Joaquin Zihuatanejo from CoolSpeak recently presented at the First Annual Multicultural Affairs Youth Leadership Summit. This video was created by Zihuatanejo and Art Hooker. Zihuatanejo wrote this poem for the Governor’s 66 by 2020 initiative and goal shared by Prosperity 2020, the largest business-led movement to increase innovation, investment and accountability in education.
Enjoy!
As the Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED) announced the allocation of some STEM-related funds, Miss America joined business leaders and policy makers in championing the importance of STEM education in a press conference on Friday at the Salt Lake Chamber.
The Utah Legislature appropriated $10 million for a STEM Action Center during the 2013 session. Sophia DeCaro, deputy director of GOED, announced $1.5 million will go to establish a director, staff and board. $5 million will be dedicated to math skill building in sixth, seventh and eighth grades, while $3.5 million will go to juniors and seniors in high school for college math readiness.
“If we don’t give our children an education that provides them an edge, their future jobs will be taken from them by students in China, India or the rest of the world,” said Stan Lockhart of IM Flash and private sector chair for Utah’s STEM Education Initiative. “What can we do to give them an edge? What can we do to teach them the skills that allow them to compete in this digital world we live in? What it comes down to is this: science, technology, engineering and math.”
Mallory Hagan, the reining Miss America, says she expressed great interest in math and science in middle school thanks to passionate teachers who cared about her success. “But we had teachers who were making sure we made good grades on tests but not making sure we could comprehend any of the information. That’s a hard lesson to learn when you’re a freshman in bio-medical science.”
Hagan has since changed her educational path to marketing with a focus in cosmetics and fragrance, but wishes she had learned back in her formative years the “cool” jobs that she could have from pursuing more math and science, like making lipstick and mascara and not just wearing it.
Today, she encourages mentorship as part of an education to show students what kinds of opportunities are available to them, since dissecting frogs and learning about atoms doesn’t give them the whole scope what of what they are able do.
“There are so many kids across the nation who don’t have a favorite subject, who don’t enjoy school, and they are in the first, second and third grade. That’s really disheartening because we want kids to want to learn. We need to catch them early on otherwise there’s no hope for the rest of their education process.”
And a quality education can help make the difference, whether that’s in only in making good grades to get to college or making an actual difference in the world as many STEM-related jobs are able to do.
This week is Teacher Appreciation Week, and May 7, marked National Teacher Day. This is a great reminder and opportunity to express your gratitude for the teachers that have made an impact in your life.
“Education is the path to enduring prosperity and teachers are the guides along that path,” said Mark Bouchard, chair of Prosperity 2020 and senior managing director of CBRE. “In Utah, we have so many great teachers who do a terrific job. We need to make sure they have the resources and innovations they need to help prepare our future workforce.”
Education is a pivotal part of development and in building a fulfilled life. Teachers and good relationships with teachers can make a huge difference in students’ success. The influence of a single educator can help ensure a student’s success in school and continued learning.
National Teacher Day was first observed in 1953 when Eleanor Roosevelt persuaded Congress to proclaim a National Teacher Day in recognition of educators. So make sure you go out of your way to thank a teacher this week. They deserve it.
We’d love to hear stories about teachers that have impacted you. Please leave them in the comments, and we will share them on our Facebook page this week. Thanks!
In an effort to improve education, the Prosperity 2020 Business Promise has a goal of deploying 20,200 volunteers by 2020 to help students succeed. Already we are beginning to see these efforts pay off.
A team of 50 Questar employees just finished their initial half-year of tutoring at North Star Elementary school with KSL’s Read Today program. Ron Jibson, chairman, president and CEO of Questar, reported the 48 students who participated in the tutoring program have made significant progress, as demonstrated by DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills) scores. Some of the students improved their reading level by two grades, some by three and one student even increased his reading level by six grades!
“While the numbers, percentages and test scores are important, the more essential experience involved is the subtle by viable increase in self-esteem and pride in accomplishment that the children are beginning to show,” Jibson said.
Not only did the Questar volunteers enjoy their time spent helping the children, Jibson says “their hearts have been touched by forging bonds with individual students,” showing that while teaching these kids lifelong skills, this is also about building relationships with children facing different challenges. When asked if they would volunteer for this program again, the most common response was, “Count me in. I loved it.”
Because of the tremendously rewarding experience, Questar will participate again through the 2013-14 school year and, as Jibson puts it, “strongly urge and recommend” other companies participate in the P2020 Business Promise.
