Category: Education

It’s an interesting time to be a student in America. The action behind asking our children, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” may have more influence than we know. Turns out, Gen Z – those born from 1995 to 2012 – is obsessed with learning. In fact, it’s common for Gen Z students to spend their extra free time on homework and volunteering.

Today, the typical Gen Z student dedicates 6.48 hours per work to homework and 2.66 hours per work to volunteering. Due to a plethora of similar habits, Gen Z is on course to become the most educated and most entrepreneurial generation.

Job Availability

Yet, nearly 9 in 10 Gen Z college grads considered job availability before selecting a major. With unemployment at its lowest since 1969 – three generations before Gen Z’s time – why is our youngest generation alive so curious about their future employability?

To put it lightly, they’re ahead of the game.

Rising student debt has made Gen Z wary, and most want to know they’ll be getting their money’s worth before researching academic programs. Schools are getting involved, as well, encouraging students to take Advanced Planet (AP), dual credit, and the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Program courses and exams. Today, nearly half of Gen Z high school students have already earned college credits.

Don’t fret- students are curious, not worried. 2 in 3 Gen Z students are confident they’ll receive a job offer soon after graduation. For some majors, it’s even higher. Even more, 60% of our youngest generation on the planet impressively plans to start a business one day, and 92% expect to work for less than six employees in their lifetime – Gen Z doesn’t even bother with summer gigs.

Working for Scholarships

Most teens prioritize studying to earn future scholarships over working a job. This is the main way Gen Z is reshaping how we “do” college as a society. Nearly half of American workers are living on less than $18,000 a year, and Gen Z is privy to this, so 82% think college is the way to get there. In the meantime to graduating high school, most are most focused on earning grants and receiving financial aid to afford college.

Interestingly enough, one in three 15-year-olds plan to pursue one of the top 10 most popular occupations, regardless of whether or not their desired career will still be in-demand by the time they’ll be eligible for hire. Gen Z is ahead of its time – it’s all about employment for them. As we witness our very own children reshape the college years, continue to ask them, “What do you want to be when you grow up?”

Infographic:  Reshaping College Years

Read how Industry 4.0 will impact students.

It’s customary to ask our kids, “What do you want to be when you grow up,” before they can truly conceptualize what “work” is; however, it’s unequally customary to provide our children with the guidance they need to achieve their adolescent goals.

Take our economical state into account- success is more obtainable after receiving your college degree. As often as we ask our children about their desired future and career motives, are we encouraging them to visit their guidance counselor, helping them search for internships, and network? The hiring market is up in the air, but we can still help our kids find their way to a successful future.

Career Choices

If your child is a science, tech, engineering, or math guru, you’ll be happy to know that 8 in 10 of the fastest growing jobs for college graduates are STEM-related.

Don’t fret- there’s also a giant market for students with other skill sets. In fact, 93% of employers agree that having soft skills are more important than completing “majors,” and believe a liberal arts education instills skills to help our children succeed in the workplace. These skills include problem solving, communication, and critical thinking. This is why 4 in 5 employers want hires with a broad knowledge of liberal arts and alternative sciences.

College to Career

In short, preparing our children for success in a career means preparing them for college. Find what your child is interested in, and career-build from there. Be sure not to wait – 54% of new graduates considered themselves underemployed and struggled to find the right job or internship in 2017. More unfortunately, graduates have faced difficulties finding successful internships from 2014-2018, and steady unemployment/underemployment has only risen from 2000-2018.

Infographic Guide to Careers

Allowing our children to be left behind is not an option. Gain more information on preparing your child for college and career.

Reading Resources

• Learn how to grow your child’s entrepreneurial spirit.
• How to guide your child to a successful career.

Familiar to those in education, STEM is an acronym for curriculum revolving around Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. In other words, students in STEM programs focus on these subjects more than others- taking their knowledge in science, technology, engineering, and math to higher levels than perhaps English, Arts, and more.

