March 2021 News
Here to Stay?
We want to hear from you!
Did you join the K12 family due to the pandemic, and now you’re planning on staying successful with online learning?
Share your story HERE, or by clicking the picture above.
Calling all students—It's time to get REEL with our next challenge! We want to see and hear about your Stride K12-powered school experience—right from you, in real life. Share your one-minute video, where you give us your take on one of five themes showing how online school helps you discover your real self. Everyone who enters can claim a free t-shirt, and winners in each grade range (K–2, 3–5, 6–8, and 9–12) in each category will earn a prize!
The contest launches March 8, 2021, so check our social channels and our national newsletter for details.
Amazon’s Black Employee Network is offering a new scholarship to support economic empowerment within the Black community, one of many ways Amazon is honoring Black History Month. The following scholarship from Amazon is available only to students who meet the below criteria:
- Be a high school senior
- Self-identify as Black or person of African descent
- Plan to enroll in fulltime undergraduate study at an accredited four-year college or university
- Plan to pursue a computer science or supply chain-related field of study and career*
- Have a minimum unweighted grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale (or its equivalent)
Amazon Scholarship Description and link to apply:
To help eliminate barriers for Black students and provide access to careers in supply chain and computer science, Amazon's Black Employee Network has established a new scholarship program. The scholarship is geared toward high school seniors who plan to continue their education and pursue a computer science or supply chain–related field of study. Recipients of the scholarship will receive $5,000 per year for four years toward college tuition, plus a connection to industry mentors within the Black Employee Network. Applications are now open, with submissions due by March 4, 2021. Interested students can learn more about the scholarship and apply here.
https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/workplace/black-history-month-2021
March 2021 Industry Chats
Get the Scoop on Potential Careers from Industry Experts
Speakers from a wide variety of industries share their personal career journeys and describe a typical day in their job in our Stride Industry Chats. These free, virtual speaker sessions are an excellent opportunity for Stride K12 students in grades 7-12 to learn about potential careers. Students can submit questions during the live sessions or watch recordings of previous speakers. Visit the Stride Industry Chats Registration Page for a list of upcoming speakers and links to recordings of previous sessions.
Session Description: Together We Grow
When you talk about agriculture, Together We Grow represents some of the biggest names in industry. The 50 member consortium brings together food and agriculture companies, NGOs, members of the academia and government. The session will outline how the consortium works to build a stronger skilled, diverse, and inclusive workforce.
Presented by Kristin Kirkpatrick, Executive Director at Together We Grow
Audience: Middle and High Schools
Pathways: Open to all
Date: March 2, 2021
Time: 1:00pm-2:00pm EST
Register: HERE
Session Description: Corteva Agriscience
Corteva focuses on economic opportunity, social inclusion and health solutions while protecting and nourishing resources throughout the food system. Learn how a diverse team of experts from many disciplines help farmers around the globe to ensure they have the tools and innovations to produce what our food system demands, while conserving resources and sustaining the land.
Presented by Jenna Martson, Communications Specialist at Corteva Agriscience
Audience: Middle and High Schools
Pathways: Open to all
Date: March 23, 2021
Time: 1:00pm-2:00pm EST
Register: HERE
Win a Stride Hoodie!
Are you ready to win a Stride-emblazoned hoodie and have some fun with TikTok in the process? We invite you to participate in our monthly Stride Career Prep TikTok Challenge!
For the month of March, we are excited about our ABCareers challenge! You will be asked to simply list the careers that begin with the first letter of your first name—as many as they can think of! It is as easy as that! You can take a look at these examples: Lucy and Nathan.
Vertically record yourself on your phone starting off with “Hi, my name is XYZ so my letter is X” followed by as many careers as you can think of in 10 seconds. Once you are done, post it to TikTok using #ABCareers and tag @stridecareerprep!
Your TikTok videos will enter you in the hoodie giveaway, and you’ll be helping to increase participation in these challenges.
*please note @destinationsk12 on TikTok will become @stridecareerprep on March 1st!
Free Professional Career Coaching Available for Destinations Career Academy Juniors and Seniors
Is your student looking to get a jump-start on career plans or college admissions? We are excited to share that the new Stride Student Success Coaching pilot program has launched in select states, offering access to free professional career coaches to DCA juniors and seniors.
A limited number of appointments are available for qualified students to meet 1 on 1 with our coaches to get advice on building a strong resume, networking, interviewing, and researching jobs and internships. They can also help with career exploration, understanding strengths and values, and much more.
Learn more about the coaches and get information for signing up at http://www.k12.com/content/stride/en/student-success-coaching.html. Students can meet with a coach up to five times, but participation in this program is limited, so encourage your teens to sign up while spots are still open.
Questions? Feel free to email the coach assigned to your state.
Courtney White: Arkansas, Kansas, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina
Darius Harris: Alabama, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Texas, and Wisconsin
Tyng Kam: Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming
Please note, this program is not currently available in Florida and Indiana. More information will follow once available in those states.
