VIENNA, Va., June 28, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Envision Experience, the leading provider of high quality career exploration and leadership programs for K-12 students, today announced the launch of the Partners in Potential fund, which provides over $1 million in need-based and merit-based scholarships annually to students who attend summer programs designed to help young learners explore careers in today's dynamic world-of-work. As part of this initiative, Envision Experience has teamed up with like-minded organizations that want to expand career exploration access for young people.
According to a recent World Economic Forum report, 65% of today's elementary school students will ultimately hold jobs that don't yet exist. The fast-changing jobs landscape has made career exploration for students in elementary, middle and high school more important than ever. New approaches are needed both at home and at school to help students discover their passions, and get hands-on experience to "test drive" career paths, and develop skills that will enable them to adapt to an increasingly complex and evolving labor market.
"The opportunity to attend the National Youth Leadership Forum on National Security is incredibly exciting, and I'm honored to be the recipient of the Envisionary of the Year scholarship," said Haley Graham, a 9th grader from Baltimore, Md., and recipient of Envision Experience's Dr. Marguerite C. Regan Envisionary of the Year scholarship. "My goal is to one day join the United States Air Force, and participating in NYLF this summer will give me the opportunity to see the ins and outs of a career in national security."
This summer, Graham will be participating in the National Youth Leadership Forum: National Security – Diplomacy, Intelligence & Defense in Washington, D.C., where she will learn first-hand how the United States monitors potential threats, prepares for crisis, and plans for peace.
Founded by an educator and congressional staffer in 1985, Envision Experience's summer programs allow students to discover their career passions through hands-on experiences linked to more than 20 different career, leadership, and technology pathways. The programs, developed by educators and subject-matter experts, are designed to prepare students to discover how their passions and interests connect to careers and the academic pathways to get them there. This summer, Envision Experience will conduct 140 sessions in areas including medicine, engineering, media, and gaming technology at 38 different locations across the United States and the world.
ACT and St. John's University are among the initial organizations committing to provide scholarships through the new fund. As part of this effort, ACT, the nonprofit organization behind college and career readiness assessments, has pledged funds over the next three years to help students be workforce ready. Meanwhile, St. John's University is collaborating with Envision Experience to identify and fully fund several underserved students each year to attend St. John's pre-college programming in partnership with Envision Experience.
Envision Experience's newest scholarship is the Krauss Scholarship, which is dedicated to Captain Gordon W. Krauss. The scholarship is funded by the son of Captain Krauss, Dr. Gordon Krauss, who is the Fletcher Jones Professor of Engineering Design at Harvey Mudd College and the assisting curriculum writer for Envision Experience's NYLF Engineering & Technology program.
"Summer camp is not just for sports anymore; more and more students are looking at career exploration as an impactful way to spend a portion of their summer," said Duncan Young, CEO of Envision Experience. "More than 800,000 students have participated in our programs to discover and explore new passions and learn alongside peers that share those interests. Our new scholarships reflect our commitment to ensuring that all students, regardless of economic background, have access to transformative experiences that help them chart their path in life."
For more information about Envision Experience, please visit www.envisionexperience.com.
About Envision Experience
Envision Experience is the nation's leading provider of career exploration and leadership programs that help students make their career, college, and life aspirations a reality. Envision Experience offers twenty unique programs, including the Junior National Young Leaders Conference (JrNYLC) and National Youth Leadership Forums (NYLF) on Medicine, Business Innovation, Engineering & Technology, Law & CSI, National Security, Media, and Pathways to STEM and Explore STEM programs for early STEM exploration. Founded in 1985, over 800,000 students have gone through Envision programs. Each summer Envision Experience hosts over 20,000 students on college campuses across the country to help them to apply their passions, get hands-on experience trying out a career, and realize the power of their potential.
SOURCE Envision Experience