News

Consortium to provide curriculum and training for summer youth employment program In collaboration with Partner4Work, The Consortium will be offering both curriculum and staff training to agencies that provide summer employment for youth as part of the Learn & Earn program. In past years, as part of a federally-funded initiative that the state administers through […]

Virtual format enabled TFIM to continue career explorations Virtual presentations and chats with professionals from two disparate fields—wildlife conservation and engineering—provided excellent opportunities this month for interested students to explore those careers. At the same time, the events provided proof of a concept for The Future Is Mine (TFIM). TFIM, our career exploration program for […]

With a radical shift to remote learning, teachers and counselors now, more than ever, may need new and different ways to help students build career awareness. To support them, the Consortium has launched Career Journeys, a series of videos that look at different occupations. "The series represents one of the ways we can continue helping schools ensure [...]

Message from the Consortium’s Executive Director: A tale of two We know this has been a deeply unnerving time for the schools and educators we serve as well as our community and business partners. We think about all of you daily and hope to continue working with you even amid this anxiety-ridden backdrop of silenced […]

Finalists for 2020 Champions of Learning Awards announced; Awards reception postponed Eighteen individuals spanning six categories have been selected as finalists for the annual Champions of Learning Awards that we offer in partnership with United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania. Finalists are being recognized for the contributions they make professionally or as volunteers to ensure support […]

Schools opened their doors to business reps during Companies in the Classroom   Sixteen districts across five counties became hosts last month for Companies in the Classroom, an event that gave representatives from nearly 40 regional businesses and eight post-secondary institutions a close-up look at learning in 2020. After shadowing a student at Quaker Valley […]

Youthquake reverberates in projects targeting United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Students who participated in last fall’s Thinc30 Youthquake reconvened in March to present final projects ranging from plans for a school greenhouse and an urban parks awareness campaign to water bottle recycling and school-based toiletries pantry from youth in low-income families. The projects all aimed […]

New PNC hires share insights on what schools can do to prepare grads for the workplace When PNC Financial Group hosted our Educator in the Workforce session earlier this month, participants didn’t just get an overview of careers in banking. The teachers and counselors also got some classroom tips. Attendees learned from a panel of […]

Eight districts convene around career learning and student plans More than a year after the Pennsylvania Department of Education implemented its Future Ready Index, districts still are finding their way toward meeting the state’s standards around career learning. The Index is a yardstick for measuring how well schools are preparing students to establish career paths […]

Students gain confidence and build social skills through Be A Middle School Mentor National Mentoring Month found students participating in our Be A Middle School Mentor (BAMSM) programs researching colleges with the help of adults offering an hour of their time each week. One Monday earlier this month, for example, Kara Prentice was on the […]