In collaboration with educators, architects and school leaders, Natural Pod intentionally creates learning spaces that are designed to set students up for success; both today, tomorrow and for this fast-moving world. Through the lens of this goal, we’ve learnt a lot from ‘Making It: What Today’s Kids Need for Tomorrow’s World‘ by Stephanie Malia Krauss. The author organizes her research and teachings into four critical “currencies” that will serve students well, whatever their future holds, they are: ‘credentials, competencies, connections, and cash.’
With so much changing so fast—accelerated by the impacts of COVID-19—the most in-demand jobs and skills of today may be obsolete by the time our youngest become adults. This book focuses on how to prioritize these four key “currencies” outcomes whenever and wherever learning happens. The author shares research and experience to help you understand and apply a human-centered and future-focused lens directly to your classroom, school, program, or at home.
- Learn about how the world and workforce is changing, and what that means for the education and preparation young people need
- Understand how these changes are impacting young people, reshaping their childhoods and transitions into adulthood
- Glean practical information and ideas you can use to help young people—at every age and stage—to gain readiness “currencies” in the form of credentials, competencies, connections, and cash
- Challenge your beliefs about what knowledge, experiences and resources are most important for kids to have, and what a college- and career-ready education really requires
- Discover community-wide strategies that prioritize equity, learning and readiness for the future
What People are Saying about ‘Making It’:
“Krauss offers the roadmap we need to get kids ready for a rapidly changing and challenging world. Her call for every adult and educator to become a currency-builder is one we should take seriously. This is a must read.” — Arne Duncan, former US Secretary of Education
About the author: Stephanie Malia Krauss
“I am a mom with a background in education and social work. Through my experiences teaching and running a school, I know that getting young people to succeed academically and graduate does not always mean they are doing well in life and ready for adulthood. This was true in my own life. As a high school dropout, I needed people and opportunities within and beyond school to support me in childhood and prepare me for adulthood.
Today I work at the intersection of education, human services, and workforce development. My work focuses on what young people and their families need to thrive now and in the future.
I am the founder and principal consultant of First Quarter Strategies LLC, a senior fellow to Education Northwest and the CERES Institute for Children & Youth, a senior advisor for Children’s Funding Project, and a staff consultant for the Youth Transition Funders Group.”
Her next book: ‘Whole Child, Whole Life: 10 Ways to Help Kids Live, Learn, and Thrive’ will be released in 2023.