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Tag: generation

  • E-40 and Too $hort’s NFL Honors show underscores Bay Area’s music presence during Super Bowl week

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    E-40 turned NFL Honors into a hyphy detour, firing off Bay Area slang that helped shape a generation as actor Tiffany Haddish and Carolina Panthers rookie Tetairoa McMillan danced from their seats and Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce nodded along to the beat.Moments earlier, Too $hort transformed the same stage into a Bay Area time capsule, running through anthems like “Gettin’ It” and “Blow the Whistle” that have echoed from car stereos, clubs and arenas for decades.They never shared the stage, but the impact was unmistakably shared.As two of the most enduring hip-hop architects, E-40 and Too $hort brought Northern California’s sound, swagger and independence to the NFL’s biggest night outside the Super Bowl itself. Their presence underscored a broader cultural moment, as Bay Area rap voices — from Kehlani to LaRussell — were woven into a jam-packed week leading up to the game.“On this Super Bowl week, this is the ultimate because it’s on Bay Area soil,” E-40 said during rehearsals before the ceremony Thursday, where he performed classics like “Choices (Yup)” and “Tell Me When to Go.” “It’s a big platform. … Being part of these NFL festivities, I love it.”For Too $hort, the moment reflected a clear evolution in how the NFL is engaging with the Bay Area’s musical legacy.“Ten years ago, the Super Bowl was right here. I didn’t do anything. … I didn’t talk to the NFL,” Too $hort said. “So it’s a real big deal. … It’s not the halftime show, but it’s a big deal for me.”How the Bay Area regional sound sets tone on a global stageBeyond E-40 and Too $hort’s NFL Honors performance, Bay Area music has been threaded throughout Super Bowl week with visitors coming in from across the country. Performers include recent Grammy-winning singer Kehlani, rapper Larry June and soul singer Goapele. There will also be multiple performances by LaRussell and punk-rock mainstays Green Day, who will open the 60th Super Bowl with an anniversary ceremony celebrating generations of MVPs and hit the stage along with Counting Crows at the FanDuel and Spotify party at Pier 29.“It feels good to just be important to the region and show that to everyone coming in, like, ‘Hey, this is our home,’” said LaRussell, who said he’s booked for 10 performances over a four-day span, including a Jordan Brand event and a tailgate concert outside Levi’s Stadium before the game. He said the scale of Super Bowl has given artists like himself an opportunity to showcase identity of their music. “Our spirit,” the rapper said. “That BPM, that tempo, that feeling when you hear Bay music that make you smile and want to dance. That don’t exist nowhere else.”LaRussell said that his Super Bowl week sets were less about promotion than representation.“This is where I come from,” he said. “This is my lineage, and this is why it matters.”Built different: Bay Area’s independent blueprintFor decades, the Bay Area has operated as its own musical ecosystem. Hip-hop here grew with an ingrained independence — from artists pressing records, selling tapes out of car trunks and building audiences city by city before industry infrastructure ever arrived.The sound evolved in chapters: from Oakland’s early rap economy and bassline-heavy mob music, to the hyphy movement’s high-energy release, to a present-day lane where Bay artists can be soulful, street, pop, punk — or all of it at once — without asking permission.That independence extends beyond artists themselves and into the infrastructure supporting them. San Francisco–based Empire, founded by Ghazi Shami, has grown into one of the largest independent record labels in the country. During Super Bowl week, the label gathered artifacts spanning its 15-year history for a free public museum, underscoring how Bay Area artists have built lasting careers outside the traditional major-label system.Empire also curated a Super Bowl week experience with Levi’s, blending music, fashion and local history into a showcase rooted in the region.“One thing about the Bay Area, you mix all of us together, man, we some bad cats,” said E-40, who has seen multiple generations of Bay Area artists coexist, evolve and leave their mark without crowding each other out.“Everybody just playing a position. … Larry June got his own lane. He’s doing his thing,” he said. “Kehlani bringing in Grammy Awards. Everybody just playing a position, and I feel like teamwork makes the dream work.”For E-40, that shared momentum matters more than passing torches or chasing trends.“As long as I got my life, health and strength, I’m gonna be able to make music forever,” he said. “I love doing music. It’s what I do.”How the Bay Area is leaving a lasting impressionWatching E-40 and Too $hort command NFL Honors resonated deeply with LaRussell, who said seeing artists in their 50s still innovating gave him an understanding of timing, longevity and success. He viewed their performance as proof that Bay Area artists expand instead of aging out.“To be in your 50s and still moving and shaking, it gives me confidence,” LaRussell said. “As long as you stay locked in, it’s gonna still happen.”Too $hort hopes the Bay Area’s presence during Super Bowl week leaves visitors with a deeper appreciation for where they are.“If you came here with a closed mind wanting it to be something that you don’t like, you’re really missing out,” he said. “This is a world-renowned area. People come here from all over the world to see this place. Don’t take it for granted.”See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel

    E-40 turned NFL Honors into a hyphy detour, firing off Bay Area slang that helped shape a generation as actor Tiffany Haddish and Carolina Panthers rookie Tetairoa McMillan danced from their seats and Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce nodded along to the beat.

    Moments earlier, Too $hort transformed the same stage into a Bay Area time capsule, running through anthems like “Gettin’ It” and “Blow the Whistle” that have echoed from car stereos, clubs and arenas for decades.

    They never shared the stage, but the impact was unmistakably shared.

    As two of the most enduring hip-hop architects, E-40 and Too $hort brought Northern California’s sound, swagger and independence to the NFL’s biggest night outside the Super Bowl itself. Their presence underscored a broader cultural moment, as Bay Area rap voices — from Kehlani to LaRussell — were woven into a jam-packed week leading up to the game.

    “On this Super Bowl week, this is the ultimate because it’s on Bay Area soil,” E-40 said during rehearsals before the ceremony Thursday, where he performed classics like “Choices (Yup)” and “Tell Me When to Go.” “It’s a big platform. … Being part of these NFL festivities, I love it.”

    For Too $hort, the moment reflected a clear evolution in how the NFL is engaging with the Bay Area’s musical legacy.

    “Ten years ago, the Super Bowl was right here. I didn’t do anything. … I didn’t talk to the NFL,” Too $hort said. “So it’s a real big deal. … It’s not the halftime show, but it’s a big deal for me.”

    How the Bay Area regional sound sets tone on a global stage

    Beyond E-40 and Too $hort’s NFL Honors performance, Bay Area music has been threaded throughout Super Bowl week with visitors coming in from across the country. Performers include recent Grammy-winning singer Kehlani, rapper Larry June and soul singer Goapele. There will also be multiple performances by LaRussell and punk-rock mainstays Green Day, who will open the 60th Super Bowl with an anniversary ceremony celebrating generations of MVPs and hit the stage along with Counting Crows at the FanDuel and Spotify party at Pier 29.

    “It feels good to just be important to the region and show that to everyone coming in, like, ‘Hey, this is our home,’” said LaRussell, who said he’s booked for 10 performances over a four-day span, including a Jordan Brand event and a tailgate concert outside Levi’s Stadium before the game. He said the scale of Super Bowl has given artists like himself an opportunity to showcase identity of their music.

    “Our spirit,” the rapper said. “That BPM, that tempo, that feeling when you hear Bay music that make you smile and want to dance. That don’t exist nowhere else.”

    LaRussell said that his Super Bowl week sets were less about promotion than representation.

    “This is where I come from,” he said. “This is my lineage, and this is why it matters.”

    Built different: Bay Area’s independent blueprint

    For decades, the Bay Area has operated as its own musical ecosystem. Hip-hop here grew with an ingrained independence — from artists pressing records, selling tapes out of car trunks and building audiences city by city before industry infrastructure ever arrived.

    The sound evolved in chapters: from Oakland’s early rap economy and bassline-heavy mob music, to the hyphy movement’s high-energy release, to a present-day lane where Bay artists can be soulful, street, pop, punk — or all of it at once — without asking permission.

    That independence extends beyond artists themselves and into the infrastructure supporting them. San Francisco–based Empire, founded by Ghazi Shami, has grown into one of the largest independent record labels in the country. During Super Bowl week, the label gathered artifacts spanning its 15-year history for a free public museum, underscoring how Bay Area artists have built lasting careers outside the traditional major-label system.

    Empire also curated a Super Bowl week experience with Levi’s, blending music, fashion and local history into a showcase rooted in the region.

    “One thing about the Bay Area, you mix all of us together, man, we some bad cats,” said E-40, who has seen multiple generations of Bay Area artists coexist, evolve and leave their mark without crowding each other out.

    “Everybody just playing a position. … Larry June got his own lane. He’s doing his thing,” he said. “Kehlani bringing in Grammy Awards. Everybody just playing a position, and I feel like teamwork makes the dream work.”

    For E-40, that shared momentum matters more than passing torches or chasing trends.

    “As long as I got my life, health and strength, I’m gonna be able to make music forever,” he said. “I love doing music. It’s what I do.”

    How the Bay Area is leaving a lasting impression

    Watching E-40 and Too $hort command NFL Honors resonated deeply with LaRussell, who said seeing artists in their 50s still innovating gave him an understanding of timing, longevity and success. He viewed their performance as proof that Bay Area artists expand instead of aging out.

    “To be in your 50s and still moving and shaking, it gives me confidence,” LaRussell said. “As long as you stay locked in, it’s gonna still happen.”

    Too $hort hopes the Bay Area’s presence during Super Bowl week leaves visitors with a deeper appreciation for where they are.

    “If you came here with a closed mind wanting it to be something that you don’t like, you’re really missing out,” he said. “This is a world-renowned area. People come here from all over the world to see this place. Don’t take it for granted.”

    See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel

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  • 2026 prediction: AI may unleash the most entrepreneurial generation we’ve ever seen

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    Editor’s note: This piece originally ran on the Clayton Christensen Institute’s blog and is republished here with permission.

    Picture someone sitting at a kitchen table after the kids are finally in bed, laptop open, half-drunk mug of herbal tea nearby. For years, she has had a vague idea for a business–custom curriculum design for small learning pods, for example, or a micro-studio creating bespoke art for local nonprofits. She never moved on it. Too many barriers: no time to figure out incorporation, no budget for a web developer, no clue how to do marketing or bookkeeping, no appetite for the legal and tax homework.

    But now she types a prompt into an AI assistant.

    Within an evening, she has a draft business plan, a shortlist of ideas for company names with available domains, a first version of a logo, a one-page website, basic contract language, a starter bookkeeping system, filled-out forms and instructions for registering her business, and a rough sense of how many clients she’d need to cover her bills. None of it is perfect. But it’s enough to move from daydream to first customer.

    That’s the quiet revolution we’re underestimating.

    Most of the public conversation about AI and the labor market is fixated on one (very real) side of the story: which jobs disappear, which tasks get automated, which industries will “lose” the most positions. 

    That conversation isn’t wrong. But it’s incomplete. The same technology that allows big companies to run with far fewer people also lowers the barriers to entry for people who want to create value on their own.

    AI is about to pull the labor market in two directions at once: inward, as firms need fewer employees; and outward, as more individuals gain the tools to act like firms.

    The coming wave of layoffs

    Inside large organizations, the logic is brutally simple. If a machine can do part of a task, fewer humans can do the same job. If a machine can coordinate multiple tasks, fewer humans are needed to manage them. AI turns out to be remarkably good at exactly the kind of work that employed millions of people: following procedures, coordinating handoffs between departments, and navigating bureaucratic complexity.

    Some companies will use AI to squeeze costs out of business-as-usual: automating reporting, drafting, customer support, basic analysis, etc. Others will be challenged by newcomers who never built the bulky structures at all. A firm launched in 2026 might not need a marketing department; it has an AI system that writes, tests, and schedules campaigns. It might not need layers of middle management; coordination and monitoring can be handled by software.

    Clayton Christensen wrote about “efficiency innovations“–efforts to improve profitability by letting a company do the same work with fewer resources. AI might be the ultimate efficiency innovation. Whether it’s deployed by incumbents to trim fat or by startups that never had the fat to begin with, the destination is similar: less demand for traditional employment inside firms.

    We will still have multinational corporations worth billions of dollars. But they will be increasingly lean on staff compared with their 20th-century predecessors: more revenue per employee, more output per headcount, and fewer career ladders.

    The personal back office

    At the same time, something more hopeful is happening at the edges of the economy.

    For most of history, the jump from “I have an idea” to “I have a business” required access to expertise. Lawyers to set up entities and contracts. Accountants to manage books and taxes. Designers and engineers to build products, websites, and marketing. Consultants or mentors to help you avoid rookie mistakes. You either had those skills yourself, had friends who did, or had enough capital to hire them. Many people simply didn’t.

    AI breaks that bottleneck. It turns fragments of expertise into something you can “rent by the prompt.”

    You still need judgment. You still need creativity. You still need taste, grit, and some tolerance for risk. But you no longer need a small army. The solo founder at the kitchen table has, for the first time in history, a kind of general-purpose back office: a system that can draft, design, summarize, translate, troubleshoot, and simulate at a level that used to require multiple professionals.

    Entrepreneurship won’t suddenly become easy. Most new ventures will still fail. Markets will still be unforgiving. Competition may become even more fierce as barriers to entry fall. But the option to try becomes widely available in a way it simply wasn’t before. The barrier shifts from “I can’t even begin” to “Is the potential upside on this idea worth the risk,” which is a very different kind of problem.

    The paradox young people will inherit

    Put these forces together, and the picture that emerges is neither techno-utopian nor apocalyptic.

    Inside firms, AI will quietly erode demand for routine cognitive work. Meanwhile, outside firms, AI will expand the frontier of what individuals can plausibly do on their own or in small teams. That’s the real tension: fewer stable slots in the big machines; more tools to build something of your own.

    Whether this becomes a story of flourishing or precarity depends on lots of things–tax policy, social safety nets, and the speed of change. But one piece of the puzzle is squarely in the domain I work in: how we educate young people for the world they’re walking into.

    The school of compliance in an entrepreneurial age

    For more than a century, mass schooling has been the farm system for large organizations. It has been remarkably good at what it was implicitly designed to do: teach people to be reliable cogs in bureaucratic machines.

    The official curriculum covers math, reading, science, history, etc. The unofficial curriculum teaches something else: how to succeed in a rule-bound institution.

    You learn that:

    • There is always someone above you who sets the assignment.
    • The path to success is deciphering what that person wants.
    • The safest strategy is to follow instructions faithfully.
    • Tasks come with rubrics that specify the criteria for a good performance.
    • Your job is to hit those criteria as cleanly as possible.

    Do that over thirteen years, and those who get good at winning in the game of school also get very good at reading institutions. They sense where the boundaries are, who has authority, and which boxes need to be checked. They become, in a word, employable–especially in environments where advancement comes from mastering the existing playbook rather than writing a new one.

    There is nothing inherently wrong with those skills. For much of the 20th century, this was a rational preparation for a world in which the dominant path to a middle-class life ran through large, hierarchical employers.

    But it’s almost the opposite of what today’s entrepreneurship requires.

    Innovative entrepreneurship is what happens when there’s no rubric, when no one has written the assignment. When the problem itself is fuzzy, you have to decide which part of it is worth solving. It rewards people who notice friction or unmet needs, test rough solutions, and iterate under uncertainty. It punishes those who are good at execution but expect someone else to tell them what to execute. It favors those who are comfortable with ambiguity and relish innovation. It hobbles those who see their purpose as delivering reliability and efficiency on well-worn rails.

    The risk we face is that we will send a generation of students into an AI-transformed economy superbly trained in the old game, just as the old game is shrinking. We’ve taught them to follow procedures, coordinate handoffs, and navigate bureaucracy–precisely the skills AI systems excel at. We’ve led them to expect that career success comes from mastering the rungs on tried-and-true institutionalized career pathways. Meanwhile, the jobs along those conventional pathways are dwindling.

    A different kind of preparation

    If AI really does reduce the number of people big firms need, while making it dramatically easier for individuals to create value directly, then schools have a choice.

    They can double down on being pipelines into a narrowing corporate world–ever more focused on test scores, credentials, and compliance with external standards. Or they can take seriously the task of preparing young people to navigate a world in which many of the best opportunities will be ones they help invent.

    That doesn’t mean abandoning core knowledge and skills. Young people will still need to know how to read and communicate with each other and with AI. They’ll still need math and science to conceptually understand how the world works. They’ll still need literature and history to engage with the narratives from the past that define the present. But it also means they’ll need repeated, meaningful practice in:

    • Identifying problems that no adult has pre-packaged.
    • Spotting unmet Jobs to Be Done where people are cobbling together workarounds.
    • Finding their comparative advantages rather than competing on narrow measures.
    • Designing and testing solutions that might fail.
    • Dealing with ambiguous feedback.
    • And exercising agency rather than just obedience.
    • Learning how to wrestle with problems that are complex, not just complicated.

    Traditional schooling trains students to compete for scarce slots–top class rankings, starting positions on teams, and admission to selective colleges–on standardized dimensions where everyone is measured the same way. That made sense when the goal was landing one of a limited number of corporate jobs. But entrepreneurship works differently. It rewards people who identify niches that are valuable but unattractive to large companies, and who figure out where they can meaningfully differentiate rather than trying to be marginally better than everyone else at the same thing.

    My prediction, then, is this:

    In the coming years, AI will allow companies to do more with fewer employees. At the same time, it will quietly lower the barriers to entrepreneurship and creative self-employment in ways we are only beginning to see. 

    The question for education is whether we will keep treating students primarily as future employees of large systems or help them become future innovators in a landscape where powerful new tools of creation are sitting right in front of them.

    For more on what the future looks like for today’s students, visit eSN’s Digital Learning hub.

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    Thomas Arnett, Clayton Christensen Institute

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  • Farmers’ Almanac will cease publication

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    A 208-year-old publication that farmers, gardeners and others keen to predict the weather have relied on for guidance will be publishing for the final time. Farmers’ Almanac said Thursday that its 2026 edition will be its last, citing the growing financial challenges of producing and distributing the book in today’s “chaotic media environment.” Access to the online version will cease next month. Video above: Farmer’s Almanac predicts cold, wet winterThe Maine-based publication, not to be confused with the even older Old Farmer’s Almanac in neighboring New Hampshire, was first printed in 1818. For centuries, it’s used a secret formula based on sunspots, planetary positions and lunar cycles to generate long-range weather forecasts.The almanac also contains gardening tips, trivia, jokes and natural remedies, like catnip as a pain reliever or elderberry syrup as an immune booster. But its weather forecasts make the most headlines. “It is with a heavy heart that we share the end of what has not only been an annual tradition in millions of homes and hearths for hundreds of years, but also a way of life, an inspiration for many who realize the wisdom of generations past is the key to the generations of the future,” Editor Sandi Duncan said in a statement. In 2017, when Farmers’ Almanac reported a circulation of 2.1 million in North America, its editor said it was gaining new readers among people interested in where their food came from and who were growing fresh produce in home gardens. Many of these readers lived in cities, prompting the publication to feature skyscrapers as well as an old farmhouse on its cover.

    A 208-year-old publication that farmers, gardeners and others keen to predict the weather have relied on for guidance will be publishing for the final time.

    Farmers’ Almanac said Thursday that its 2026 edition will be its last, citing the growing financial challenges of producing and distributing the book in today’s “chaotic media environment.” Access to the online version will cease next month.

    Video above: Farmer’s Almanac predicts cold, wet winter

    The Maine-based publication, not to be confused with the even older Old Farmer’s Almanac in neighboring New Hampshire, was first printed in 1818. For centuries, it’s used a secret formula based on sunspots, planetary positions and lunar cycles to generate long-range weather forecasts.

    The almanac also contains gardening tips, trivia, jokes and natural remedies, like catnip as a pain reliever or elderberry syrup as an immune booster. But its weather forecasts make the most headlines.

    “It is with a heavy heart that we share the end of what has not only been an annual tradition in millions of homes and hearths for hundreds of years, but also a way of life, an inspiration for many who realize the wisdom of generations past is the key to the generations of the future,” Editor Sandi Duncan said in a statement.

    In 2017, when Farmers’ Almanac reported a circulation of 2.1 million in North America, its editor said it was gaining new readers among people interested in where their food came from and who were growing fresh produce in home gardens.

    Many of these readers lived in cities, prompting the publication to feature skyscrapers as well as an old farmhouse on its cover.

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  • How Windows 11 is powering the next generation of K-12 innovation

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    Key points:

    As school districts navigate a rapidly evolving digital landscape, IT and academic leaders face a growing list of challenges–from hybrid learning demands and complex device ecosystems to rising cybersecurity threats and accessibility expectations. To stay ahead, districts need more than incremental upgrades–they need a secure, intelligent, and adaptable technology foundation.

    That’s the focus of the new e-book, Smarter, Safer, and Future-Ready: A K-12 Guide to Migrating to Windows 11. This resource takes an in-depth look at how Windows 11 can help school districts modernize their learning environments, streamline device management, and empower students and educators with AI-enhanced tools designed specifically for education.

    Readers will discover how Windows 11:

    • Protects district data with built-in, chip-to-cloud security that guards against ransomware, phishing, and emerging cyberattacks.
    • Simplifies IT management through automated updates, intuitive deployment tools, and centralized control–freeing IT staff to focus on innovation instead of maintenance.
    • Drives inclusivity and engagement with enhanced accessibility features, flexible interfaces, and AI-powered personalization that help every learner succeed.
    • Supports hybrid and remote learning with seamless collaboration tools and compatibility across a diverse range of devices.

    The e-book also outlines practical strategies for planning a smooth Windows 11 migration–whether upgrading existing systems or introducing new devices–so institutions can maximize ROI while minimizing disruption.

    For CIOs, IT directors, and district technology strategists, this guide provides a blueprint for turning technology into a true driver of academic excellence, operational efficiency, and district resilience.

    Download the e-book today to explore how Windows 11 is helping K-12 districts become smarter, safer, and more future-ready than ever before.

    Laura Ascione
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    Laura Ascione

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  • Maybe it’s time to change up high school to improve student attendance 

    Maybe it’s time to change up high school to improve student attendance 

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    Key points:

    In 2015, as head of a small N-12 school in upstate New York, I learned that Gen Z was predicted to be the first generation of U.S. students who wouldn’t see college as the automatic next step after high school. This insight sparked a year-long project to redesign our high school model. Yet, when I presented my plan for more personalized, applied learning pathways to my faculty, they balked at departing from the ‘tried and true.’

    Fast forward to today, and we’re facing a crisis far more urgent than I could have imagined. Students aren’t just questioning the value of college–they’re questioning the value of showing up to high school at all.

