Teaching Measurement Skills for Life

Students having the knowledge and familiarity with various forms of measurements is important because the need for measuring and estimating will appear in innumerable ways throughout their lives, whether it be in baking a cake, arranging the furniture in a room, or creating various crafts. A UK research study has found that since the 1970s,…

Local Apprentice Program as a National Model?

In 2014, Trident Technical College created the Workforce Academies, a pilot youth apprenticeship program for high school juniors and seniors. TT partnered with the Charleston Chamber of Commerce and manufacturing firms to provide the opportunity for job skill development as well as the opportunity for high school students to take credit classes at the college.…

Full STEAM Ahead

STEM education is beginning to transform instead into STEAM focused learning. That’s because many educators believe incorporating the arts would not only keep students more engaged as they get older, but also because there’s a close link between individual STEM components and art as creativity, play, and innovation are essential to all. Mae Jamison, the…

Coding for Kids

The importance of computer science within school curriculum is beginning to seep more and more into the collective mind. According to Code.org, 34 states allow computer science to count towards math or science high school graduation requirements, up from only 12 states in 2013. Only 11 states have created K-12 computer standards, one being South…

Afterschool Environment Develops Job Skills

Employers today note a lack of skills relating to communication, teamwork/collaboration, and critical thinking when it comes to filling workplace positions, all of which are highly desired qualities for job candidates. Within the afterschool community it’s these skills the students are likely to develop, leading to qualified future workers. Most often in afterschool and summer…

Technology in the Education World

The need for our students to be technologically literate isn’t much up for debate these days. Given the current nature of the world and the propulsion for ever advancing technologies, students need to know how to navigate through this environment. I’m not arguing for education technology to be accessible for all age groups, merely that…

New Sports Approach to Afterschool Programs?

The San Francisco 49ers has been offering a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts, and Mathematics) afterschool program to kids in the Bay Area since 2014. While at the football stadium students get a tour learning about structural engineering and irrigation practices. Students learn the physics behind the motion of a football with ample opportunity…