"Roadtrip Nation" issue (April)
A newsletter (for adults) about career readiness (for kids)
Dear Readers,
The roadtrip is truly a great American pastime; the idea of an open expanse of horizon stretching out before you—replete with possibility and excitement—is a vision that inspires us all. And each young person, no matter their challenges or goals, deserves to be inspired by the idea of their own unique ‘roadtrip’ through their education and a career. To further this vision, ASA recently entered into a multi-year initiative with Roadtrip Nation that will motivate tens of millions of students and parents by following three young people on a multi-week, national roadtrip. During the experience, the trio will meet role models and mentors while refining their sense of purpose. In order to bring the power of exploration to even more young people, our two organizations are also working with Strada to deliver a Virtual Roadtrip. The Virtual Roadtrip will provide middle grades-appropriate stories about career exploration, and digital generative AI experiences focused on both career exploration and experimentation for middle and high schoolers. (Learn more about the Roadtrip and the Virtual Roadtrip.)
In other exploration-focused news, the state of Washington has moved from a ‘patchwork’ of career exploration platforms, to a new, statewide postsecondary planning site that will be used by students across all 295 school districts. (Read the story.) Indiana is seeing the payoff from a two-and-a-half-year Department of Education grant aimed at better preparing its young people for the future. District Administration writes of the grant’s success: “This year there’s a fresh energy in the lead up to graduation at 16 Indiana school districts because their students have more high-value postsecondary credentials and more high-quality work-based learning experiences than ever before.” (Read the story.) Education solutions provider Wayfinder recently released a report that demonstrates why, despite rapid technological advances, human skills matter more than ever. (Learn more.) All of these innovations are particularly encouraging at a time when troubling new research shows that over four million U.S. Gen Z youth are neither in school nor the workforce, with experts blaming the status quo of higher education, and a “system of broken promises.” (Read the story.)
To round out the news, I invite you to listen to a podcast I recorded last month with education strategists Julian Alssid and Kaitlin LeMoine over at WorkForce. We talked about the tangible impacts of career exploration programming on middle schoolers. (Listen to the podcast.) I also urge you to bookmark the One Question podcast, where my co-collaborator Michael Horn and I have the ongoing pleasure of interviewing world-famous artists, thinkers, and role-models on a wide array of career-related topics. (Find the entire One Question episode library here.) Most recently, we interviewed actress Kristine Sutherland—known for her role in Buffy the Vampire Slayer—who spoke about staying true to your interests (watch the episode); and actor John Pankow of Mad About You, who emphasized the power of gratitude (watch the episode).
This spring, I wish us all the resilience to persevere in our proverbial roadtrips. No matter your age or stage of life, learning and growth must never end. There’s always something incredible on the horizon if you know where to look.
Sincerely,
Jean
P.S. - If you’d like to reach me directly, I’d love to hear from you. Email me at press@asa.org
ADDITIONAL INDUSTRY NEWS & RESEARCH
New Math Problems Won’t Solve Our Nation’s Math Problem (eSchool News, March 6, 2025)
American Student Assistance Awards More Than $17 Million in Grants to Nonprofits Helping Middle and High Schoolers Achieve Postsecondary Education and Career Success (PRNewswire, March 26, 2025)
From Classroom to Career: An Educator’s Guide to Launching a Profession-Based Learning Program (LinkedIn, March 17, 2025)
Bill Targets Work-Based Learning Opportunities (CBIA, March 6, 2025)
Community Colleges Eye State Funding for Dual Enrollment Expansion (Lansing City Pulse, March 21, 2025)
WEGive NorCal Launches “Empower the Future” Benefit to Transform Foster Teens Into Entrepreneurs (Asian Journal, March 1, 2025)
70% of Teachers See Online Learning as Critical for Workforce Readiness in 2025, Penn Foster Group Survey Finds (Penn Foster Newsroom, March 4, 2025)
Transfr Launches the First XR-Based, Multi-Modal Solution for Career Exploration (Business Wire, February 4, 2025)
EVENTS
Finally, below is a list of upcoming events and related programming that elevate critical conversations in the youth career readiness space.
ASU+GSV Summit (San Diego, April 6-9, 2025. Learn more about the programming here)
Exploring the Intersection of Technology and Career Readiness at ASU+GSV Summit 2025, by Rilwan Meeran (Read the post)
Shaping the Future of Youth Career Readiness: ASA at ASU+GSV Summit 2025, by Jean Eddy (Read the post)
REGISTER TO ATTEND
Horizons Summit (New Orleans, June 10-11, 2025 - Learn more)
Big Picture Learning - Big Bang Conference 2025 (Providence, RI, July 21-25 - Learn more)