    Students are casting a silent vote against the current high school model

    Recent data from YouthTruth paints a stark picture: During the 2022-23 school year, over a quarter of students were chronically absent across 41 states, with high schools reporting an average 31 percent chronic absence rate. This isn’t just a number–it’s a silent referendum. Our students are voting with their feet, and voting “no” to the current high school experience.

    The consequences of student disengagement and chronic absenteeism are far-reaching:

    • Lower academic performance and decreased likelihood of graduation
    • Reduced future earning potential
    • Increased risk of involvement in the criminal justice system

    Even more concerning is what YouthTruth calls the “support gap.” While 48 percent of students in 2022-23 cited depression, stress, or anxiety as obstacles to learning (up from 39 percent in spring 2020), only 41 percent reported having an adult at school they could talk to about these issues (down from 46 percent pre-pandemic).

    This gap persists despite significant attention to youth mental health issues. It’s a stark reminder that awareness alone is not enough–we need action.

    These big picture changes will transform our high schools.

    When I couldn’t get my colleagues on board with reinventing high school in 2015, it was because the change felt too big and too radical. Today’s data emphasizes that we no longer have the luxury of incremental change. Here are the key areas where we need to focus our long-term efforts:

    1. Student-led redesign: Establish task forces that give students real power to audit current school practices and propose changes.
    2. Data-driven engagement: Implement systems to track not just attendance, but also participation and enthusiasm in classes, using this data to inform school policies and practices.
    3. Family-school partnerships: Create dedicated teams to build and maintain strong, ongoing relationships between schools and families through two-way school-home communication.
    4. Flexible learning models: Redesign school schedules to allow for later start times, block scheduling, or other flexible arrangements that better accommodate student needs and learning styles.
    5. Integrated real-world learning: Develop comprehensive programs that partner with local businesses and organizations to offer internships, apprenticeships, and project-based learning opportunities.
    6. Restorative justice culture: Implement school-wide restorative practices to replace punitive discipline systems, fostering a more supportive and equitable school community.

    As Jonah Schenker, superintendent of Ulster BOCES in New York, wisely notes, “We have a responsibility–because of the nature of BOCES and the flexibility we have–to create a bit of an incubator for some of the areas where we know education needs to change so that we can show by example, point them to other systems making those changes, or create offerings that bring that change in.”

    These small steps will kick-start engagement right away.

    While systemic change is crucial, we can’t wait for perfect conditions to start improving student engagement. Here are five simple yet impactful actions schools can implement right away to begin moving the needle in positive ways:

    1. Start every day with a check-in: Begin each school day with a brief, structured check-in session. This could be during homeroom or first period. Use this time for students to share how they’re feeling, what they’re looking forward to, or any concerns they have. This simple practice can significantly boost students’ sense of belonging and connection to the school community.
    2. Implement “Feedback Fridays”: Set aside time every Friday for students to provide feedback on their learning experiences that week. This could be through a quick survey, a class discussion, or written reflections. Use this feedback to make real-time adjustments to teaching methods and school policies. This shows students that their voices matter and can lead to tangible changes.
    3. Create a “passion project” hour: Dedicate one hour per week where students can work on self-directed projects related to their personal interests or career aspirations. This gives students autonomy over their learning and helps them see the relevance of school to their lives and futures.
    4. Establish a peer mentoring program: Pair older students with younger ones for weekly mentoring sessions. This can help build community across grade levels, provide leadership opportunities for older students, and give younger students additional support and guidance.
    5. Invite local professionals for lunch-and-learn sessions: Once a month, invite professionals from various fields to have lunch with students and share about their careers. This can be done virtually if necessary. These sessions can help students see the connection between their education and future career possibilities and may spark new interests.

    These steps don’t require a complete overhaul of the school system, but they can start to shift the culture towards one of greater engagement, relevance, and student voice. They lay the groundwork for more comprehensive changes and send a clear message to students that their school is committed to evolving to meet their needs. Importantly, schools should regularly share the progress and outcomes of these initiatives with families, fostering a sense of partnership and shared commitment to student success.

    Remember, the goal is progress, not perfection. Every step towards greater student engagement is a step in the right direction.

    The writing is on the wall–or rather, in the empty seats of our classrooms. Our students are telling us through their absences that the current system isn’t working. It’s time we listen and act. By engaging students, families, and communities in reimagining the high school experience, we can create schools that students not only attend but actively choose to be part of. The future of our education system–and the success of an entire generation–depends on our willingness to make this change.

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    Dr. Kara Stern, SchoolStatus

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  • Savvas Learning Company Acquires Pointful Education

    Savvas Learning Company Acquires Pointful Education

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    PARAMUS, NEW JERSEY —  Savvas Learning Company, a next-generation K-12 learning solutions leader, today announced the acquisition of Pointful Education, a provider of innovative, online career and technical education (CTE) courses that prepare students with the industry knowledge and skills needed for future careers.

    Specializing in career-focused courses and certification exam preparation for middle and high school students, Pointful Education offers a wide range of virtual and blended learning solutions that engage students in career exploration and prepare them for the workforce. Its robust catalog features 55 courses that are aligned with nationally recognized career clusters. The courses offer engaging instructional design packed with interactives, videos, projects, language translations, and text-to-speech functionality.

    The acquisition of Pointful Education follows news in February of Savvas Learning Company’s strategic acquisition of Outlier, which offers high-quality, online college-level courses that enable high school students to earn dual credit while never having to leave their school building. Outlier by Savvas provides immersive, cinematically-produced courses in the arts, humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences taught by world-class, charismatic instructors from NASA, MIT, Harvard, Yale, and other top institutions.

    “There’s a growing demand in the education marketplace to provide secondary students with multiple pathways for college and career learning that ignite a passion for career exploration,” said Bethlam Forsa, CEO of Savvas Learning Company. “In addition to providing students an opportunity for college learning with our Outlier offerings, the acquisition of Pointful Education allows us to provide the millions of secondary students we serve with a broader array of high-quality technical, career-focused courses for high-demand, high-skills, and high-paying careers.”

    From CTE courses to exam preparation, Pointful Education courses give students the edge they need to be successful in their field of choice and master career-readiness skills training. Its catalog of elective and career-focused digital courseware includes titles such as: Adobe InDesign; Agriscience; Career Exploration in Healthcare; Construction: Fundamentals and Careers; Cybersecurity; Drones: Remote Pilot; Early Childhood Education; Robotics: Applications & Careers; and Social Media Business Marketing. Nearly half of Pointful Education courses are directly aligned to an industry-recognized certification exam, so when students are done with the course they are prepared to take the exam.

    “We built our courses to give students the tools they need to develop the job-specific knowledge and skills for success in their future careers,” said Steve Southwick, CEO and founder of Pointful Education. “We’re so excited to join Savvas and be able to accelerate the development of new, high-quality career-focused courses that help schools support and expand their CTE pathways and grow their program offerings.”

    ABOUT SAVVAS LEARNING COMPANY

    At Savvas, we believe learning should inspire. By combining new ideas, new ways of thinking, and new ways of interacting, we design engaging, next-generation K-12 learning solutions that give all students the best opportunity to succeed. Our award-winning, high-quality instructional materials span every grade level and discipline, from evidence-based, standards-aligned core curricula and supplemental and intervention programs to state-of-the-art assessment tools and the industry’s most well-rounded portfolio of college- and career-readiness solutions — all designed to meet the needs of every learner. Savvas products are used by millions of students and educators in more than 90 percent of the 13,000+ public school districts across all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, as well as globally in more than 125 countries. To learn more, visit Savvas Learning Company. Savvas Learning Company’s products are also available for sale in Canada through its subsidiary, Rubicon.

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  • Optoma Unveils 3rd Generation Creative Touch 5-Series Interactive Displays With EDLA Certification

    Optoma Unveils 3rd Generation Creative Touch 5-Series Interactive Displays With EDLA Certification

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    LAS VEGAS, NV – Optoma, the No. 1 4K UHD projection and DLP® Laser brand in the Americas,* announced at InfoComm 2024 its advanced Creative Touch 5-Series Interactive Displays. With new tools and added functionality, educators and professionals can create and connect their way to enhanced learning and remote collaboration in classrooms, lecture halls, boardrooms, and other professional environments. 

    With Google Enterprise Device Licensing Agreement (EDLA) certification, users can experience the full Google Suite, offering real-time collaboration from locations worldwide. Without compatibility issues or the hassle of connecting to an external PC, users can easily access the entire suite of Google-based applications they are accustomed to – including Google Drive, Google Docs, YouTube, and more – from their Chromebooks, computers, and other devices.  

    The education market has experienced a shift back to in-person learning with a need for innovative solutions that allow students and educators to work together seamlessly, regardless of location. Offering versatility for virtual learning, Optoma’s Interactive Displays were designed to support educators in classroom environments and are equipped with two subwoofers, eight built-in microphones, WiFi 6e, and a built-in Android system compatible with popular operating systems, including Windows, Mac, and Chrome for improved multitasking and compatibility​. The Interactive Displays offer an optional sensor box that measures air temperature, humidity levels, and harmful particles like mold and fungi in a room. The box also includes PIR sensors to detect motion and an NFC reader for secure login using a designated pass. 

    Optoma Solution Suite (OSS) 

    The OSS platform offers innovative software solutions to enhance the user experience. 

    Whiteboard: Unleash creativity through a digital whiteboard packed with annotation tools that make learning and sharing ideas engaging – facilitating collaboration in real time from anywhere.  

    • Floating Toolbar: Offers seamless switching between tools to suit your task.  
    • Infinity Canvas Feature: Use a virtually limitless writing space. 
    • Innovative Annotation & Highlighter Tools: Make your mark with ease. Whether underlining key points or annotating complex diagrams, these tools make it a breeze.  
    • Pressure Sensitivity: Experience the natural feel of writing and drawing, with a high level of fluidity and precision.  
    • Handwriting Recognition: Convert handwritten notes to text with just a few taps, perfect for keeping your ideas organized and readable.  
    • Smart Sketch for Shape Recognition: The Smart Sketch tool recognizes shapes and drawings and converts them into a clipart image, making it perfect for drawing diagrams or creating structured layouts. 

    File Manager: Easily save files, organize, or move them from local storage to networkable storage or to popular cloud services in seconds. 

    Display Share: Connect any device to wirelessly broadcast, share, or stream your content to the big screen. Bringing your own device has never been easier. 

    Customization is front and center with the new 5-Series Interactive Displays featuring several intuitive tools that allow users to modify the display and tailor to their specific needs. The quick launch pen features a dual-tip and dual color enabling teachers to switch between note taking and highlighting in nearly any color, ensuring lessons flow with ease. Simply take the pen from the holder and the Whiteboard app or annotation mode will launch automatically. 

    Optoma and Mozaik joined forces to bring users the best in education content. With every purchase of an Optoma Interactive Display, education institutions receive a complimentary 1-year mozaBook subscription upon registration.** This powerful education platform provides a wealth of interactive resources, including whiteboard tools, quizzes, 3D content, and multimedia materials, such as 3D animations or laboratory tools to elevate your learning experience; www.optomausa.com/products/interactive-flat-panel-displays/mozabook 

    “The education and corporate markets are constantly changing, so to meet the dynamic needs of these sectors, we are introducing our newest Interactive Displays that are the ideal solution for in-person, hybrid, or remote scenarios,” said Brian Soto, Director of Product Management at Optoma. “The next generation of Creative Touch 5-Series IFPDs offers educators and business professionals increased customization options and advanced remote tools, fostering collaborative learning environments where lessons and ideas flourish.” 

