projects

Propel Polk!

A first-in-the-nation pilot to teach 21st century skills to Polk County (Florida) high school students, who will receive digital micro-credentials for their resumes.

Overview

Propel Polk! Credentialing 21st Century Skills for Postsecondary Success is a pilot program to teach 21st century skills to 11th and 12th graders in the Polk County (Florida) School District. Over 450 students at 10 high schools are expected to participate.

The awarding of digital micro-credentials as “badges” will allow students to make the achievement of these skills visible to both colleges and employers. In addition, the deployment of the digital micro-credentials will be coordinated with business input through local employer convenings and effective Lab tools, such as the T-profile. 

Polk County School District, Polk Vision, and Central Florida Development Council are partnering with the Lab to deploy and support this foundational project.

Southern New Hampshire University is working with the Lab to analyze the 21st-century skills micro-credentials for the potential award of college credit.

All Polk County post-secondary institutions are encouraged to get involved. Interested partners can reach out to the Lab (vsbl@eddesignlab.org) to learn more about the process. 

The Challenge

Education Design Lab’s research has shown employers and educators alike believe 21st century skills (aka soft skills, mobility skills, or power skills) are essential for young people entering the workforce. Key skills such as collaboration, critical thinking, and creative problem-solving are in high demand by employers — and they are looking to educators to help develop them.

The Goal

The ultimate goal of this pilot is to see how the intentional teaching of 21st century skills can increase rates of graduation, job placement, and higher education matriculation.

 

Funded By

The Catalyze Challenge

  • Education Design Lab is delighted to have identified Polk County Schools and the community of Polk County as partners in the Propel Polk! initiative. Polk County demonstrates an extensive learn-earn ecosystem with active engagement of community and business leaders in cultivation of a strong talent pipeline to drive local economic vitality. Florida is embracing digital credentials as a means for reinforcing a rapid response to get skilled talent into high-need jobs.

    Dr. Naomi Boyer
    Senior Director, Skills and Data Ecosystem, Education Design Lab

Our Partners

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Questions?

To get in touch, please email our team at vsbl@eddesignlab.org.

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