“Our eyes have been opened to the needs of at-risk students, which extend far beyond the academic,” said Jibson. “It has been a privilege to be involved in breaking down even one of these barriers to our students’ future success.”
Learn more about the P2020 Business Promise and how you can become involved at P2020BusinessPromise.com.
KSL’s Read Today is garnering national acclaim. Earlier this month, the National Assocation of Broadcasters Educational Foundation honored Read Today wih the Volunteer Service to America award for raising awareness and action for literacy.
One of Prosperity 2020′s goals is to have 90 percent of third and sixth graders proficient in math and reading–something that Read Today is greatly contributing to.
Last year, Read Today took 2,000 students in 90 schools across Utah up to grade level in reading–a benchmark those kids weren’t reaching at the beginning of the year.
Not only that, but $960,000 worth of tutoring was donated by an army of Read Today volunteers as they read with struggling students every week.
For 2013, 3,600 students are being tutored at 92 Utah schools. More people have also volunteered to be part of Read Today’s efforts, totaling 2,300, and have also contributed to more than $750,000 worth of tutoring so for this year. Thanks to these efforts, the recently released mid-year results indicate an 80 percent success rate this year.
From these numbers, Read Today is on more than on track to continue and progress in helping students read and enjoy reading more.
The opening report of the Governor’s Economic Summit, held at the Grand America today, touted Utah’s economy as one of the strongest and best managed economies in the nation. However, three concerns that could affect our prosperity were also identified.
Natalie Gochnour, associate dean of the David Eccles School of Business and chief economist of the Salt Lake Chamber, cited the following concerns:
Utah’s educational outcomes, when compared with peer states that share similar demographics in key areas, are dead last. Despite all of our strengths, we still fall short of our potential in elementary school math and reading tests, which is particularly noticeable among our growing ethnic population. Graduation rates and college completion are lower than they should be. And some young people today have less education than their parents.
Because of these concerns and others, the business community is focusing on education as a key component of our state’s economic future. Gochnour expressed optimism that we can make a difference if we will pull together.
“We in Utah believe that the future is not a gift but an achievement,” said Gochnour. With a history of accomplishments including our expanding transportation system, the Utah Compact, Downtown Rising and projects by Envision Utah, we show both promise and potential. Gochnour encourages us to pull together on this important issue.
Prosperity… it starts with education.
Of all the bills passed by the Utah State Legislature during its 2013 session, one measure stands out as a milestone in terms of its implications for future workforce readiness and the talent shortage affecting Utah businesses.
Indeed, as the state prepares for the day when 66% of the jobs in Utah require a college degree or a post-high school advanced certificate, HB 139, which creates the STEM Action Center, is certain to help align Utah’s educational outcomes with workforce needs.
“House Bill 139 is milestone legislation for the state and for us, to put the STEM Action Center in place and bring focus to the importance of science, technology, engineering and math education (STEM) from a workforce perspective,” says Mark Bouchard, chair of Prosperity 2020 Initiative and senior managing director of the Salt Lake City office of CBRE. “It also adequately builds a strong bridge between the private sector and education in general, to create the kind of students we need for the future workforce. Many good things will come from the STEM Action Center, but it is actually just the first step in many things we need to do.”
STEM Emphasis
The need for greater emphasis on STEM education and careers in Utah is highlighted by data from the Utah System of Higher Education, which reports that in 2010-2011 the top 10 graduation majors for Utah students were:
Meanwhile, according to a survey by Payscale.com, the careers fields with the highest pay nationally are:
Threefold Purpose
Enter the STEM Action Center. Bouchard explains that the action center has a threefold purpose. First is to create awareness regarding the importance of STEM education. “There is a lot of misunderstanding about what STEM means and what we should be doing, so the action center will have an influence on awareness,” he says. The second purpose is to influence training, not only for students but also for educators. “The STEM Action Center will be a place where best practices at the national level are housed, so it will be a resource for both students and educators,” Bouchard continues. Third, the action center will serve as a resource to the business community where business and education come together.
Summarily, he says the STEM Action Center will be a training facility, a communications and an awareness program for the citizens — especially families in the state — and a place where industry and education come together to formulate new strategies around efforts to produce the workforce of the future.
EDCUtah President & CEO Jeff Edwards says HB 139 and its companion funding bill were championed by Prosperity 2020 in cooperation with Governor Herbert’s Commission on Education, but the bills received broad-based support from many statewide organizations, including EDCUtah, the Utah Technology Council, Utah Taxpayers Association, Utah Manufacturers Association, Utah State Board of Education and others.
