elementary and middle school students, for the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE). The curriculum activities are a key part of SAE’s A World In Motion® (AWIM) curriculum that joins together teachers, students, and industry volunteers in an exploration of physical science while addressing essential mathematic and scientific concepts and skills.

A Second Chance in Haiti

The slums that ring downtown Port-au-Prince, Haiti, are some of the most impoverished on Earth, symbols of entrenched poverty, desperation, and despair.

IT Applications Across Career Clusters

This project has developed a common language and framework for the teaching of information technology (IT) applications across 6 of the 16 career clusters identified by the U.S. Department of Education. In partnership with the National Association of State Directors of Career and Technical Education, EDC works with community college faculty to develop an electronic library of learning resources, including problem-based scenarios, to assist faculty in integrating IT into their programs and courses.

The Ford PAS Credit Module

EDC will develop a high school level standards-based Ford PAS module that focuses on personal financial literacy, while strengthening students’ knowledge and understanding of mathematics, including key algebraic concepts. In this module, students will explore individuals’ responsibilities and rights and apply algebraic concepts to the making of short-and long-term financial decisions. Such decisions will include applying for and choosing a credit card, making a large purchase, planning to pay for college, investing, and planning for retirement.

Aligning Engineering Design Resources to National Standards

This project reviewed Parametric Technology Corporation’s (PTC) 3-D solid modeling lesson plans and aligned the activities to U.S. national science, mathematics, technology, and career standards. Partners in Virginia public schools and the British School of Washington are developing design-based science and technology education lessons that illustrate the use of PTC software (Pro/DESKTOP and Pro/ENGINEER) within the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) “Material World Modules” Program.

Ford Partnership for Advanced Studies (Ford PAS)

In collaboration with EDC’s Education, Employment, and Community Programs, ERO has developed the Ford PAS program. Ford PAS includes an interdisciplinary high school curriculum that challenges students academically and develops their problem-solving, teamwork, and communication skills. The program links classroom learning to future opportunities in business, engineering, and technology, and motivates young people to succeed in college and careers. These links are forged through innovative partnerships with business, higher education, and the community.

The Techforce Initiative

EDC and our partners—the National Alliance of Business and the Information Technology Association of America—highlight and expand the involvement of information technology employers in school-to-work nationally. The project builds strong employer leadership; strengthens model, developing, and aspiring centers of excellence; and organizes regional symposia. It also created a Web-based clearinghouse of information technology school-to-work resources.