Last Chance: Request for Proposals for the 2023 Linked Learning Conference Closes Monday, November 21st!
Check one more thing off your to do list before the Thanksgiving break: submit a session idea for Our Golden Opportunity: Creating Coherence in College & Career Readiness! Multiple proposals may be submitted, though the Linked Learning Alliance will seek to highlight a variety of voices from across the education and workforce sectors. Be sure to submit by Monday, November 21, 2022, at 5:00 p.m. PT.
The Linked Learning Alliance is looking for proposals that show how cross-sector partners and communities are working together to break through siloes and link systems of support and opportunity for all young people. Not sure what that might look like in your context? Consider the following themes:
Coherent Learning Journeys: Pathways provide students integrated experiences that add up to better access, more relevant learning, and smoother transitions. Sessions on this theme could address how practices and policies like an integrated program of study, work-based learning continuum, interdisciplinary project-based learning, and aligned graduation requirements, funding and accountability structures that emphasize both college and career build critical connections across the student experience.
Scaling Pathway-Aligned Dual Enrollment: Equitable dual enrollment reduces the time and expense it takes young people to earn a postsecondary credential—fueling economic and social mobility. Sessions could highlight solutions that accelerate student progress towards postsecondary attainment or highlight innovative partnerships between K-12 and higher education.
Student Voice: The Linked Learning approach is grounded in centering young people—their aspirations, interests, passions, and goals. While we encourage all sessions to incorporate youth perspective, student voice sessions could highlight impactful strategies that rethink traditional classroom roles to let students take the lead in their schools and communities.
Community Action: We know it takes the whole community to link learning to the world. Sessions on this topic might share cross-sector strategies that support collective goals and build community buy-in to make college and career readiness a reality for more students, or reflect on how long-term community partnerships are built and sustained over time.
Education-Workforce Partnerships: Strong alignment between education and industry provides real-world experiences, and networking opportunities for students, enabling them to envision and set clear goals, while fueling a talent pipeline for the future. Consider bringing your advisory board members, industry mentors, work-based learning partners, and postsecondary leaders together for a session on how your pathway has established and maintained valuable, productive partnerships dedicated to building community strength and advancing economic justice.
Evidence, Measurement, and Quality: The more you know, the greater your opportunity to achieve excellence and equity in education. These sessions may highlight strategies for monitoring student outcomes relevant to college and career readiness, identifying opportunities to advance student success and equity, aligning K-12, postsecondary, and workforce data, and demonstrating impact to partners and stakeholders.