Another Milestone
HB 139′s passage “is an unprecedented accomplishment,” he adds. “Over the last several years, the work of business community in the Prosperity 2020 initiative has resulted in some substantive improvements in our educational system and the creation of the STEM Action Center is another milestone in that process.”
Stan Lockhart, private sector chair for Utah’s STEM Education Initiative, describes the STEM Action Center as a results oriented, transparent and accountable entity. Every six months, results will be reported back to decision makers in the Legislature and Utah State School Board, he explains. Outcome metrics the STEM Action Center will focus on include:
Achievement Gaps
Like other states that use STEM centers, Utah leaders hope the STEM Action Center can help close STEM education achievement gaps, elevating the performance of all Utah students in STEM-related subjects while also encouraging more students to enter STEM-related career fields.
To that end, Lockhart says the Utah STEM Action Center will first work to identify the gaps in student performance and then close those gaps to go from current outcomes to required outcomes in statewide student STEM achievement. The action center will first address gaps in junior high school math proficiency and college math readiness.
Next, the STEM Action Center will establish a statewide best practices network, building a central repository of best practices that will be made available to school districts, schools and parents. Further, the center will apply for and collaborate on grant applications for resources from the private sector and the federal government to fund STEM education. The center will also engage the private sector to align education with workforce needs and solicit financial and in-kind contributions from private donors.
Collaboration
Bouchard says collaboration is essential and the STEM Action Center will collaborate with other states on best practices and seek to strengthen collaboration between public education, higher education and the Utah College of Applied Technology (UCAT) in terms of best practices and workforce alignment.
A third area of focus involves applying innovative teaching methods, learning tools, experiential opportunities, digital learning and other techniques to improve student STEM proficiency in the classroom and promote STEM in schools. Over time, the action center will implement best in class learning tools, learning methods and enriched curriculum for every K-12 educator to use in his/her classroom and implement intensive training and coaching regarding the latest technology. Other efforts will focus on energizing STEM competition opportunities for students, embedding more hands-on application of math and science theory (experiential learning) in the classroom, finding and tracking best-in-class learning tools in Utah classrooms to scale what is most effective, and changing the culture of schools to value STEM academic rigor.
Bouchard explains that the STEM Action Center will be a place where private capital can be invested to leverage state dollars in achieving greater performance gains. While the exact manner in which the center will receive private capital has yet to be established, the business community will have the opportunity to invest in the STEM Action Center through a variety of sponsorship levels. The vast majority of money collected will go into the classroom for curriculum enhancement to help teachers and students.
Source: Economic Review, a publication of the Economic Development Corporation of Utah, March 29, 2013 issue
Editor’s note: This is cross-posted from CNBC and Free Enterprise.
As our political leaders take stock of where we stand in 2013—both as individual states and as a nation—we are hearing a consistent message: jobs, our economy and education are inextricably linked.
We heard the President make this case in his State of the Union Address and we’ve heard it echoed by both Democratic and Republican governors. If we want to see some meaningful improvements in our education system, business leaders must step up and lead as well.
Education is akin to a computer’s operating system. It drives other crucial functions in a country: workforce preparedness, business growth and economic strength to name just a few. Unfortunately, our system of education and workforce training has become outdated. If we are going to prepare students as well as we should, we must upgrade.
Business leaders understand the urgency of this better than anyone, and we recognize the world is changing – fast. Low-skill jobs that pay well are disappearing and never coming back. What used to be elite knowledge is now entry-level knowledge.
Other countries are making the education of their workforces a priority. Yet, while the United States still has one of the best educated workforces, we are the only industrialized country where the generation just entering the labor market is less likely to have a college degree than the one about to leave the labor market.
The percentage of youth in America is declining, while the population is growing more diverse. And while the latter trend presents tremendous opportunities, the dropout rate for Latino and African American students in the U.S. remains 20 points higher – almost 50 percent — compared to the overall U.S. school population.
These students, who have been underserved by our education system will become a massive portion of our future workforce. So ensuring access to high-quality education for all students is not just the right thing to do. It’s also the smart thing.
Changing how we educate is as important for the individual worker as it is to the strength of the workforce as a whole.
More than ever, the success of American workers—their income, employment, financial and career stability—are all determined by one simple factor: how well their education matches up with the economic demands of the world. Nothing illustrates this better than the fact that there were 3.7 million unfilled jobs on the last business day of November 2012 despite an unemployment rate that has failed to return to prerecession levels.
