American Student Assistance® (ASA) is a proud sponsor of the 2023 ASU+GSV Summit, the world’s most impactful gathering of leaders in education and workforce skilling technology. The event features a diverse audience consisting of learning and workforce technology CEOs from across the globe, investors representing $5 trillion in assets, K-12 leaders, higher education leaders, chief learning and talent officers, and policy makers. The annual event connects leading minds focused on transforming society and business around learning and work.
Summit Attendance Scholarship Recipients
In collaboration with ASU+GSV, ASA has granted 11 recipients scholarships, valued at $5,500 each, to attend this year’s Summit. These non-profit organizations will have opportunities to attend the event, engage with their peers in the youth career readiness space on proven success models, and gain access to learning opportunities, actionable insights, and workshops. Recipients include the following:
- The Social Institute
- My SparkPath
- Ender
- Flare Education
- Center for Black Educator Development
- Apprentice Learning
- Chica Project
- PathStream
- Immersed Games
- ProjectSet
- AHA Media
Opening Reception Hosted By American Student Assistance
Kick off the summit in style by joining us on the 4th floor pool deck of the Manchester Grand Hyatt for an ASA hosted opening reception. As you mingle with fellow attendees, take in the stunning view and enjoy delicious food and drinks. This event is the perfect opportunity to make new connections and get excited for the upcoming summit. Don’t miss out on the chance to network with colleagues and peers at this can’t-miss opening night event.
Thought Leadership Sessions
As part of the Career Readiness and Mobility track, ASA and ASU+GSV will present joint thought leadership programming featuring experts from across the education and career readiness ecosystem. Insightful panel discussions will focus on the student career readiness journey, including learner paths in middle school that allow a student to explore careers, test and try in high school through experiential learning or intentional pathways, and plan for the future workforce through postsecondary education and non-degree pathways.
Preparing the Next Gen for Careers of the Future (Fireside Chat)
Changing the way kids learn about careers is a multi-faceted challenge that touches all education systems and every employer, community, and learner. Unfortunately, today’s solutions are either outdated or not universal. Upending one system or set of solutions will only partially solve the problem. What we need is a “Brave New World” approach that reimagines how products are created and consumed by learners; how educators embed work-based learning, career readiness and entrepreneurial education into the learning process, and how education systems, employers, investors, and communities come together to create a new paradigm that blurs historical entry and exit points to education and employment.
Moderated By:
- Michael Horn, Author, HornEd, LLC
Panelists Include:
- Jean Eddy, President & CEO, American Student Assistance (ASA)
- Jean-Claude Brizard, President & CEO, Digital Promise Global
Career Exploration: Teacher-led or Gen Z-led?
Why not both? Over 50% of high school graduates say school didn’t prepare them for making decisions about careers. So how do we help kids become workforce ready? Within the education system, there are pockets of excellence across the country and four models are gaining traction. But, scaling for all remains a challenge. Enter stage right: a plethora of self-led, digital first and technology-based education solutions that are closing the gap. Join panelists as they discuss how to jump-start career exploration in and out of the classroom.
Moderated By:
- Ashley Hemmy, Director of Corporate Social Responsibility, American Student Assistance (ASA)
Panelists Include:
- David Miyashiro, Superintendent, Cajon Valley Schools
- Taylor Shead, CEO, STEMuli Studios
- John Rethans, Global Head of Learning Development, YouTube
- JP Michel, Founder/CEO, SparkPath
Workforce Readiness in Middle and High School Kids
Work-based learning opportunities, such as apprenticeships, internships, and co-ops have traditionally been associated with college students. But middle and high school students? Join panelists to learn about innovative programs for younger students that are providing a springboard for the critical experiential learning experiences to prepare learners for work, school, and life after high school.