    A value-added solution, Optoma Management Suite (OMS)® Cloud is available on the 5-Series Interactive Displays, offering IT administrators and technicians a real time remote platform to monitor, manage, and diagnose multiple displays simultaneously that are either on the same network or connected through the cloud. OMS enables technicians to check the status and make configurations to optimize performance and broadcast emergency messages, alerts, or announcements across displays worldwide. 

    The Optoma 5653RK, 5753RK, and 5863RK Creative Touch 5-Series Interactive Displays are available for an estimated street price of $2,599, $3,799, and $4,999, respectively.   

    To learn more, please visit: www.optomausa.com/products/interactive-flat-panel-displays. 

    OMS is a registered trademark of Optoma Corporation. 

    DLP is a registered trademark of Texas Instruments 

    *No.1 DLP Laser Brand in Americas 

    Data source: PMA Research: Worldwide Projector Census, 2023 

    *No.1 4K UHD Brand in Americas 

    Data source: PMA Research: Worldwide Projector Census, 2023 

    **The 1 year free license offer is available exclusively to educational institutions with every purchase of an Optoma 5-Series and 3-Series interactive display. Each license grants access to one device and permits unlimited usage by users on that device. 

    About Optoma Technology, Inc.   

    Optoma combines cutting-edge technology and innovation to deliver remarkable visual display products designed to connect audiences with engaging video experiences. From the company’s ProScene projectors to its Creative Touch interactive flat panel displays, Optoma’s suite of products can meet the demands of nearly any professional environment, including conference rooms and classrooms, digital signage, corporate, houses of worship, retail, simulation environments and control rooms. Optoma Technology is the U.S. headquarters for The Optoma Group, with continental headquarters also in Europe and Asia. For more information, visit optomausa.com.    

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  • Savvas Learning Company CEO Bethlam Forsa Named Most Influential Thought Leader in EdTech

    Savvas Learning Company CEO Bethlam Forsa Named Most Influential Thought Leader in EdTech

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    PARAMUS, NEW JERSEY — Savvas Learning Company, a next-generation K-12 learning solutions leader, is proud to announce that CEO Bethlam Forsa has been named the “Most Influential Thought Leader in EdTech” by the 2024 SIIA CODiE Education Technology Awards.

    The CODiE Leadership Award for “Most Influential Thought Leader in EdTech” honors an individual who empowers and inspires the industry through the communication of their insight, expertise, and critical thinking.

    “I am truly honored to receive this prestigious CODiE Award and want to thank the SIIA for recognizing the importance of edtech innovation in supporting educators and engaging students,” said Forsa. “At Savvas, we are committed to developing the highest-quality instructional solutions that are powered by cutting-edge technology in order to personalize teaching and learning and help all students succeed.”

    In selecting her for this honor, the award judges commended Forsa for “her commitment to improving K-12 education through technology, [which] has not only transformed Savvas but has also made a lasting impact on the industry, earning her widespread recognition and respect.” The judges lauded her “visionary leadership and innovative approach that have positioned Savvas Learning Company as a frontrunner in the edtech sector, driving the company towards significant growth and setting a high standard for quality educational technology solutions.” They concluded, “Her contributions to the industry have been transformative, challenging traditional paradigms and shaping new perspectives on teaching and learning.”

    Administered by the Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA), the principal trade association for the software and digital content industries, the CODiE Awards is the only peer-reviewed program to celebrate the vision, talent, and advances of people and companies producing the most innovative education technology products.

    “The winners of the 2024 Education Technology CODiE Awards represent the pinnacle of creativity and excellence in providing products and services that connect diverse learners with educational resources and instructors,” said Chris Mohr, president of SIIA. “We are thrilled to honor this year’s recipients – the elite in their field – who offer solutions to crucial challenges in education today.”

    ABOUT SAVVAS LEARNING COMPANY

    At Savvas, we believe learning should inspire. By combining new ideas, new ways of thinking, and new ways of interacting, we design engaging, next-generation K-12 learning solutions that give all students the best opportunity to succeed. Our award-winning, high-quality instructional materials span every grade level and discipline, from evidence-based, standards-aligned core curricula to supplemental and intervention programs to state-of-the art assessment tools — all designed to meet the needs of every learner. Savvas products are used by millions of students and educators in more than 90 percent of the 13,000+ public school districts across all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, as well as globally in more than 125 countries. To learn more, visit  Savvas Learning Company. Savvas Learning Company’s products are also available for sale in Canada through its subsidiary,  Rubicon.

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  • Boycotting book fairs no more

    Boycotting book fairs no more

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    Key points:

    When I was a kid, my dad never let me shop the Scholastic Book Fair. The avid reader in me didn’t really care that he saw the Book Fair as competition to our family business and an unnecessary purchase. I just wanted the new Baby-Sitters Club book! Yet, this is hardly a ‘woe is me’ story. Growing up, I had more than my fair share of books in my home library and my mom took us to the public library regularly. And just because my family didn’t support the book fair fundraiser, they found different ways to contribute to my elementary school. 

    A generation later, I know I won’t force my son Holden into a book fair boycott because I know how important it is for schools to supplement their funding through fundraisers. In a recent market study, librarians shared that they get approximately $10 per student to spend on books. To better meet the needs of their school communities, they run fundraisers and partner with nonprofit organizations with the goal of adding as much as an additional $5 per student.  From that study, an anonymous librarian in Michigan said, “We lost our budget during COVID because we were remote for a long time. The workaround I’ve found is that now a big part of my job is fundraising.” 

    Headlines since 2020 have highlighted the federal investment of ESSER Funding in schools. In a nation where an unprecedented amount of funding was bestowed upon public schools across the country, why is fundraising still necessary? 

    Many districts initially used pandemic relief dollars on PPE to get students back into the classroom, and then they transitioned to large capital projects like HVAC and improved school security. A second unnamed librarian, this time in New Jersey, explained, “My school got a significant amount of funding from ESSER, but funds earmarked [by my district] for libraries ended up being used for other purposes like air purifiers and other infrastructure and tech.”

    When I asked William Schaller, an Information Literacy Specialist in Houston, how he used ESSER dollars to replace print books lost when schools shut down during the pandemic and students went home, he said, “Many of our materials were misplaced when students were at home learning or moved away from our school.” He added, “We will continue to advocate for school libraries to be included in our school district’s budgets, sharing the positive impact libraries have on our students. We will continue to write grants to hopefully be funded by literacy supporters in the community, and advocate and promote all the powerful literacy events taking place in the heart of our school, the library! You can never have too many relevant, new, and inclusive books in the library.”

    As ESSER Funds face expiration later this year, districts like Schaller’s that previously used pandemic relief funds on book purchases are finding new ways to ensure a continued investment in reading materials, because given the reading scores reported in the nation’s report card, no principal or superintendent wants to be seen as investing less in books.

    But as with any operation, the expiration of ESSER Funding will force districts to do more with less. John Chrastka, the Executive Director of Every Library explains, “The costs of running and maintaining a library have risen since the pandemic and show no signs of slowing down. Post-ESSER, schools will have to rethink how they operate, but administrators and principals should not be allowed to balance the budget by cutting libraries and librarians given the value they bring to the community.”

    Meredith Hill, with the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, encourages district leadership to take a hard look at how they allocate their budget dollars post-pandemic and continue to make reading materials a priority. “The criticality of funding school libraries during the upcoming expiration of ESSER funding cannot be understated,” said Hill. “District-level decision makers must prioritize ongoing, annual funding of school libraries to maximize the impact certified school librarians can have on every student and teacher in the district. Not providing that reliable annual budget and asking school librarians to seek their own funding through grants, book fairs, or other funding sources leads to increased inequities in the services and resources available to staff and students at different schools within the same district. This is antithetical to the philosophy of equitable access that underlies the foundation of library service.”

    Yet, school librarians recognize fundraising is now simply part of their job description and it’s never been more important to demonstrate and advocate for the value libraries and librarians bring to the education system. “Schools with well-funded school library media centers, updated collections, and certified school library media coordinators are able to spark student learning in high-impact ways,” said Hill. “These include providing curriculum-aligned resources, collaborating on research and tech-rich projects with teachers, sparking student curiosity and problem-solving with Makerspace, guiding the ethical implementation of AI, and creating a school-wide culture and lifelong love of reading.”

    Being well-funded can take work and creativity on behalf of the librarian, but can be accomplished through effective community partnerships–a cornerstone of the Future Ready Library Framework. Schaller relies on various funding sources outside of district allocations. “Grant writing is another wonderful way for libraries to collect diverse titles,” said Schaller. “Our school has received grants from author James Patterson and Scholastic Book Clubs to help get more books into our schools, granting literacy to our readers. DonorsChoose is a fast way our library has been able to write specific projects for materials. Donors can select projects that inspire them by searching keywords, such as ‘library books’ or ‘STEM’ and donate to schools across the country. Through DonorsChoose, our library has received grants for books in November about voting and the importance of elections, many Spanish translations of popular titles for our Libros en Español section of the library, and even Young Sheldon from CBS has funded STEM and makerspace projects for our library’s hands-on learning area!”

    Johnna Gregory, the Librarian at Trinity Lakes Elementary School in Hurst-Euless-Bedford ISD in Texas, recently put community partnerships to work to put the “fair” in her book fair.  Each of the 650 students on campus had the opportunity to choose TWO books to take home, for free. To make the book fair “fair,” Gregory solicited donations from the community, PTA, and board members; took advantage of vendor book sales; and used the rewards from her for-profit book fair to purchase the books so every student left with a book in each hand.

    Whether the funding comes from municipal tax dollars, state or federal allocations, grants, physical book fairs, eFairs, bake sales, DonorsChoose, corporate partnerships, or combination of them all, access to books changes lives–and that’s an investment each of us can’t afford not to make.

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  • Outlier by Savvas Named to TIME World’s Top EdTech Companies 2024 List

    Outlier by Savvas Named to TIME World’s Top EdTech Companies 2024 List

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    PARAMUS, NEW JERSEY — Savvas Learning Company, a next-generation K-12 learning solutions leader, is excited to announce that Outlier by Savvas, its online dual-enrollment course offerings, has been named to TIME World’s Top EdTech Companies 2024 list. Outlier by Savvas ranked #73 on this new global ranking of the 250 top edtech companies by TIME in partnership with Statista, a statistics and market research company.

    Savvas recently acquired Outlier, an edtech startup that has created a portfolio of online, asynchronous dual enrollment courses — with real transferable college credit opportunities from a top 50 university — that enable high school students to earn dual credit while never having to leave their school building. Offering a diverse catalog of award-winning college courses with cinematic lectures from top-rated instructors, Outlier by Savvas provides high school students multiple pathways to college and career.

    “We are thrilled that Outlier has been recognized on TIME’s list of the World’s Top EdTech Companies 2024,” said Bethlam Forsa, CEO of Savvas Learning Company. “Just as remote work is commonplace today, school district leaders are adopting online learning to bring college courses to the high school environment. Outlier by Savvas meets this need by offering high-quality online dual enrollment courses that broaden students’ academic horizons from the convenience of their high school classroom.”

    Research shows that dual-enrollment programs can increase both high school graduation and college enrollment rates. Online dual-enrollment courses can expose students to a wider range of subjects that may not be offered by their high school or community college, allowing them to discover where their passions lie and providing a jumpstart on college or a future career. Taking college courses in high school helps students “try on” the college experience in a safe and familiar learning environment. 

    Another key benefit of earning high school and college credits simultaneously through dual enrollment courses is reducing the cost of college tuition. 

