Education
South Florida Fashion Academy provides high school students with traditional and vocational education
As Generation Z redefines what it means to “succeed,” the traditional playbook is being discarded in favor of something rather more dynamic. Continuing to challenge the establishment, a recent study by Walton Family Foundation (WFF) and Gallup found that 43% of students in grades K-12 now have their eyes on a future that doesn’t require a university degree. Despite growing interest in alternative paths, fewer than one in 4 of those students have had productive conversations about options beyond college, leaving many in the dead of night about what lies beyond high school.
“Gen Z students in K-12 feel unprepared for their futures, and with only about a quarter having meaningful conversations about paths beyond college, it’s clear why,” Stephanie Marken, Gallup’s senior partner for U.S. polling, explained in a press release. “While a post-secondary education path makes sense for many, it’s not the right path for everyone right out of high school, and what we’re learning from this research is that students don’t have a complete picture of their options after high school.”
With only 23% of school students reportedly talking about internships, certificates, or skilled programs, the widespread lack of knowledge about non-college futures leaves students feeling not only unprepared but demotivated. After falling victim to the dearth of diverse post-graduation paths early in her profession, former celebrity stylist Taj McGill pledged to bridge the gap between aspiration and information by founding South Florida Fashion Academy (SFFA)In a situation where traditional guidance often fails, SFFA steps in, offering not only education, but additionally a transparent, tangible road map to success in the style and beauty industry.
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What began in 2018 as an after-school program for teens to network and learn from industry experts has expanded right into a full-time, private, dual-enrollment middle and high school offering as much as $7,000 in scholarships to assist students pursue their dreams. Combining the pains of traditional academics with the hands-on training of a vocational school, SFFA provides students with the chance to explore their passions while learning all the elemental skills essential to excel.
Open to all students, the center and high schools offer a traditional curriculum and a vocational program. Once students reach eleventh grade (third yr), they’ll apply to the academy’s dual enrollment program, which allows them to explore electives similar to fashion merchandising, hairdressing, cosmetology, and more. Through the unique program, high school students can work toward diplomas while also working toward state certifications within the industry. Just because the academy invests in on-campus labs and tailoring salons for this system, it emphasizes the importance of core academic subjects for its students.
“They’re still getting the basic academic knowledge. That’s basically the only way they can get into our dual enrollment program,” the academy’s founder and fashion director explained. “We want to send students out into the world who are emotionally and academically healthy and (know how to) develop their creativity.”
In addition to Gen Z’s shift toward a non-college future, the daunting reality of today’s job market further proves the worth of trade schools and profession programs like SFFA. Experts say the present labor market’s difficult circumstances point to a possible “white collar recession” reflecting a surge in full-time jobs that always require more education. While a high school-to-college path can have once guaranteed a lucrative profession, McGill encourages parents to contemplate the worth of trade programs “because there are people (working in) trades who (sometimes) make more money than college graduates.”
While college continues to be a protected option for high school graduates, McGill emphasizes that it shouldn’t be the one path to success. At South Florida Fashion Academy, 42 percent of students pursue entrepreneurship after graduation, while others proceed their education at fashion design schools (31 percent) and traditional four-year colleges (18 percent). No matter where life takes them after graduation, McGill says the academy’s doors are at all times open to support graduates, whether through mentoring or continuing education courses. A portion of the South Florida Fashion Academy campus, committed to nurturing the following generation of creative pioneers and entrepreneurs, is devoted to Innovative Heights Preparatory Academy, private kindergarten and primary school with an emphasis on performing arts.
“We’ve created an environment where they can be themselves in a creative way. I think all kids need guidance (without adults putting obstacles in their way) about what (they) think students should be doing — or what they expect students to do,” McGill said. “We really have to understand that this is a new day, a new time, a new era and definitely a new generation, and we just have to meet them where they are.”
Education
Watch: How to Prepare for Homeschooling | Life Hacks
If you are a parent considering homeschooling, Pamela Smith, entrepreneur and homeschool coach, will join Life Hacks with Liana to discuss homeschooling and supply advice for parents who’re planning to transition their children to homeschool this school 12 months.
Smith shared her personal journey and her children’s transition from traditional education to homeschooling.
Smith has a nursing degree.
“I’m retired now. But entrepreneur, nurse — that was my background,” Smith continues. “But I learned that you just haven’t got to be a teacher to homeschool. As homeschooling parents, we’re facilitators. We make it easier. And that is a very key word that I like to say to homeschooling parents, which suggests I can hire tutors. I can find the very best people to help my kids learn.
Watch the complete video and for more suggestions, click here.
Education
Howard University ranked No. 1 HBCU on Forbes America’s Top Colleges List
If ever there was a likelihood to return to the nation’s capital for Howard University’s Homecoming Dance, this could be it.
This yr’s festivities will likely be held not only to have fun the candidacy of considered one of the varsity’s distinguished graduates for the President of the United States, but in addition Forbes Magazine named the varsity one of the best amongst historically black colleges and universities.
Six HBCUs, including Howard, made the annual list of the five hundred, which is compiled from greater than 5,000 colleges and universities within the United States. The list recognizes the highest 500 schools that consistently “produce successful, high-earning, and influential graduates from all economic backgrounds, with less student debt.”
Howard was ranked 273rd, ahead of Spelman and sister school Morehouse in Atlanta, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (also referred to as FAMU), North Carolina A&T and Hampton University in Virginia.
“Howard University’s high standing among HBCUs adds momentum to our march toward higher standing as a national research institution,” he said in (*1*)release responding to the rating. “Howard’s singular impact on the intersection of intellectual discovery and global culture cannot be overstated, and we will continue to push the frontiers of knowledge to help the world solve its most pressing challenges.”
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Interestingly, the variety of HBCUs doubled from three last yr. The list also comes as highschool seniors begin preparing college applications in the brand new reality of an admissions process without affirmative motion. As a result, a growing variety of predominantly white institutions, including Harvard, are reporting significant declines in black enrollment. At least this yr’s list was intended to focus on schools with less exclusive admissions rates.
“While we don’t factor in acceptance rates in our rankings, this year we decided to ease some high school admissions anxiety by highlighting excellent schools that don’t have admissions rates below 10 percent, like Princeton, Stanford, and MIT,” the list’s authors wrote. “Thirty-eight of our top 100 schools accept more than 30 percent of applicants, and 16 of those accept 50 percent or more—in other words, great schools with less admissions stress.”
Education
Watch: How to Create Inclusive and Supportive Classroom Spaces | Life Hacks
Bobby Morgan, Director and Founder of Liberation Lab, joins Life Hacks with Liana to discuss Liberation Lab and how to create inclusive and supportive spaces in classrooms.
“So I’ve been trying to build educators who can change the world through culturally responsive teaching and restorative practices,” Morgan continued. “I believe those are the 2 intersections where we are able to have probably the most impact, irrespective of what the external aspects could be: budgets might change, resources might change. But you possibly can still train teachers to be culturally responsive.
Watch the complete video and for more suggestions, click here.
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