The world has changed. The advice we give our young people needs to change along with it. What was once true (in many cases) no longer is. For example, high school students are still told that as long as they optimize for good grades, an extracurricular, and play on a sports team, this is their ticket to success.
While this advice is well-intentioned, it’s no longer the silver bullet that it used to be. When every student optimizes for the same thing, they all look the same. And that’s no longer what industry cares about.
Don’t just take our word for it. This is the CEO of a neurotech company talking about his desire for students to show proof of work, not just report cards. This is the new norm:
Unfortunately, this new reality hasn’t translated into the high school classroom. Not because of the educators. The education system itself is slow to adapt. It is still preparing students for universities rather than giving them the career skills they need. So what’s a parent to do?
Look for opportunities at home, and outside of the classroom to complement the traditional curriculum where students have the ability to demonstrate competencies beyond the report card.
One option for parents of teenagers in BC is TKS (The Knowledge Society).
What is The Knowledge Society?
TKS is the world’s top innovation program for students ages 13-17—now in Vancouver, and virtually for those outside of the Lower Mainland! The program is designed to make students future-ready with the tools and mindsets needed to solve important problems in the world.
TKS alumni have gone on to become the youngest employees at SpaceX, NASA, Google, Microsoft, Tesla and OpenAI. They’ve started companies valued at over $500M and earned full-ride scholarships to Harvard, Stanford, UNC’s Morehead-Cain and more.
By the end of the 10-month program, students will:
- Gain real-world work experience with organizations like Google, Airbnb, the United Nations, Mastercard and IKEA
- Be future-ready with a good understanding of emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence, Quantum Computing, Nanotech, and Blockchain
- Develop a portfolio of projects that can be used to stand out in university applications, internships and more
- Learn the mindsets, confidence, and problem-solving abilities needed to be a leader
- Be mentored by industry professionals, including mentors from Netflix, Stanford, Uber, Apple, SpaceX and more
- Have the chance to earn opportunities like speaking events and scholarships
TKS looks for curiosity, drive and willingness to put in the work. They don’t look at grades, and there’s no prerequisite to apply. There’s also up to 100% tuition support so don’t let cost or grades hold you back from changing your future!
Apply to The Knowledge Society today!
Program runs from September to June. Applications for the 23/24 program close on June 30th:
- Apply to the Global Virtual Program and work with students from over 60+ countries.
- Use code: KOALAMOM to receive an automatic $500 scholarship, in addition to any financial aid you receive
Have questions? Email [email protected] and explore their FAQ page for more. You can also drop by the website to read stories of past students and what they’ve accomplished through TKS.
Photo credit: Depositphotos.
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