    “Getting transferable college credit at no cost to the student in high school can substantially reduce the burden of paying for college for many families,” Forsa said. “As student loan debt skyrockets and the cost of college tuition rises, the need to increase access to dual enrollment opportunities for high school students is greater than ever.”

    The World’s Top EdTech Companies 2024 list recognizes companies that focus on developing and providing educational technologies, products, or services. In support of the research, data was gathered from company applications, annual reports, media monitoring, and other public sources. The ranking is based on the research and analysis of companies across two focus areas: financial strength and industry impact. Companies with the highest scores demonstrating extraordinary impact on the edtech industry along with strong financial performance were named to the list.

    ABOUT SAVVAS LEARNING COMPANY

    At Savvas, we believe learning should inspire. By combining new ideas, new ways of thinking, and new ways of interacting, we design engaging, next-generation K-12 learning solutions that give all students the best opportunity to succeed. Our award-winning, high-quality instructional materials span every grade level and discipline, from evidence-based, standards-aligned core curricula to supplemental and intervention programs to state-of-the art assessment tools — all designed to meet the needs of every learner. Savvas products are used by millions of students and educators in more than 90 percent of the 13,000+ public school districts across all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, as well as globally in more than 125 countries. To learn more, visit Savvas Learning Company. Savvas Learning Company’s products are also available for sale in Canada through its subsidiary, Rubicon.

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  • Ozobot Announces New Robot Recycle and Replace Program 

    Ozobot Announces New Robot Recycle and Replace Program 

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    NEWPORT BEACH, CA, USA – Ozobot, a global leader in programmable robotics and STEAM-based learning solutions that empower the next generation of creators from K-12 to higher education and beyond, today announced the upcoming launch of its Bit Robot Recycle & Replace Program, in celebration of Earth Day. 

    “We’re proud to launch this long-awaited program, answering the call from our loyal customers and valued educators for a solution to upgrade their legacy robots,” said Kristin Archer, Vice President of Marketing at Ozobot. “This program not only provides a pathway to enhanced learning experiences in the classroom but also reflects our commitment to customer satisfaction and a greener future.” 

    The program’s initiative aims to offer users with legacy Bit robots the opportunity to upgrade to the latest technology and features the Evo robot offers while also contributing to environmental sustainability. Users will send in their eligible Bit robot, free of charge, to receive a $15 credit per robot toward the purchase of a new Evo robot. There is no limit to the number of Bit robots that can be returned.* 

    As part of Ozobot’s commitment to sustainability, returned robots will undergo dismantling, with usable components upcycled and repurposed. Any remaining components will be recycled to the fullest extent possible. To sign up for more information about the program, launching in May 2024, and verify eligibility, please visit Ozobot.com. 

    *Additional terms and conditions apply. The program applies to U.S. customers only. 

    About Ozobot

    Ozobot is redefining the role of robotics in education with award-winning programmable robots, patented screen-free coding programs, and STEAM-based learning solutions that transform the way students learn and create across all grades, subjects, and environments. Led by a world-class team of educators, engineers, and computer scientists, Ozobot delivers award-winning solutions by integrating innovative product design with leading LMS platforms and emerging technologies, including Augmented Reality-based learning, powered by Ozobot’s coding platform, Ozobot Blockly, that supports its proprietary JavaScript and Python editors that run native code on connected devices. 

    Together with students, educators, and parents around the world, Ozobot has become the #1 most trusted robotics platform in education and continues to empower the next generation of creators to discover new and exciting ways to learn. For more information on Ozobot, please visit ozobot.com. 

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  • Educators Honored with YouScience® Innovative Educator Award

    Educators Honored with YouScience® Innovative Educator Award

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    AMERICAN FORK, Utah –  YouScience®,the leading technology provider dedicated to solving the skills gap crisis for students and employers, is proud to announce the recipients of the esteemed  YouScience Innovative Educator Award. This award celebrates educators who have implemented innovative approaches to empower the next generation of professionals through academic and career exploration. 

    After reviewing nominations received from around the country, YouScience is excited to congratulate the following educators as the winners:

    • Darren Zink, Paige Kanaly, and Megan Holloway, a teaching team from Mountain View High School in Mesa, Arizona
    • Jessica McAllister from Lewis-Palmer School District in Monument, Colorado
    •  Zach Knapp from Vale Middle School in Vale, Oregon

    Shaping Future Pathways at Mountain View High School

    Members of the Freshman Academic Success Team (FAST) at Mountain View High School —Darren Zink, Paige Kanaly, and Megan Holloway – have been recognized for their collaborative and interdisciplinary approach to education. With over 20 years of teaching experience, Darren Zink, along with Megan Holloway (3 years) and Paige Kanaly (5 years), share a group of 90 students and help them connect what they’re learning in the classroom with the real world. By integrating YouScience into their curriculum, they have helped students explore their aptitudes and envision future career pathways. Their teaching philosophy revolves around fostering communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity, while elevating student choice and voice in the classroom.

    Highlights of Accomplishments:

    • Integration of aptitude-enabled education and YouScience data to create personalized and relevant classroom curriculum and instruction for their students.
    • Utilizing interdisciplinary teaching systems to make core concepts, including English, biology, and mathematics, relevant for real-world applications and future career pathways.
    • Elevating student choice and voice for understanding and exploring career pathways based on their unique YouScience results. 

    “On behalf of ElevateEdAZ and our partnership with Mesa Public Schools, we extend our heartfelt congratulations to Mountain View’s extraordinary ninth-grade academy teachers, Darren Zink, Megan Hollaway, and Paige Kanaly, on receiving the prestigious YouScience Innovative Educator Award. Thank you for your exceptional contributions to education and for setting a high standard for others to follow. Well deserved! A special thank you to those in the District who make this partnership possible: District Superintendent, Dr. Andi Forlis; Mountain View Principal, Mike Oliver; District Director of CTE and Innovative Partnerships, Marlo Loria; and College and Career Coach, Vicki Schomaker.” said Amir Law, EdD, District Director, Mesa Public Schools, ElevateEdAZ.

    Pioneering Innovation in Lewis-Palmer School District

    Jessica McAllister, the Secondary Programs Coordinator at Lewis-Palmer School District, has been lauded for her entrepreneurial leadership and forward-thinking approach. With over 23 years working in education, McAllister has spearheaded innovative practices, including the implementation of YouScience, to support students in finding their passions and preparing for future careers. Under her leadership, the district, encompassing three district-operated secondary schools, has embraced innovative programs to elevate career and college readiness, work-based learning opportunities, and community partnerships.

    Highlights of Jessica McAllister’s Accomplishments:

    • Integration of career and technical education (CTE) courses with academic programs, providing a comprehensive educational experience that prepares students for both employment and college.
    • Applying and winning numerous grants to meet the unique needs of her student population, including hiring critical staff and counselors for each of their schools as well as providing access to career exploration programs for the Innovative Learning Opportunities Program she oversees.
    • Focusing on a student-centric approach to education, she led the renovation of an existing building, leveraging district carpentry classes to get hands-on experience in renovation and rallying community members for support, to create a space for student-run businesses. The space now hosts several businesses including the production of goods and services available to our school district departments and eventually, the broader community. Each business is run like a real corporation with students fulfilling the roles of the C-suite, marketing, sales, customer service, and finance teams. 

    “Jessica’s forward and thoughtful thinking is impacting the futures of our students through career and college readiness, work-based learning opportunities, and community partnerships for lasting impact,” said Amber Whetstine, Assistant Superintendent of Lewis-Palmer School District 38.

    Empowering Students at Vale Middle School

    Zach Knapp, a CTE educator at Vale Middle School, has been recognized for his dedication to empowering students to explore career pathways and make informed decisions about their future. With 20 years of teaching experience, Knapp has integrated YouScience into his curriculum, guiding students to discover their aptitudes and interests and align them with relevant educational opportunities. His commitment to student success has led to increased career awareness and readiness among his students.

    Highlights of Zach Knapp’s accomplishments:

    • Introducing YouScience to help students identify their best-fit career paths and quantify their skills, empowering them to make informed decisions about their futures—whether that’s a traditional college pathway or an alternative route.
    • Recognizing the gap in Health Science education, Zach encouraged and supported the high school to pioneer a new high school CNA course, ensuring that students with aptitudes in this career cluster have continued education opportunities after they leave middle school.
    • Creating unique career exploration opportunities for his students, Zach organized a school-wide, full-day field trip, allowing his students to explore eight different local industries and paving the way for early career exposure in middle school.

    “As the Vale Middle School CTE teacher, Mr. Knapp’s innovative approach not only inspires but also empowers our students to reach their full potential. By incorporating YouScience into his curriculum for all 7th and 8th-grade students, he assists them in identifying their aptitudes and strengths, guiding them toward career and educational pathways that align with their skills. Thanks to his dedication, students transition to high school equipped with individualized 4-year academic plans tailored to their aspirations,” said Lisa Andersen, VMS Principal, Vale School District.

    Celebrating Innovation in Education

    The YouScience Innovative Educator Award celebrates educators who have demonstrated exceptional commitment and creativity in preparing students for the ever-evolving professional landscape. These educators exemplify the essence of innovation in education, leveraging technology and creative teaching methods to empower the next generation of professionals.

    “We are thrilled to recognize these exceptional educators for their dedication to innovation in education,” said Edson Barton, CEO of YouScience. “Their commitment to student success and readiness for the future is truly commendable, and we celebrate their accomplishments.”

    Educators, students, and parents are encouraged to nominate deserving candidates for subsequent awards by completing the submission form on the YouScience website.

    To learn more about YouScience, please visit  youscience.com.

    About YouScience

    YouScience® is the leading technology provider dedicated to solving the skills and exposure gap crisis for students and employers. Its end-to-end platform, YouScience® Brightpath, connects education with career applications designed to help students unlock their potential for future pathways. YouScience leverages proven research, artificial intelligence, and industry input to help individuals identify their aptitudes, validate their skills and knowledge, and get matched with real-world educational and career pathways in high-demand occupations.

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  • Savvas Learning Company Named to the 2024 GSV 150 of Top-Growth Companies

    Savvas Learning Company Named to the 2024 GSV 150 of Top-Growth Companies

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    PARAMUS, N.J./PRNewswire/ — Savvas Learning Company, a next-generation K-12 learning solutions leader, is excited to announce that it has been named to the 2024 edition of the GSV 150, an annual list of the top 150 private companies transforming digital learning and workforce skills. This is the second year in a row that Savvas has been named to the GSV 150.

    “At Savvas, we are committed to developing innovative learning solutions that are powered by the most advanced technology to help educators meet the needs of all students,” said Bethlam Forsa, CEO of Savvas Learning Company. “Savvas is honored to be recognized among the exceptional companies on the GSV 150 who are champions of educational technology — including new AI-enabled systems — to make for a richer, more personalized teaching and learning experience for all.”

    GSV is a global community and investment platform singularly focused on elevating the scope and scale of innovation in the $7 trillion education and workforce sector. It estimates that together these 150 companies reach roughly 3 billion people — almost half of the global population — and generate approximately $23 billion in revenue.

    Savvas was chosen from more than 2,000+ global companies revolutionizing the world of education technology, from Pre-K-12 to workforce learning. GSV Ventures evaluated these companies on five criteria — revenue scale, revenue growth, active learner reach, international reach, and margin profile — to determine the global GSV 150 list.

