career roleplaying program

™

2008 Copyright © Borghesani

OBJECTIVE. CHANGE FUTURES

• Design a Career Roleplaying System that offers students the means to experience science, technology, engineering, and math (S.T.E.M.) careers.

Help At-Risk Youth Realize Their Professional Futures

NEED. FUTURE WORKFORCE

• Organizations need individuals with “21st Century Skills”• These skills are adaptability, innovation, critical thinking, problem

solving, initiative, collaboration, and social awareness

• Schools do not teach these skills

• STEM education powers our nation’s innovation engine• Today’s students need learning systems designed for their generation

• Achievement in post secondary STEM education must be improved

• Education needs to be relevant to industry • We need to teach with industry tools

• We need to expose youth to the world of work

• Professional scientists, technologists, engineers, and mathematicians need to participate as coaches and mentors

2008 Copyright © by T. Borghesani

IN DEMAND CAREERS

Aerospace EngineeringBehavioral Sciences BiosciencesChemical EngineeringChemistryCivil EngineeringClinical MedicineCognitive & NeuralComputer ScienceComputational SciencesEcology & EnvironmentElectrical EngineeringGeosciencesImmunologyMaterials ScienceMathematicsMechanical EngineeringMicrobiologyMolecular Biology & GeneticsNaval ArchitectureOcean EngineeringNanotechnologyNeuroscienceOceanographyPharmacologyPlant & Animal SciencePhysicsSpace & Planetary Sciences

Bridge the Future of Learning with the Needs of the Workforce

OPPORTUNITY. GAMER GENERATION

• The Gamer Generation will dominate the workforce • At 90 million gamers in the United States, this generation is already

larger than the baby boom

• Female gamers comprise 39%

• Commercial video games, industry modeling and simulation tools can be used as technologies for career exploration

• Billions of dollars worth of video game, modeling and simulation technologies can be leveraged to the advantage of minority youth

• Every industry vertical and every scientific discipline uses modeling and simulation tools

• The afterschool market is underutilized • The parents of 15.3 million children say their children would participate

in afterschool—if a program were available

• There is no afterschool program for advanced career exploration

Gamer intelligence is remarkably relevant for productive citizenship in the 21st century.

Examples include the ability to read, write, and act within dynamic systems, to think procedurally within computationally rich spaces, to build worlds and navigate complex information networks, and to engage in collaborative peer-to-peer learning.

• Risk-taking• Critical reflection• Collaboration• Meaning creation• Non-linear navigation• Problem-solving• Problem definition• Innovation

Transform Gamer Intelligence into Professional Competencies

• We combine playing video games with using industry modeling and simulation tools

• Commercial video games offer motivational insight across numerous industries and careers

• Modeling and simulation tools bring careers to life

• Youth play "professional" roles, learning 21st century skills and building critical career knowledge

• Using industry’s tools of the trade–modeling & simulation tools–they solve problems by “constructing” answers

• Our objective is achieved through the operation of four program components

• Student Career Roleplaying

• Educator Career Coaching

• Professional Mentor Development

• Parent Coaching Workshops

SOLUTION. CAREER EXPLORATION An Exploration System That Helps At-Risk Youth Experience In Demand Careers

Modeling & Simulation Tools

SOLUTION. AUTHENTIC PURSUITSFrom the Inspiration of a Favorite Video Game To Becoming An Industry Rock Star

Step One

Step Three

Step Two

Youth play an assortment of video games to gain an understanding of in demand careers.

Youth learn professional tools in the context of each game’s backstory

Playing “professionals”, youth work on numerous “real world” industry and research challenges over the course of their membership.

Become

Discover

Explore