Earlier this month, I attended TCEA, the big technology in education conference held in Austin every year. Part of the conference included a series around innovation in education, and making schools future-ready was one of the buzzwords of the day. For those not regularly surrounded by education jargon, “future-ready” is something of a stand-in for saying that schools need to better prepare students for college and/or a career that will be relevant in our quickly-changing world.
I went to several lectures detailing some really exciting future-ready programs that high schools around the country are implementing with their students. During one particularly inspiring meeting, the speaker talked at length how his school has been impacted by creating meaningful community partnerships; businesses in his city view the students as valuable resources and even bring specific challenges they are struggling with to get student’s perspectives on solutions that they have turned around and implemented right away in some cases.
During the question and answer period, I asked a question that was nagging me the whole time I heard the presentation; what are schools doing to make sure all of their students are ready for the future? The presenter was taken aback by my question. He said in all of the times he’s made this presentation, no one has ever asked about how to implement this program with students who need extra support or have social challenges. He offered no concrete answer.
I can’t believe that no one has ever asked this question before, but for me it drove home the importance of what Segue Center is designed to address. Every young adult has valuable contributions to make to our communities. Technology is so critical in preparing young adults for a career in any field, and it will be one of many focal points in the Segue Center program.
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