    With an innovation mindset and a focus on technology to personalize instruction at scale, Savvas empowers educators and engages students with high-quality, interactive PreK-12 learning solutions. It recently acquired Outlier.org and its portfolio of online, asynchronous college-level courses that combine cinematic videos and charismatic professors, enabling high school students to earn dual credit while never having to leave their school building. The acquisition will allow Savvas to offer an immersive, engaging college learning experience to millions of high school students and increase educational equity, access, and opportunity.

    In 2023, Savvas acquired Whooo’s Reading and its cutting-edge AI-driven technology, which Savvas is thoughtfully integrating into its digital ecosystem of innovative learning solutions. Savvas believes that AI’s game-changing capabilities have the potential to take personalized learning to new heights while providing teachers time-saving tools to make their jobs easier, enabling them to spend more time interacting with students.

    “The world is adapting to seismic shifts from generative AI,” said Luben Pampoulov, partner at GSV Ventures. “AI co-pilots, AI tutors, AI content generators — AI is ubiquitous, and differentiation is increasingly critical. The GSV 150 is an impressive group of edtech companies that are leveraging AI and driving positive outcomes for learners and society.”

    Visit GSV 150 for the full list of 2024 winners.

    In addition to Savvas being selected for inclusion on the GSV 150 list, Forsa has also been chosen to speak at the ASU+GSV Summit 2024 in San Diego, in panel discussions focusing on the AI Revolution in Digital Education as well as K-12 schools and content.

    ABOUT SAVVAS LEARNING COMPANY
    At Savvas, we believe learning should inspire. By combining new ideas, new ways of thinking, and new ways of interacting, we design engaging, next-generation K-12 learning solutions that give all students the best opportunity to succeed. Our award-winning, high-quality instructional materials span every grade level and discipline, from evidence-based, standards-aligned core curricula to supplemental and intervention programs to state-of-the art assessment tools — all designed to meet the needs of every learner. Savvas products are used by millions of students and educators in more than 90 percent of the 13,000+ public school districts across all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, as well as globally in more than 125 countries. To learn more, visit Savvas Learning Company. Savvas Learning Company’s products are also available for sale in Canada through its subsidiary, Rubicon.

    ABOUT ASU+GSV SUMMIT
    The ASU+GSV Summit is the premier global event focused on technology innovation in education and skills. We believe that ALL people deserve equal access to the future. Started in 2010 with a collaboration between Arizona State University (ASU) and Global Silicon Valley (GSV), the annual Summit connects leading minds focused on transforming society and business around learning and work. Educators, investors, industry leaders, and entrepreneurs from around the world come together to innovate the future of education for all.

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  • Savvas Learning Company Acquires Outlier.org 

    Savvas Learning Company Acquires Outlier.org 

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    PARAMUS, NEW JERSEY — Savvas Learning Company, a next-generation K-12 learning solutions leader, today announced that it has acquired Outlier.org, an edtech startup that has created a portfolio of high-quality, turnkey, online college-level courses that enable high school students to earn dual credit while never having to leave their school building.  

    Outlier.org combines cinematic video and charismatic professors with the best in modern, evidence-based teaching techniques to virtually transport the student to a college lecture hall. Its diverse catalog of award-winning courses in the arts, humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences are taught by hand-picked, world-class instructors from NASA, MIT, Harvard, Yale, and other top institutions.  

    “There’s a growing demand for dual-enrollment and dual-credit opportunities for high school students across the country,” said Bethlam Forsa, CEO of Savvas Learning Company, noting, however, that school administrators have long faced challenges when considering these programs for their students, such as limited course offerings, along with costly transportation and other logistical issues. 

    “With Outlier, we are seeking to change that,” Forsa continued. “This acquisition will allow us to create an exciting new opportunity for the millions of high school students served by Savvas.” 

    In addition to providing students a path toward their college degree, the Outlier offerings also give those looking for valuable career and workforce training the opportunity to earn credit-bearing professional certificates from leading technology companies like Google, Meta, and Salesforce.  

    Many high school administrators recognize the value of dual-credit courses because they prepare their students for the rigor of college while also enabling them to earn both high school and college credits at the same time. Dual-enrollment and dual-credit programs have also been proven to lead to increased rates of high school graduation and college enrollment, particularly for students who have been historically underrepresented in higher education.  

    Students who successfully complete Outlier courses earn transferable college credits from Outlier’s university partners, the University of Pittsburgh, a top 50 global university, and Golden Gate University. Currently, 48 states and the District of Columbia have adopted state-level, dual-enrollment policies, including 28 states that have established multiple dual-enrollment programs, according to the Education Commission of the States.  

    Outlier’s asynchronous 14- and 15-week (semester) and 39-week (full-year) general-education courses offer high school students an introduction to the fundamental ideas typically taught on college campuses in STEM, humanities, economics, business, and other classes. The courses are designed to fit within a standard 45-minute period. Any high school teacher can support any course, aided by easy-to-use dashboards that provide faculty real-time visibility into student progress. 

    “We are proud of our students’ success and excited to join Savvas to bring our proven classes to more students,” said Aaron Rasmussen, founder and CEO of Outlier.org. “We are thankful to our university partners, our educators, our students, and our team members who have helped us to accomplish our mission to provide access to college and career learning to students, regardless of geography or socioeconomic background.” 

    High school administrators interested in the Outlier dual-enrollment and dual-credit offerings provided by Savvas can learn more about them here. 

    ABOUT SAVVAS LEARNING COMPANY 

    At Savvas, we believe learning should inspire. By combining new ideas, new ways of thinking, and new ways of interacting, we design engaging, next-generation K-12 learning solutions that give all students the best opportunity to succeed. Our award-winning, high-quality instructional materials span every grade level and discipline, from evidence-based, standards-aligned core curricula to supplemental and intervention programs to state-of-the art assessment tools — all designed to meet the needs of every learner. Savvas products are used by millions of students and educators in more than 90 percent of the 13,000+ public school districts across all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, as well as globally in more than 125 countries. To learn more, visit Savvas Learning Company. 

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  • Savvas Learning Company Announces New Edition of its Leading myView Literacy Program Grounded in the Science of Reading

    Savvas Learning Company Announces New Edition of its Leading myView Literacy Program Grounded in the Science of Reading

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    PARAMUS, N.J. —  Savvas Learning Company, a next-generation K-12 learning solutions leader, today introduced the new edition of myView Literacy, its leading K-5 core English Language Arts (ELA) program. Combining powerful Science of Reading-based instruction with engaging student-centered practice opportunities, myView Literacy © 2025 is designed to develop strong readers and writers, improving learning outcomes for all students.

    The new edition of  myView Literacy comes at a time when the Science of Reading movement has gained national momentum, with many states now requiring the use of evidence-based strategies for teaching students to read. More and more school districts today are making it a priority to use high-quality instructional materials that not only demonstrate both efficacy and a positive impact on student achievement but also provide teachers the training and support they need to successfully implement the curriculum.

    Firmly grounded in the  Science of Reading, myView’s daily foundational-skills instruction follows an easy-to-teach sequence that’s proven to increase reading achievement and close skills gaps. Adding to the program’s exciting authentic literature and interactive resources, the new edition of myView Literacy now features an increased focus on foundational writing instruction, more student practice opportunities, and new enhancements and improved navigation for a more seamless digital teaching and learning experience.

    “With its integrated design that makes Science of Reading-based instruction simple, easy, and engaging to teach, myView Literacy is just what K-5 educators are looking for today,” said Bethlam Forsa, CEO of Savvas Learning Company. “Our myView program ensures that every student, from struggling readers to advanced learners, receives the support and challenge they need for reading and writing growth.”

    Incorporating the latest evidence-based research and best practices, myView Literacy features explicit and systematic instruction in foundational skills that’s proven to boost student achievement. The program covers each of the key concepts that national standards require to qualify as an effective reading program: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.

    Designed by leading literacy scholars and authors, the program’s evidence-based pedagogy from prior editions has been determined to meet ESSA (Every Student Succeeds Act) Level 2 Evidence for its positive impact on learning outcomes. It also received EdReports “All-Green” ratings, the highest tier within EdReports’ ratings scale for evaluating high-quality, standards-aligned instructional material.  Read the full review of myView Literacy on EdReports.org.

    Delivered on the award-winning  Savvas Realize learning management system, the interactive learning solution provides a set of connected digital and print resources that help educators establish instructional routines, save planning time, and prioritize student achievement. The new edition of myView Literacy now includes:

    • An Integrated Approach to Reading and Writing offers educators a comprehensive system for explicit foundational skills-instruction and meaningful practice activities that help students showcase their learning.
    • A Student-Centered Experience increases engagement and learning with new digital resources, like articulation videos, games, a Building Knowledge Library, and a greater focus on multi-sensory practice in every lesson.
    • Built-in Teacher Training and Support provides integrated professional learning, robust planning tools, and differentiated instruction for multilingual learners to give educators what they need to help all students achieve.
    • Data-Driven Insights and Progress Monitoring, provided by a suite of dynamic assessment tools, empower teachers to monitor student growth, identify skills gaps, and transform data into engaging instruction.

    Laura Looney, an elementary ELA content specialist who coaches teachers in Las Cruces (NM) Public Schools, appreciates the “high-quality teaching materials, aligned with the proven Science of Reading, that myView Literacy offers teachers and students in their educational journey.”

    “In our classrooms, where diverse learning needs abound, myView Literacy stands out as an invaluable resource, especially for students who require additional assistance in honing their foundational skills,” Looney said. “The well-crafted content not only facilitates engagement but also plays a pivotal role in cultivating a strong foundation in literacy while the targeted support recommendations are excellent in helping accelerate the language needs of our emergent bilingual students. The program’s commitment to aligning with evidence-based practices ensures that our students receive the targeted support they need, making the teaching and learning experience richer and more effective.”

    For educators looking for even more powerful literacy assessments,  Momentum  Assessment Suite works seamlessly with myView Literacy by identifying each student’s greatest opportunities for growth and pairing that data with aligned instructional resources. The screeners and diagnostics can also be used with  SuccessMaker, a proven-effective, continuously adaptive personalized reading program. Together, the combined solution delivers cutting-edge assessments, high-quality core curriculum, and adaptive personalized learning all on one platform, providing an individualized pathway to success for each student.

    ABOUT SAVVAS LEARNING COMPANY

    At Savvas, we believe learning should inspire. By combining new ideas, new ways of thinking, and new ways of interacting, we design engaging, next-generation K-12 learning solutions that give all students the best opportunity to succeed. Our award-winning, high-quality instructional materials span every grade level and discipline, from evidence-based, standards-aligned core curricula to supplemental and intervention programs to state-of-the art assessment tools — all designed to meet the needs of every learner. Savvas products are used by millions of students and educators in more than 90 percent of the 13,000+ public school districts across all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, as well as globally in more than 125 countries. To learn more, visit  Savvas Learning Company. Savvas Learning Company’s products are also available for sale in Canada through its subsidiary,  Rubicon.

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  • Bluepoint Wind Awards $10,000 in Grants to New Jersey Teachers for Renewable Energy STEM Kits

    Bluepoint Wind Awards $10,000 in Grants to New Jersey Teachers for Renewable Energy STEM Kits

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    Newark, NJ – Offshore wind company Bluepoint Wind is announcing today the winners of grants to further STEM education for 10 teachers from schools across New Jersey. Each educator chosen by the Company will receive $1,000 worth of interactive STEM kits from KidWind, an international leader in renewable energy education.