Moderated By:
- Julie Lammers, SVP of Advocacy and Corporate Social Responsibility, American Student Assistance (ASA)
Panelists Include:
- Jodi Grant, Executive Director, Afterschool Alliance
- Ajit Vakharia, President and CEO, Flare Education
- Denise Cotton, Managing Director of Instructional Development, Center for Black Educator Development
- Aaron Frumin, Entrepreneur/Educator/Carpenter, unCommon Construction
Blended Pathways for the Next Generation
Employers are demanding changes to postsecondary education in hopes to expand their pipelines. Promising models are gaining traction and giving learners a new way to prepare for the workforce. CTE, early college, P-TECH and other blended high school/college programs have seen an all-time level of popularity as learners are searching for new paths to develop skills for future jobs. Make way for the pathways of the next generation – a blended model that starts in high school and incorporates real-world experiences, college credit, and industry credentials to create paths to financial freedom. Join panelists in a frank discussion on just what it takes to change the education paradigm.
Moderated By:
- Tom VanderArk, CEO, Getting Smart
Panelists Include:
- Chad Rountree, CEO, Propel America
- Mary Esselman, CEO, Operation Breakthrough
- Jonathan Johnson, Founder and CEO, Rooted School Foundation
- Erika Giampietro, Executive Director, MA Early College Alliance
- Christine Fuglestad, Director of Government Affairs, ECMC Group
Investing in the Future of Non-degree Paths
The growing demand for new pathways is on the rise. Employers are seeking to expand their pipelines with qualified candidates. Learners are searching for promising models that are shorter, less expensive and still provide the ability to develop skills for future jobs. Investors are funding and creating real change for millions of learners and employers alike. Join panelists in a frank discussion on how philanthropy and impact investing is changing the paradigm and paving the way for the most promising models to become a reality.
Moderated By:
- Rilwan Meeran, VP Impact Investing, American Student Assistance (ASA)
Panelists Include:
- Mark Grovic, Co-Founder and General Partner, New Markets Venture Partners
- Shauntel Garvey, Co-Founder, Partner, Reach Capital
- Drew Petty, Senior Program Officer for the K-12 Education team, Walton Family Foundation
- Daniel Pianko, Managing Director, Achieve Partners
Durable skills are required in every field, every industry, and every job. At the same time, diverse technical skills (think AI, Cloud computing, and data science) are emerging as the “go to” skills of the future. So, how do we prepare learners for both? Gameplay has an inherent ability to help students gain soft skills–such as critical thinking, problem solving, adaptability, communication, and strategic planning. AI-powered technology and engaging mobile-first learning platforms are also helping kids gain valuable workplace skills. Join panelists as they discuss what skills are critical and how this generation of learners is preparing for jobs that don’t exist yet.
Moderated By:
- Stephanie Short, Vice President of Partnerships, America Succeeds
Panelists Include:
- Dylan Gambardella, CEO and Co-Founder of Next Gen HQ
- Susan Rivers, Executive Director & Chief Scientist, iThrive Games
- Courtney Reilly, Co-Founder, Skillsline
- Zarek Drozda, Founder, Data Science 4 Everyone
- Linda Jingfang Cai, VP, Talent Development, Linkedin
Non-degree Pathways: Verifying Skill Competency
There are 11M open jobs in the U.S. and 80% of HR leaders say they can’t find candidates to fill their open positions. While employers want to embrace skills-based hiring, many are looking to understand what constitutes “high quality” in the plethora of non-degree paths. If not a degree, what signals of quality will ensure that future employees are workforce ready? On the flipside, over 50% of high school students are not considering the traditional degree route. So, if they take another route, how do they communicate competency to employers? Join our panelists to hear what it would take to validate the mastery of skills acquired outside the traditional learning setting for employment and shift the narrative on what to look for when evaluating skills.
