How Kids Learn V Conference Focuses on Youth Career Development

Every year, Cityspan co-sponsors the How Kids Learn conference organized by Temescal Associates and the Learning in Afterschool and Summer Project (LIAS). This year we were excited to attend the event in our own backyard!  Held December 10, 2015 at the David Brower Center in downtown Berkeley, the conference brought together school and community-based providers and researchers to discuss how to prepare youth for successful careers. With college drop-out rates at a record high, developing career pathways and workforce development opportunities for youth is critical.

To provide context to the discussion, Jenny Nagaoka, Deputy Director at the University of Chicago Consortium on School Research presented a developmental framework recently published by the Consortium.  “Foundations for Young Adult Success” offers valuable insight into the developmental experiences and relationships necessary to help youth succeed as adults. The report also confirms what out-of-school-time practitioners already know to be true, that an opportunity gap exists for disadvantaged youth that have limited access to developmental learning opportunities.

The conference challenged practitioners to explore ways to address this opportunity gap and help youth develop the “soft skills” that encourage success in the workforce. Presenters highlighted strategies that can be implemented in out-of-school time programs such as linked learning initiatives that connect disadvantaged youth with employers, youth entrepreneurship programs, and using digital badges to recognize learning.

• Read Jenny Nagaoka’s commentary about Foundations for Young Adult Success
• Download the Foundations for Young Adult Success Framework
• Explore the USDOE’s Employability Skills Framework
• Put it into action with “Engaging Youth as Workers Within High School Afterschool Programs”