    “The next generation of renewable energy workers who will power New Jersey are sitting in middle school classrooms right now,” said John Dempsey, CEO of Bluepoint Wind, a partnership between Ocean Winds (OW), an international offshore wind energy company and joint-venture between EDPR and ENGIE, and New York-based Global Infrastructure Partners. “Bluepoint Wind is helping educators prepare students for a net-zero New Jersey and decarbonized world, all while supporting the state’s innovative climate change curriculum. We are proud to support New Jersey teachers who are instrumental in fostering students’ passions for STEM and its critical role in building our energy future.”

    Each of the 10 teachers will receive a $1,000 mini-grant funded by Bluepoint Wind and applied toward the purchase of interactive wind energy STEM kits from KidWind. KidWind will also provide the winners with training on how to incorporate the STEM kits into in-school and/or out-of-school learning environments.

    In addition to partnering with KidWind on this educator mini-grant initiative, Bluepoint Wind sits on their Career Pathways Ad Hoc Committee on Offshore Wind Energy Education to provide industry support around youth workforce development.

    “Offshore wind energy will be an important part of New Jersey’s decarbonization strategy,” said Michael Arquin, founder of KidWind. “While this technology is just starting to be installed in the U.S. it is important to help future scientists and engineers understand and get excited about this timely subject. We congratulate all of the educators who are receiving Bluepoint Wind mini-grants which bring wind energy education and resources to schools in New Jersey, and we look forward to supporting them as they implement KidWind curriculum and materials in their classrooms.”

    The winning educators are:

    • Vicki Cornell, Boonton High School
    • Emily Williams, East Side High School (Newark)
    • Allison Wiesel, Shrewsbury Boro School
    • Maura Simister, Manchester Township Schools
    • Oscar Acebo Macias, Union City High School
    • Jeannine Lanphear, Mid-Jersey Green STREAM Learning Ecosystem (serving the North Brunswick Schools)
    • Joseph Costello, Atlantic City High School
    • Kathleen Kalena, Dover Public Schools
    • Gerald Bruman, Millville High School
    • Michelle Albritton, Paterson Public Schools

    Teachers were selected from northern, central, and southern New Jersey, with consideration given to those working in schools in overburdened communities. The application was launched at the New Jersey Education Association’s Convention in November and applications were due on December 1st. All New Jersey educators who entered the competition but did not win the mini-grants will still receive a comprehensive guide on teaching wind energy to students in grades 6-12, filled with lessons and activities.

    “We were thrilled to have KidWind and Bluepoint Wind at the NJEA Convention this year,” said Sean M. Spiller, NJEA President. “There are few issues more important to our students’ future than our climate, so we applaud KidWind and Bluepoint Wind for both leading on that issue and providing our members with resources that help them prepare the next generation of energy and climate innovators.”

    “As a proud partner of Bluepoint Wind and KidWind on the advancement of wind energy education in the state, we congratulate the recipients of these grants,” said Dan Barnett, Chief Development Officer for Students 2 Science, Inc. “This initiative is a great step in ensuring that all students have access to the necessary tools to prepare them for future industries and careers in the state.”

    “As the first U.S. state to introduce K-12 standards addressing climate change, it is important to encourage and support school districts to use these standards to develop interdisciplinary climate change learning experiences that integrate an understanding of climate threats and implement community derived solutions for a sustainable future,” said Janice McDonnell, STEM Agent, Department of 4-H Youth Development at Rutgers University.

    About Bluepoint Wind:Bluepoint Wind is a partnership between Ocean Winds (OW), an international offshore wind energy company, and New York-based Global Infrastructure Partners. Together, these companies have a successful track record of over 50 years of experience in development, financing, construction and operation of renewables projects, including more than 15 years on offshore wind projects. Bluepoint Wind plans to build an offshore wind farm within its ocean lease area located 38 nautical miles (nm) off the coast of New York and 53 nm off the coast of New Jersey. At full capacity, this wind farm will be able to generate 1.7 gigawatts (GW) of clean wind energy – powering up to 900,000 homes and helping NY and NJ meet their ambitious carbon emissions reduction goals.

    About the KidWind Project:
    The KidWind Project, an international leader in renewable energy education, has been working with educators and students to integrate renewable energy into classrooms for over 15 years. Since 2004, KidWind has held more than 800 training events for more than 50,000 teachers all over the world. For more information about our trainings, challenges and curricular materials, visit www.kidwind.org.

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  • 3 Tips for Leaders Who Want to Reconcile Boomers, Millennials, and Gen Z and Promote a More Inclusive Environment for All Generations

    3 Tips for Leaders Who Want to Reconcile Boomers, Millennials, and Gen Z and Promote a More Inclusive Environment for All Generations

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    Felizitas Lichtenberg, Global Head of Diversity and Inclusion at SumUp, lists initiatives that leaders can take to create an inclusive intergenerational space in companies


    BOULDER, Colo., December 20, 2023 (Newswire.com)
    –
    For decades, the professional world has seen the arrival of new generations, each with its own beliefs, attitudes, and worldviews. However, despite Boomers, Millennials, and Gen Z being born in different moments of society and growing up in a world with different values and constant change, it is the role of managers to reconcile differences and seek a safe environment for everyone.

    Felizitas Lichtenberg, Global Head of Diversity and Inclusion at SumUp, a global financial technology company, lists three initiatives that leaders can take to create an inclusive intergenerational space in companies: 

    1. Overcoming the generation gap

    To prevent slipping into stereotype traps, it is critical to eliminate preconceptions connected with each age. Boomers aren’t all opposed to change, millennials aren’t all enamored with technology, and Generation Z isn’t simply about social media. 

    Deconstructing also entails acknowledging that a CEO may be in their 20s and still hold the same level of authority as a CEO who is in their 50s. Companies must incorporate this new paradigm into their strategy. 

    2. Creating a flexible and caring environment

    According to a study by CIPD, 71% of workers consider a flexible work pattern important when considering a new role, while 69% value the ability to work remotely. 

    On the other hand, older people value more secure and stable work environments. 

    Companies should seek an ideal level of flexibility: they need to be understanding of absences caused by taking care of children or parents, for example, as well as encourage visits to the office: working physically in the same environment facilitates the coexistence of different generations, and strengthens the company’s culture.

    3. Promoting diversity and inclusion

    Diversity goes far beyond generational differences. It also encompasses a variety of origins, genders, religions, sexual identities or orientations, and disabilities. By celebrating these differences, we create an environment where everyone is valued for who they are. 

    Companies need to engage in the search for diverse talent, not only to meet legal requirements but also to reap the tangible benefits of a multi-cultural and multi-generational team. Companies whose management teams focus on diversity are 19% more innovative than average, according to a study made by the Boston Consulting Group. 

    About SumUp

    SumUp is a global financial technology company driven by the mission of empowering small businesses all over the world. Established in 2012, SumUp is the financial partner for more than 4 million entrepreneurs in over 35 markets worldwide. 

    In the U.S., SumUp offers an ecosystem of affordable, easy-to-use financial products, such as point-of-sale and loyalty solutions, card readers, and invoicing.

    For more information, please visit https://www.sumup.com.

    Source: SumUp

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  • To foster young talent, employers need to share their social capital

    To foster young talent, employers need to share their social capital

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    This article originally appeared on the Christensen Institute’s blog and is reposted here with permission.

    Key points:

    In July 2023, our team published “People-powered pathways: Lessons in how to build students’ social capital through career-connected learning.” In the report, we describe successes and challenges in bringing social capital–building strategies to a variety of educational settings. Our observations draw from an 18-month pilot during which we leveraged our social capital playbook to provide direct support to a group of three intermediary organizations—Education Strategy Group, Generation Schools Network, and Hawai‘i P-20—collectively supporting 20 sites in the K–12 career pathways space. In the course of the pilot, we sought to understand how schools and nonprofits can make social capital-building an explicit, effective, and equitable component of existing career-connected learning models. 

    In career-connected learning, employee volunteers like internship supervisors or guest speakers typically see their role as providing students job-specific knowledge and skills. However, these individuals have an equally important role to play in students’ networks: fostering students’ well-being and economic mobility by creating lasting relationships that involve sharing resources, connections, and opportunities. 

    To make this kind of role a reality, employers need to understand the goals of social capital-building, what will be expected of them, and how it can benefit both parties. As one nonprofit leader explained, helping employers take on that role may require upfront reflection, encouraging them to consider pre-conceived notions they may have about young people:

     “[If] everybody is committed to working on interrogating all of the thoughts that we as adults have about young people, good and bad, then the effect ends up being social capital. Because you’ve actually taken down the barrier or the silo that says ‘I am this and you are that. I’m here to provide a service and you’re here to get one.’”

    For organizations and schools brokering connections to employers, infusing social capital into the purpose behind those connections influenced how they recruited, vetted, and prepared employer partners who would be interacting with students. One nonprofit leader stated, 

    “We vet our employers that we work with and we have an orientation. They start perhaps from different places and they might not know how [to work with us]. They might have an idea about what an eighth grader is or is not, what ‘risk factors’ youth of color may come with or what their story may be. Part of what is important to us is working with worksite partners so they can see a whole person, an eighth grader who is a complete asset now, and the net value later of working with young people.”

    Acknowledging and tackling the “burden of investment”

    During our pilot, surveys of site staff revealed that 40% found it somewhat difficult to educate employers about how they can help build students’ social capital. Although nonprofits who were heavily involved in internship or apprenticeships often had the time and expertise to design and conduct orientations for employers, other sites with less capacity were wary of asking too much of their employer partners. In these circumstances, additional training for employers specifically focused on building relationships with students was rarely an option.

    While emphasizing return-on-investment (ROI) can help some employers see the long-term benefits of this type of work, one intermediary partner pointed out that for some employers it’s also about avoiding the short-term burden it places on their employees. In addition to ROI, the partner explained, 

    “There’s also BOI, which is ‘burden of investment.’ Making it easier for [employers] to see that the burden of their investment in this is not that burdensome, and that the experience is enjoyable. [Employees] enjoy the experience of the personal relationship with the kids, and that reduces the burden of investment as well. And it grows our partners’ social capital.” 

    When working with employers concerned about upfront burden on their employees, one option is to provide a menu that describes different options for getting involved based on employee volunteers’ capacity and interests. This arrangement not only allows employers to understand what is expected of them and their employees, but also allows them to choose the types of experiences that they feel will be enjoyable and meaningful for them. With this mutual understanding, work-based learning can take shape much more easily.  

    Example in action: 

    Apprentice Learning is a Boston-based nonprofit organization that provides real-world work experiences for eighth graders. Given that Apprentice Learning’s students were already immersed in work settings as part of their apprenticeships, the Boston site planning team felt that these experiences were a natural fit for building social capital.

    While most career-readiness programs ask, “How prepared are young people to build relationships with adults?,” Apprentice Learning equally emphasizes the other side of the equation by asking “How prepared are adults to build relationships with young people?” 

    During the pilot, Apprentice Learning communicated its vision to employer partners in multiple ways. First, it held an orientation for employers in which Apprentice Learning staff used an asset-based frame to gently challenge employers’ beliefs about what young people can do and what it means to have relationships with them. The goal was to help employers realize that they are building meaningful relationships with human beings who are still learning, yet capable of tremendous success. 

    Apprentice Learning also communicated with employers via weekly emails. These emails contained guidance for apprenticeship supervisors about how they could best support students, including conversation starters such as “consider talking with your apprentice about your first job,” or “consider sharing about a time when you encountered a struggle in your job and how you navigated it.” As one program leader stated, 

    “Because of the questions that we put in our weekly letter to our worksite partners, there are more opportunities for them to have conversations about their interests and their trajectory. One of the things that’s resulted in is that at least three, maybe four of our kids have been offered possible summer opportunities. And it is because the worksite partner and the young person took the time to get to know some things about each other a little bit beyond the ‘how to work’ part.”

    Finally, Apprentice Learning staff visited each student’s worksite and engaged in one-on-one conversations with their worksite supervisors. These conversations further reinforced the foundation that Apprentice Learning built during the orientations and maintained with the weekly emails. Describing a recent visit to a worksite where two students were apprenticing, a program leader recalled how the conversations they had with employers about building social capital influenced supervisors’ behaviors. When she walked into the worksite, the students’ supervisor immediately offered to provide references for the students if they needed them. “We didn’t have to ask the guy—it was offered. And [the students] understood that their [supervisors] are a resource that they didn’t necessarily know that they had.”  

    In conclusion, it’s time that employers’ roles in career-connected learning go beyond imparting skills. As decades of research show, it’s skills plus connections that truly move students up the economic distribution ladder. 

    However, accomplishing this goal requires a shift in perspective and intentionality. What we need are systems that incentivize sharing of social capital. Schools and nonprofits like Apprentice Learning are well positioned to start the conversation with their employer partners. But employers participating in these efforts have a responsibility to allocate resources and create policies that foster more student-centered experiences. While it requires upfront investment, focusing on young people now provides a solid foundation for the society of the future. 

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  • These are the biggest money mistakes we make in our 20s, 30s and 40s

    These are the biggest money mistakes we make in our 20s, 30s and 40s

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    Financial literacy peaks at age 54, according to a 2022 study. That’s around the time you’ve gained enough knowledge and experience to make sound money decisions — and before your cognitive ability might start to ebb.

    “As we get older, we seem to rely more on past experience, rules of thumb, and intuitive knowledge about which products and strategies are better,” said Rafal Chomik, an economist in Australia who led the study.

    If people in their mid-50s tend to make smart financial moves, where does that leave younger generations?

    Advisers often educate clients at different stages of life to avoid money mistakes. While those in their 50s usually demonstrate optimal prudence  in navigating investments and savings, advisers keep busy helping others — from twentysomethings to mid-career professionals — avoid costly financial blunders:

    Navigate your 20s

    Perhaps the biggest blunder for young earners is spending too much and saving too little. They may also lack the long-term perspective that encourages long-range planning.

    “The mistake is not establishing the saving habit early, and not appreciating the power of compounding” over time, said Mark Kravietz, a certified financial planner in Melville, N.Y.

    Similarly, it’s common for young workers to delay enrolling in an employer-sponsored retirement plan. Not participating from the get-go comes with a steep long-term cost.

    “ Better to prioritize debt with the highest interest rate, which can result in paying less interest over the long run. ”

    People in their 20s process incoming information quickly. But their high level of fluid intelligence can work against them. Cursory research into a consumer trend or hot sector of the stock market can spur them to make rash investments. Such impulsive moves might backfire.

    “It’s important to resist the hype,” Kravietz said. “Don’t chase fads or try to make fast money” by timing the market.

    Many young adults with student debt juggle multiple loans. Eager to chip away at their debt, they fall into the trap of choosing the wrong loan to tackle first, says Megan Kowalski, an adviser in Boca Raton, Fla.

    Rather than pay off the highest-interest rate loan first (so-called avalanche debt), they mistakenly focus on the smallest loan (a.k.a. snowball debt). It’s better to prioritize debt with the highest interest rate, which can result in paying less interest over the long run.

    Navigate your 30s

    “ Resist the temptation to lower your 401(k) contribution to boost your take-home pay. ”

    By your 30s, insurance grows in importance. You want to protect what you have — now and in the future. But many people in this age group neglect their insurance needs. Or they misunderstand which coverages matter most.

    “If you have a life partner and kids, get the proper life insurance while in your 30s,” Kravietz said. 

    It’s easy to get caught up in your career and assume you can put off life insurance. But even low odds of your untimely death doesn’t mean you can ignore the risk of leaving your loved ones without a cash cushion.

    Another common blunder involves disability insurance. If your employer offers short-term disability insurance as an employee perk, you may think you’re all set.

    However, the real risk is how you’d earn income if you suffer a serious and lasting illness or injury. Don’t confuse short-term disability insurance (which might cover you for as long as one year) with long-term disability coverage that pays benefits for many years.

    Assuming you were wise enough to enroll in your employer-sponsored retirement plan from the outset, don’t slough off in your 30s. Resist the temptation to lower your 401(k) contribution to boost your take-home pay.

    “You want to give till it hurts,” Kravietz said. “Keep putting money away” in your 401(k) or other tax-advantaged plan until you feel a sting. Weigh the minor pain you feel now against the major relief of having a much bigger nest egg decades from now.

    Navigate your 40s

    “ ‘The 40s are often the most expensive in anyone’s life. Life is getting more complicated.’”

    For Kravietz, the 40s represent a decade of heavy spending pressures. Mid-career professionals face a mortgage and mounting tuition bills for their children.

    “The 40s are often the most expensive in anyone’s life,” he said. “Life is getting more complicated.”

    As a result, it’s easy to overlook seemingly minor financial matters like updating beneficiaries on your 401(k) plan or completing all the appropriate estate documents such as a will.

    “People in their 40s sometimes fail to update beneficiaries,” Kravietz said. For example, a new marriage might mean changing the beneficiary from a prior partner or current parent to the new spouse.

    It’s also easy to get complacent about your investments, especially if you’re the conservative type who favors a set-it-and-forget-it strategy. Instead, think in terms of tax optimization.

    “In your 40s, you want to take advantage of what the government gives you,” Kravietz said. “If you have a lot of money in a bank money market account and you’re in a top tax bracket, shifting some of that money into municipal bonds can make sense” depending on your state of residence and other factors.

    If you’re saving for a child’s college tuition using a 529 plan — and you have parents who also want to chip in — work together to strategize. Don’t make assumptions about how much (or how little) your parents might contribute to your kid’s education.

    “Rather than assume you’ll have to pay a certain amount for educational expenses, coordinate between generations of parents and grandparents” on how much they intend to give, Kowalski said. “That way, you’re not duplicating efforts and you won’t put extra funds in a 529 plan.”

    More: 7 more ways to save that you may not have considered

    Also read: ‘We live a rather lavish lifestyle’: My wife and I are 33, live in New York City and earn $270,000. Can we retire at 55?

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  • These are the biggest money mistakes we make in our 20s, 30s and 40s

    These are the biggest money mistakes we make in our 20s, 30s and 40s

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    Financial literacy peaks at age 54, according to a 2022 study. That’s around the time you’ve gained enough knowledge and experience to make sound money decisions — and before your cognitive ability might start to ebb.

    “As we get older, we seem to rely more on past experience, rules of thumb, and intuitive knowledge about which products and strategies are better,” said Rafal Chomik, an economist in Australia who led the study.

    If people in their mid-50s tend to make smart financial moves, where does that leave younger generations?

    Advisers often educate clients at different stages of life to avoid money mistakes. While those in their 50s usually demonstrate optimal prudence  in navigating investments and savings, advisers keep busy helping others — from twentysomethings to mid-career professionals — avoid costly financial blunders:

    Navigate your 20s

    Perhaps the biggest blunder for young earners is spending too much and saving too little. They may also lack the long-term perspective that encourages long-range planning.

    “The mistake is not establishing the saving habit early, and not appreciating the power of compounding” over time, said Mark Kravietz, a certified financial planner in Melville, N.Y.

    Similarly, it’s common for young workers to delay enrolling in an employer-sponsored retirement plan. Not participating from the get-go comes with a steep long-term cost.

    “ Better to prioritize debt with the highest interest rate, which can result in paying less interest over the long run. ”

    People in their 20s process incoming information quickly. But their high level of fluid intelligence can work against them. Cursory research into a consumer trend or hot sector of the stock market can spur them to make rash investments. Such impulsive moves might backfire.

    “It’s important to resist the hype,” Kravietz said. “Don’t chase fads or try to make fast money” by timing the market.

    Many young adults with student debt juggle multiple loans. Eager to chip away at their debt, they fall into the trap of choosing the wrong loan to tackle first, says Megan Kowalski, an adviser in Boca Raton, Fla.

    Rather than pay off the highest-interest rate loan first (so-called avalanche debt), they mistakenly focus on the smallest loan (a.k.a. snowball debt). It’s better to prioritize debt with the highest interest rate, which can result in paying less interest over the long run.

    Navigate your 30s

    “ Resist the temptation to lower your 401(k) contribution to boost your take-home pay. ”

    By your 30s, insurance grows in importance. You want to protect what you have — now and in the future. But many people in this age group neglect their insurance needs. Or they misunderstand which coverages matter most.

    “If you have a life partner and kids, get the proper life insurance while in your 30s,” Kravietz said. 

    It’s easy to get caught up in your career and assume you can put off life insurance. But even low odds of your untimely death doesn’t mean you can ignore the risk of leaving your loved ones without a cash cushion.

    Another common blunder involves disability insurance. If your employer offers short-term disability insurance as an employee perk, you may think you’re all set.

    However, the real risk is how you’d earn income if you suffer a serious and lasting illness or injury. Don’t confuse short-term disability insurance (which might cover you for as long as one year) with long-term disability coverage that pays benefits for many years.

    Assuming you were wise enough to enroll in your employer-sponsored retirement plan from the outset, don’t slough off in your 30s. Resist the temptation to lower your 401(k) contribution to boost your take-home pay.

    “You want to give till it hurts,” Kravietz said. “Keep putting money away” in your 401(k) or other tax-advantaged plan until you feel a sting. Weigh the minor pain you feel now against the major relief of having a much bigger nest egg decades from now.

    Navigate your 40s

    “ ‘The 40s are often the most expensive in anyone’s life. Life is getting more complicated.’”

    For Kravietz, the 40s represent a decade of heavy spending pressures. Mid-career professionals face a mortgage and mounting tuition bills for their children.

    “The 40s are often the most expensive in anyone’s life,” he said. “Life is getting more complicated.”

    As a result, it’s easy to overlook seemingly minor financial matters like updating beneficiaries on your 401(k) plan or completing all the appropriate estate documents such as a will.

    “People in their 40s sometimes fail to update beneficiaries,” Kravietz said. For example, a new marriage might mean changing the beneficiary from a prior partner or current parent to the new spouse.

    It’s also easy to get complacent about your investments, especially if you’re the conservative type who favors a set-it-and-forget-it strategy. Instead, think in terms of tax optimization.

    “In your 40s, you want to take advantage of what the government gives you,” Kravietz said. “If you have a lot of money in a bank money market account and you’re in a top tax bracket, shifting some of that money into municipal bonds can make sense” depending on your state of residence and other factors.

    If you’re saving for a child’s college tuition using a 529 plan — and you have parents who also want to chip in — work together to strategize. Don’t make assumptions about how much (or how little) your parents might contribute to your kid’s education.

    “Rather than assume you’ll have to pay a certain amount for educational expenses, coordinate between generations of parents and grandparents” on how much they intend to give, Kowalski said. “That way, you’re not duplicating efforts and you won’t put extra funds in a 529 plan.”

    More: 7 more ways to save that you may not have considered

    Also read: ‘We live a rather lavish lifestyle’: My wife and I are 33, live in New York City and earn $270,000. Can we retire at 55?

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