Research shows that nearly half of GenZ K-12 students said they don’t have enough information to make an informed decision about their post-secondary plans. To address this alarming statistic, American School Assistance® (ASA) launched EvolveMe®, a free digital skill-building and career experimentation platform, in 2023.
The award-winning platform empowers young people to take actions that advance their career interests by incentivizing them to complete career readiness tasks. The tasks are powered by innovative partners like STEAM the Streets, an organization that demystifies science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) career paths for students and inspires a new and diverse workforce through storytelling and culturally relevant media.
STEAM the Streets produces and provides content featuring BIPOC professionals who have in-demand careers, like UI/UX Design, Marine Ecology, and Video Game Design. The professionals provide authentic, first-hand information about their jobs, daily responsibilities, salaries, education-to-career paths, and opportunities for the future.
Teens who complete the STEAM the Streets tasks on EvolveMe learn about high-growth fields they may never have heard of. “I was able to fully dive in and learn more about many of these careers that I didn’t know existed,” said Tanisha, a student from California.
They also become inspired by seeing people similar to themselves succeed. “The person I saw in the video was building software, and I saw myself doing that,” Janellie, a student in Massachusetts shared.
Since the partnership was launched, more than 55,000 young people in 43 states have accessed the STEAM the Streets content through EvolveMe. The new users have found the information helpful, with 82% reporting it increased their career awareness and interest. Marie Lisa, a student in Illinois, summed it up by saying, “It showed me that anything is possible, and there are a lot more options out there for me than I thought.”
