STEM CAREER ACADEMIES

Overview

STEM Career Academies program intends to be an educational management initiative for students’ academic and career skills preparation in the general school system. It is based on an American model proven to be successful for the past 40 years.

STEM Career Academies

The program aims to motivate students’ interest in continuing higher education to advance their career prospects, to reduce dropout rates, and to introduce students to the professional work environment, all the while developing important occupational knowledge and skills so that students will gain the experience which enables them to choose whether to pursue a career or further studies at the vocational and university levels.

Thus, the Chevron Enjoy Science Phase II project has initiated the STEM Career Academies program in Thailand for the purpose of preparing target groups for the world of work, through the creation of small learning communities within secondary schools with curriculum framework focusing on health, technology, agriculture, and teaching professions.

Project Implementation

Provide professional development for teachers and school administrators in managing STEM education according to the STEM Career Academies model to develop knowledge and skills related to career paths.

Evaluate the project performance on a continual basis in order to adjust the operational guidelines for maximum efficiency.

Evaluate the project performance on a continual basis in order to adjust the operational guidelines for maximum efficiency.

Create sustainability by mobilizing resources from partners network to further expand the STEM Career Academies program.

Target Groups

Student from low-income families who are at risk to dropping out of schools due to lack of motivation to study or having obligations to assist in providing family income.

Medium-sized secondary schools, in which the school administrators are determined and ready to allocate resources for the educational management of careers, with the intention to change the way education is developed to enhance life skills and vocational skills for students.

People of working-age that may lack opportunities but possess the willingness to increase skills in STEM-related careers.

Operational Process

Organize inspirational activities to select interested students who have basic characteristics suitable for the careers.

Cooperate with agencies, institutions, foundations, universities, or professional training institutions, in jointly setting project goals and mobilizing resources from the network of partners.

Develop teaching curriculum in collaboration with educational institutions and develop the capacity of curriculum supervisors.

Publicize and motivate parents and communities to see the importance of the program so they may support it.

Encourage learners to take professional skills certification examination to obtain supporting document that certifies their qualifications for future employment or further study at a higher level.

Organize careers mentorship volunteer program, in which professionals from the industry are invited as volunteers to share professional experiences and to train professional skills to participating students to prepare them for prospective careers or further studies.

Study the results of the project implementation to be presented in academic and educational policy forums as well as public policy forums.

Provide career guidance and trainings for job applications and interviews, and establish employment networks linking students to employers and stable career opportunities.

Expected Results

  • Youths shall receive skills developments and qualification certifications that are recognized by general workplace standards along with their high school diplomas or vocational certificates to provide students the options to pursue a career or further studies.
  • The faculty responsible for overseeing the STEM Career Academies curriculum will receive professional development trainings on STEM education development for Careers. They will learn to apply knowledges to the world of work through project-based instructional practice, and they will be trained to provide career guidance to students.
  • Parents and communities will become more aware of STEM-related occupations and become more actively involved in educational management.
  • Employers will be actively involved in educational management  as well as  personnel skills development, which will ensure that recruited students will be equipped with knowledge and skills corresponding to the industry’s demand. Consequently, this will also reduce the employers’ burden of personnel trainings overall.