MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

 

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Dear Friends and Colleagues:

#GivingTuesday is here! We’re excited to participate in this inspiring day of giving back and hope that you’ll join in supporting the important work we are doing, work that prepares youth for successful lives in college and career via academically aligned Linked Learning pathways.

ConnectED exists to help schools and districts tackle a large, systemic problem: across the US, a staggering number of students–nearly one third–leave high school without the skills necessary to succeed. Even more, those students who are already far from opportunity run the risk of being further marginalized in their adult lives without educational approaches that foster their sense of agency and hope. Linked Learning provides students with skills for college achievement, the opportunity to participate in the needs of a rapidly changing 21st century workforce, and the ability to earn sustainable living wages.

Since 2006, when ConnectED was founded, we’ve been working tirelessly to ensure a brighter future for youth in communities all over the United States–especially for those most at risk of being left behind. We helped bring Linked Learning to nine districts throughout California as part of a statewide initiative that has since spread to districts in other states, all seeking the kind of results that this work achieves. An external evaluation of that initiative showed Linked Learning is an effective strategy for transforming high schools. Students reported feeling a greater sense of agency, were more likely to graduate, and were better prepared for post secondary opportunities.

One of our favorite stories is of Ana, who, before entering a Linked Learning pathway at Construction Tech Academy in San Diego, California, had dropped out of high school, twice. Before entering Construction Tech, she felt a palpable sense of apathy about her future prospects. Today, she is a proud San Diego State University graduate, working as an engineer. She credits her accomplishments to skills she learned in high school, in which she developed leadership and teamwork abilities, confidence, and ultimately, hope for greater opportunities for herself in college and career. You can see her story here.

All students–like Ana–deserve a quality education and hope for a promising future. Thanks to you, we are changing the status-quo so that more students become engaged and better equipped to succeed in college, career, and civic life. We hope you will join on this #Giving Tuesday in helping us to do so.

Thank you for your ongoing support.

With gratitude,

ConnectED

Gary Hoachlander
President