National Learning Coach Programming
RECEIVE SUPPORT AS A NEW LEARNING COACH!
We are honored you chose a K12-powered school for your student(s)! We strive to provide you with helpful content, resources, and connections to be successful in your important role as a Learning Coach. Please visit our K12 National Learning Coach Programming Newsletter frequently to view the latest Learning Coach sessions and information.
NATIONAL CLUBS
GET CONNECTED WITH OTHER STUDENTS!
National Clubs provide social connections with students throughout the nation. National clubs are offered on a variety of topics through engaging online club sessions. Check out our National Clubs Newsletter for updates on our club offerings and to register your student(s) for an online club today!
Social-Emotional Learning - Taking Action
The Time Is Now Mindset teaches us the importance of harnessing the power of the moment and taking purposeful action. The simple fact is that all of our power to act and make an impact exists in this moment. We cannot change the past, and the future hasn’t happened, so we must recognize that our only path to happiness, fulfillment and meaning is to take purposeful action in the present toward creating the lives of our dreams.
Top 5 Dos and Don’ts at Home:
1. Do encourage yourself to discover what motivates you and what makes you feel empowered. Tapping into these feelings and knowing what tools we might use to get into a “zone” and perform at an optimal level is a win-win for both parents and children. Reflecting on times where you felt your absolute best and figure out what was unique about those moments is a great way to help get back in that "zone". For some, it may be a song or routine that makes them feel great. For others, the memory of a time they felt powerful is enough to think back to.
2. Don’t let regrets pile up in your life or talk excessively about all the things you wish you had done. It’s important to take a proactive stance about doing what you want to do and not regretting things that you haven’t done yet.
3. Do celebrate and support action plans in your home. When your family members create a plan of action for anything, to exercise more or spend more time on homework, applaud the effort. The Time Is Now is about taking action.
4. Don’t focus energy or time on fears. Rather, find ways to overcome your fears so that others are inspired to do so as well. Fear prevents you from taking the actions necessary for your success. People who succeed in life know that great rewards exist beyond their conquered fears, and they therefore work constantly to overcome them.
5. Do encourage vulnerability. That emotional state brings with it a heightened sensitivity and access to moments of greatness and triumph. Vulnerability is invigorating, and every great dream requires a combination of energy and great enthusiasm to persevere through the difficulties and challenges.
You can find us and subscribe to Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and others. Find us on the STRIDE/K12 website! Look for our Podcast Cover, as pictured above!
Our latest Episodes include:
- Reading Strategies for the Struggling Reader" featuring K12 Teacher Trainer, Ginny Murphy
- Inspiring a Dream for ALL" offering a personal insight into Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr by one of our Learning Coaches, Makova McCaskel, from South Carolina.
- How to Find the Perfect Fit for Your Child's Education, with National School Choice Week President, Andrew Campanella
- Survey Says Experience is the Best Online School Choice, with Dr. Ian Kingsbury from the Empire Center for Public Policy out of New York.
- Launch a Career in Health Care While in Online High School, a visit with a K12 graduate and now Doctor of Pharmacy, Dr. Jennalyn Crapuchettes
- Accelerate Your Future and Be Calm Today by Getting to Know Your School Counselor A visit with Jessica Lecertua, a K12 school counselor with 11 years of experience
Coming Up:
- BONUS: A Time for Change, Introducing STRIDE
- Exploring a New Exciting Community to Jumpstart Your Future, Featuring Hannah Elliott introducing the new STRIDE Career Prep Online Community Forum
- What is Stride Career Prep? Meet Dr. Shaun McAlmont, President of STRIDE Career Learning who will share his passion for learning that promotes career building from middle school through adulthood.
- Kindergarten Teachers About Life in Online School, featuring three kindergarten teachers who share their advice and experience.
- How Does an Entrepreneur Get Started? Check out this 14-year-old student from Texas who learned firsthand what business skills are needed when starting a business.
- Seven Mindsets and YOU, What the Seven Mindsets are and how they can be used in mindful living.
- Surviving the Final Stretch, A learning coach pep rally!
Our audience is listening on Google Chrome, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iTunes, and Stitcher, to name just a few. The podcast is now featured on the carousel banner on the K12.com website.
Are you listening? Please subscribe today and leave a review. We would love to hear from you.
If you are interested in being featured on the podcast, please email Heidi Higgins at hhiggins@k12.com
Stay Connected on the Go!
Explore K12 on your smartphone or tablet! And stay tuned, we're continually adding new app features.
The K12 app is a great resource for parents and legal guardians, keeping you in the loop starting with your online school search to completing the enrollment process to the last day of the school year and beyond!
With the K12 app, you'll have the power to:
- Start and complete enrollment
- Track your student's progress
- View your schedule
- Log daily attendance†
- Receive instant notifications
- Communicate your plans for future school years
The K12 app experience may vary by school. If you have questions, call 866.571.4316 for information.
†This feature is only applicable to schools that require attendance be added by the Learning Coach.