This webinar digs deeper on the Pathways Action Platform area and learn from one organization that is successfully providing students with effective work-based learning opportunities. Research has shown that providing students with experiential learning while in high school, like internships and other work-based learning opportunities, can have a positive impact on student outcomes. Learning rooted in real-life experience has proven to increase intrinsic motivation to learn, promotes reflection, and associates positive emotions with learning. Given that capacity and resources can constrain traditional high schools in providing youth with real-world work experiences and soft skills job training, what does it take to provide students with the experiences and skills that are needed to succeed in life after high school? How can schools and non-profit partners work together to provide access to these opportunities? What does it take to establish partnerships that positively connect the high school experience to postsecondary pathways? Urban Alliance works to answer these questions for young people in Baltimore, Chicago, Washington, DC, Detroit, and Northern Virginia. Urban Alliance provides underserved high school seniors with professional development training, a 10-month paid internship, one-on-one mentoring, and ongoing post-high school support. They will talk in detail about how they teach professional soft skills to high school students; the resources, partnerships, and capacities needed to implement their model; and the data that speaks to their success. We will also hear from a few youth who have benefited from the work of this organziation.

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gradnation90@americaspromise.org
Achieving a 90 Percent Graduation Rate:
Making Effective Work-Based Learning Real for
All Students
Tuesday, March 26, 2019
3:00- 4:15pm EST

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➢ The Importance of Relationships
➢ Urban Alliance Youth Panel
➢ Questions and Answers from Audience
➢ Urban Alliance Presentation
➢ Questions and Answers from Audience
Agenda

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➢ Research has shown that experiential learning can have a
positive impact on student outcomes such as increasing
intrinsic motivation to learn, promoting reflection, and
associating positives emotions with learning.
➢ Capacity and resources can be barriers that traditional
high schools face that prevent them from being able to
connect youth with opportunities to gain real-worldwork
experiences and job training skills
GradNation Action Platform:
Connect the high school experience with pathways to postsecondary
education, workforce readiness and participation, and overall adult success.

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The Problem:
ClosingAmerica’s Workplace Skills Gap
• As the labormarket continues to become
more competitive, there is an
employment crisis for young adultswho
are perceived as not having the full skill
set needed in today’sworkplace
• Many companies are searching for
employeesthat possess skillssuch as
being able to collaborate,communicate,
think critically, and interact effectively
with coworkers.

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Social, Emotional, and Academic
Learning
“Social, emotional,and cognitive skills,
competencies, habits, and attitudesgrow and
are fostered in rich and supportive relationships
and influenced by the experientialand
contextuallandscapeof human development.”
National Commission on Social, Emotional, And Academic
Development: A Research Agenda for the Next Generation, 2019.

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Youth Panel
James WestSalina Yemane

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Questions
&
Answers

23. Competency Skill Observations
Communication
Verbal
Internspeakswithappropriatespeed,volume,andclarity.
Internarticulatesthoughtsandideasinaway thatis
understoodbyco-workers.
Written
Writtenworkisfree of errors.
Internusesproperformatinemails,memos,and
presentations.
Interncan communicate conceptsandthoughtseffectivelyin
writing.

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Questions
&
Answers

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The GradNation Campaign:
http://gradnation.americaspromise.org/
Urban Alliance:
https://theurbanalliance.org/
For all things GradNation, email the team at
gradnation90@americaspromise.org
For more information: