American Student Assistance® (ASA) is a proud sponsor of the Association of Middle Level Education (AMLE) Annual Conference 2023 — the world’s largest conference dedicated to this age group — which will be held on November 1-4 at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland. During this year’s conference, ASA, a national nonprofit dedicated to changing the way middle and high schoolers learn about careers and navigate a path to postsecondary education and career success, will host a hands-on professional development and panel presentation that elevate critical conversations in the youth career readiness space. In addition, national youth career readiness expert Jean Eddy, CEO & President of ASA, will be signing copies of her new groundbreaking book, Crisis-Proofing Today’s Learners: Reimagining Career Education to Prepare Kids for Tomorrow’s World. The book discusses the urgent need for career-focused learning in middle and high school, and offers insights, strategies, and a roadmap for educators, parents, policymakers, and advocates.
Presentations:
Keynote Discussion with National Youth Career Readiness Author, CEO & President of American Student Assistance, Jean Eddy, and AMLE CEO Stephanie Simpson
Thursday, November 2, 2023 | 8:00 AM | Location: Potomac AB
During this discussion, learn about Jean Eddy’s new book, Crisis-Proofing Today’s Learners: Reimagining Career Education to Prepare Kids for Tomorrow’s World, a thought-provoking examination of today’s education system and workforce preparedness. The book explores the career readiness pathways today’s middle and high schoolers take and how a different educational approach could prepare them for the detours life presents.
Workshop: Creating Student Agency in the Career Exploration Classroom
November 2, 2023 | 2:15 PM | Location: Chesapeake 7-9
Join this hands-on professional development session based on a new digital resource, Career Exploration in the Middle Grades: A Workbook for Students. The Workbook is packed with activities to help middle schoolers know themselves, know their education and career options, make informed decisions, and turn their passions into actions. An extensive, free digital resource library will provide lesson plans and resources for educators to implement this workbook–and give learners the agency they crave.
During this session, we’ll walk through two lessons that can be implemented immediately in whatever setting educators work with middle grade students. We’ll share facilitation techniques and discussion questions to help guide conversations that will give students the opportunity to engage and really begin developing their sense of self. Each lesson will be centered around expanding their understanding of self-identity and exploring their values as it relates to their ability and comfort in exploring career pathways and making informed decisions about their futures. Join us as we demonstrate how educators equip kids with interactive career readiness activities for both asynchronous and in-classroom discovery. The workbook is available at AMLE/ASA Career Exploration Resource Center – AMLE.
Facilitated By:
- Jing Cox-Orrell, Philanthropy Program Manager, American Student Assistance (ASA), Facilitator
Innovative (and Easy-to-Implement) Career Exploration Programs
Thursday, November 2, 2023 | 10:15 AM | Location: National Harbor
What are the four most common models of classroom-based career readiness learning? How much does who you know influence your career journey? Join panelists as they discuss topline findings from a five-year study on career exploration in the classroom and share innovative programs for younger students that are providing a springboard for the critical experiential learning experiences to prepare middle schoolers for work, school and life after high school. This session will be full of strategies and resources for school leaders and educators to implement in their district or building. Key themes include the vital importance of relationships for both students and school districts, how to reduce administrative burden on schools, why buy-in is critical, how to elevate champions, and why program individuality can make scaling difficult.
Moderated By:
- Caroline Healy, Learning Outcomes Research Manager, American Student Assistance (ASA)
Panelists Include:
- Jay Galbraith, Director of Academics, Innovation and Instructional Technology at KIPP Massachusetts
- Yutaka Tamura, Executive Director, nXu
- Cheryl Moran, Principal, Custer Baker Intermediate School
- Tiffany Hall, Principal, Leavelle McCampbell Middle School
Book Signing with National Youth Career Readiness Author, CEO & President of American Student Assistance, Jean Eddy
Thursday, November 2, 2023 | 4:30 PM | Room Location: The AMLE50 Bookstore located within the Exhibit Hall
Join Jean Eddy, President & CEO of American Student Assistance, a national nonprofit changing the way kids learn about careers and prepare for their futures, for a signed copy of her new book, Crisis-Proofing Today’s Learners: Reimagining Career Education to Prepare Kids for Tomorrow’s World. A thought-provoking examination of today’s K12 education system and workforce preparedness, this book explores the career readiness pathways our youth take and how a different educational approach could prepare them for the detours life presents. Written in a conversational style with anecdotes from young adults, education, corporate, and community leaders, the book offers recommendations for system change, solutions for middle school career learning, expanded access for high school work-based or experiential learning, and widespread acceptance of non-degree postsecondary educational pathways. It also offers insights into the types of skills young people need to be successful in today’s workforce and prepare them for careers that we might not even have imagined in 2023.