Education has always been—and can still be—the key to fulfilling the American Dream. And business depends on education to produce the skilled, innovative, first-class individuals we need to keep America a global leader. But like any system, we should make improvements to optimize it to meet the challenges of today and those we will face tomorrow.
The good news is that there are thoughtful policy solutions that are already having a positive effect at the local, state and federal levels.
World class academic standards are helping ensure that every single student is held to the same high expectations—and given the solid educational foundation—they need to succeed in both school and career. We now look beyond just aggregate and average figures; we also look at subgroups of students, like English Language Learners, who may need more support to reach higher standards. We are accurately reporting graduation rates. And we are bringing renewed priority to improving our nation’s lowest performing schools.
In addition, some of the biggest names in business, from General Electric to ExxonMobil and Wells Fargo, are strengthening their commitment to improving education and ensuring all U.S. students succeed academically and professionally. Many of us are extending that commitment to helping improve America’s education system even further. This April, I will be joining a number of my fellow CEOs to discuss the ways in which we—as business leaders—can help ensure our country is not just aware of the urgency but is implementing the solutions.
Governor Terry Branstad remarked in Iowa’s State of the State address that college and career-readiness upon high school graduation is “an economic and moral imperative.” He’s right of course. America’s success has long been defined by its ability to innovate, adapt and excel. It’s time to apply that thinking to our education system.
With just over a week remaining in the 2013 General Legislative Session, the business community supporting the Prosperity 2020 movement encouraged the Legislature to focus on three unifying elements of a bold, multi-year education agenda.
The Utah State Legislature delivered.
Earlier this week, Randy Shumway, president and CEO of the Cicero Group and vice chair of Prosperity 2020, was a guest on KSL News Radio’s Doug Wright Show to discuss the bills passed to invest in the next generation of Utahns.
“This is a good legislature, a fiscally prudent legislature that, because of their wisdom over the years, we had monies to invest in education this year,” says Shumway. “While other states are hemorrhaging, our state is investing–not just in the short term, but in the long-term for the betterment of our children.”
The original call to action from the business community came by way of a full-page advertisement that ran in both the Salt Lake Tribune and Deseret News. Shumway also did an interview with Wright the following day explaining why the business community supported education-strengthening legislation.
“The business community is the largest customer of education; we’re the ones hiring all of these graduates,” Shumway told Doug Wright. “So we have a vested interest in the quality of student learning. Education is the key to enduring prosperity. It’s critical to note that it’s not merely an economic motivation. This is a moral prerogative. We owe it to the next generation to give them the highest quality education possible.”
The Legislature did four things to invest in education this session:
- Passed a joint resolution adopting the twin goals of 90 percent reading and math proficiency in elementary schools, and 66 percent of all Utah adults with a postsecondary degree or certificate by 2020
- Made strategic investments toward measurable goals
- Committed to develop a collaborative and united education plan
“We have to create a strategic plan. We spend billions of dollars on public education, K-12 as well as higher education,” says Shumway. “Yet the relevance and depth of what a student and a graduate needs to know and what they need to be able to do is constantly evolving. The state needs a unified plan specifying the objectives, the different audiences we need to serve and how we can best achieve those desired objectives for each demographic at the lowest cost and at the best return on investment. And the Legislature this year committed to focus on and invest in that area, and I believe there will be bills that come of that next year.”
Jobs that require STEM skills (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) will grow at 17 percent compared to 9.8 percent growth for non-STEM occupations over the next six to seven years. These are jobs that pay 50-75 percent more than other comparable jobs.
“These are creating family-sustaining careers for Utahns,” says Shumway. “We need to establish systemic change that will propel greater innovation, greater accountability and greater investment in the long-term and short-term education needs in our state.”
Today the Love Utah Give Utah campaign is celebrating Utah nonprofits with an unprecedented 24 hours of giving to nonprofits that make Utah a wonderful place to live.
We hope you’ll consider supporting Prosperity 2020. Join the statewide movement to help take education to new heights and encourage others to do the same.
As little as $20.20 can help expand our reach.
Here’s how it works. Go to: http://loveutgiveut.razoo.com/story/Prosperity2020
If you are a business owner, you might also consider joining the cause by donating to Prosperity 2020 as an organization. Many business owners are donating according to how much their employees donate. For example, for every donation the employees of a company make, the company as a whole will donate an equal or double amount. Or you might decide to contribute $2020 as a company.
However you decide to do it, we appreciate your support of Prosperity 2020 and our vision that Utah’s well educated and trained workforce will propel Utah to enduring prosperity, improved quality of life and the strongest economy in the nation. Prosperity…it starts with education.