Moderated By:
- Paul Fain, Author, OpenCampus, The Job (Newsletter)
Panelists Include:
- Tim Taylor, President, America Succeeds
- Michael Bettersworth, Founder, SkillsEngine
- Joshua Broggi, CEO and Founder, Woolf
- Dr. Angela Jackson, Founder, Future Forward Strategies
Employer-led Solutions to Youth Career Readiness
Working-to-learn experiences help students build skills employers need and provide businesses with an expanded pipeline of talent. At the same time, they help communities reduce unemployment and attract new businesses. Seems like a win-win. When 79% of high school students say they are interested in a work-based learning experience, why have only 2% completed an internship? What’s stopping more employers from offering these critical experiences? Learn how community and business leaders are working together to tackle the challenge.
Moderated By:
- Julie Lammers, SVP of Advocacy and Corporate Social Responsibility, American Student Assistance (ASA)
Panelists Include:
- Stephanie Reisner, President and CEO, GPS Education Partners
- Corey Mohn, President and CEO, CAPS Network
- Lydia Logan, Vice President, Global Education and Workforce Development, Corporate Social Responsibility, IBM
- Zaida Ismatul Oliva, Executive Director, Chica Project
Virtual Internships: Scaling Access to Real-world Learning
Today’s youth need access to authentic work-based learning opportunities to build the technical and interpersonal skills they need to succeed in the workplace, and provide a pathway into the labor market. Yet, research shows that while 79% of high school students would be interested in a work-based learning experience, only 34% were aware of any opportunities for students their age – and just 2% had completed an internship during high school. Learn how technology-enabled programs are providing more young people with access to real-world learning and changing the way we think about work-based learning opportunities for high school learners.
Moderated By:
- Julie Lammers, SVP of Advocacy and Corporate Social Responsibility, American Student Assistance (ASA)
Panelists Include:
- Sabari Raja, Cofounder/Board member at Pathful, Partner at JFF Ventures
- Jason A. Tyszko, Vice President, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation
- Prudence Clifford, Executive Director, Work-based Learning Alliance
- Jodi McPherson, Co-Founder, Chief Growth Officer, WorkSimplr
Future-ready Students: Self-identity and Workplace Readiness
Middle school and high school should be a time of self-discovery and personal growth, but it is also a time of intense social and emotional change. As young people begin to uncover who they are, these early years are an important time to start conversations about where they fit in the working world, and how to ensure that students are “future ready” with the knowledge, skills, and determination to navigate their careers. But the sobering reality is that many Gen Z students are feeling anxious and not confident about their futures. Enter stage right: self-exploration through career education. It’s time to bring the future into focus for millions of students and ensure they are exposed to a world of career possibilities, equipped with critical workplace readiness skills and a confident sense of self. Join panelists as they discuss what it means for students to be future-ready and how each of us can help students develop self-identity–knowing themselves, understanding their interests and aptitudes, and feeling confidence in making decisions about their futures.
Moderated By:
- Jing Cox-Orrell, Philanthropy Program Manager, American Student Assistance (ASA)
Panelists Include:
- Mark Baxter, Senior Program Director at Rodel
- Yutaka Tamura, CEO, nXu (nxueducation.org)
- Andrew Tucker, Director of Policy, Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL)
Office Hours
Partnering to Enable Career Exploration and Skill Building
Since 2018, American Student Assistance (ASA) has been building a new digital ecosystem of platforms that is revolutionizing the school-to-work journey for middle and high school students across America. To-date, more than 13 million students have engaged with our platforms — and it’s only the beginning. Join Lee Waldvogel, Director of Partnerships at ASA for coffee during our “Office Hours” and chat about how you can help empower students’ career readiness journeys through digital partnership.
Impact Investing in Career Readiness
ASA is investing to drive change. Last year, we invested over $20 million in key sectors such as post-secondary pathways, workforce development, and career focused education through a mix of targeted funds and direct investments. To further our mission of providing equitable access to career education for students nationwide, we are pleased to announce in 2023 a goal of investing at least $25 million. Join ASA’s President and CEO Jean Eddy and Vice President of Mission Impact Investing Rilwan Meeran for coffee during our “Office Hours” and chat about what’s on the horizon for our impact investing–a mix of targeted funds and direct investments–to support key levers in pathways, workforce development, and education.