Partnership for 21st Century Skills broadens its reach through a new Professional Development Affiliate Program
Primary Topic Channel: Professional development
Many educators agree that teaching 21st-century skills is critical for students' success in today's global, information-based economy, but not every educator knows how to integrate these skills successfully into the curriculum. Online tools and frameworks might help, but what's really needed to make this change is hands-on training and professional development.
Now, a new network of professional development experts aims to help fill this need.
Six years in the making, the Partnership for 21st Century Skills' (P21's) Professional Development Affiliate Program is training associated organizations how to integrate its Framework for 21st Century Learning into their professional development activities. These affiliate groups, in turn, will work with schools and districts to show educators how to incorporate 21st-century skills into the curriculum.
"We knew that a small [organization] like P21 couldn't handle this type of deep infiltration just through our own web site and resources," said Ken Kay, P21 president, "but we could be the catalyst to jumpstart this program. Through this program, whole communities can be served."
Nearly 30 people from 11 organizations were the inaugural participants in the program and now have the resources they need to align their professional development activities with P21's Framework.
These inaugural organizations are the Arizona K-12 Center, Atomic Learning, Center for Education Innovation and Regional Economic Development, Edvantia, EdVenture Group, Learning Point Associates, Metiri Group, National Education Association, Pearson Education, Southwest Educational Development Laboratory, and Virtual High School.
"We wanted diverse companies and organizations, so we asked for participants from the private and public sectors, for-profit and nonprofit, global and regional, and state and local [organizations]," said Kay. "Keep in mind, though, that this is just a pilot project, and the network is not done yet."