The initialism was developed in 2001 by Judith Ramaley, the Asst. Director of Education & Family Resource at the National Science Foundation (NSF). Since Ramaley’s finding, STEM-focused curricula have spread around the world. In fact, today’s high school graduates are some of the first to go through all of K-12 education with a focus on STEM.

Career Building Skills

At any age, it’s important for parents and educators to begin teaching kids about their career building skills even in general terms.  Despite the specific interest in STEM, just 15% of Americans pursue natural science degrees once reaching higher education. This is far less than in other nations. For example, 67% of Singaporeans pursue natural science undergraduate degrees, 50% of Chinese do the same, 47% of the French, and 38% of South Koreans.

More interestingly, America has seen nearly 2 million new STEM jobs created over the last decade. 86% of Americans believe that increasing STEM-trained workers is vital to maintaining the nation’s place in the global economy. While this is true, our students’ math and science scores continue to lag behind other nations. However, Americans students improved their international standing – according to PISA – from 2015 to 2018. In 2015, America’s 10th-grade students ranked 35th in math and 17th in science.

Stem in Schools – Infographic: 

As technology grows, specific skills become obsolete. 2.4 million STEM-related positions went unfilled in 2018. Continue reading for more information on the rise of STEM in schools.

Explore how to give kids a head start in higher education by teaching computational thinking.

Simple Wikipedia is a separate version of the primarily used Wikipedia. It is written in basic English and is ideal for younger kids, tweens or even teens who read at lower grade level. You can find any topic on Simple Wikipedia that is available on the main English version.

The simple version of Wikipedia is also an online encyclopedia.  However, sentences are shorter and grammar is easier to understand.

Simple Wikipedia for Learning English

Simple Wikipedia can also be beneficial for people from cultures that are just learning English or those who have a limited understanding of the language. Readers with learning disabilities will find it helpful as well.

Because Safe Search Kids promotes safe search resources, we provide yet another version of Wikipedia for kids that is not directly affiliated with Simple.Wikipedia.org.  It also serves multiple languages. Our version of wiki for kids has been created by our partner KidzSearch and can be searched at the top of our website.

Getting back to the topic of the official Simple Wikipedia, this alternative version will also be beneficial for anyone researching difficult to understand topics. Simply put, concepts of higher education or technical subjects can be easier to grasp when written in a simple way.

When learning about any topic, remember that Wikipedia should only be used as a starting point. Wikipedia’s popularity has grown because of how easy it is to find so much information on a single website, all with without ads or external links within the articles. But you cannot always trust what you read as absolute fact. Your local or school library remains to be your best tool for good information.

Simple Wikipedia for Research

A suggested research method for older students is to first read the regular version of Wikipedia. Work to understand what is being communicated. The history, the characters in the unfolding story, or the detailed explanation of a complicated theory.

Make a few notes and write a brief summary of what you’ve learned. Then, search for the same article in the Simple Wikipedia version. You may find further insight thanks to the use of less complex words and sentences.

When doing any research on Wikipedia, whether the simple version or not, it is essential to understand that Wikipedia is an “open source” online Encyclopedia. This means anyone can change it, so make sure you explore all aspects of the article, including all cited references and external links to reputable sources. Many articles will make a note if a fact is not fully verified.

As mentioned, Simple Wikipedia should not be your sole resource on any topic. Don’t forget to visit your school library to confirm facts and details. These findings from published books should be your sources when writing an article or paper. If you are a student, check with your teacher’s views regarding the use of a Wikipedia as a research tool.

How Wikipedia Articles Are Created

Anyone with access to the internet can write and post a Wikipedia article on their main site. There are no formal eligibility requirements to become a Wikipedia editor.  The platform is open to contributions from people worldwide. Posting a successful Wikipedia article involves several key steps, such as maintaining a neutral point of view, citing reliable sources, and following the manual of style to ensure the quality and accuracy of the content. Due to strict quality there has been a growing new to seek out wikipedia writers for hire to ensure guidelines are followed.  

Writers must conduct thorough research to ensure the topic is notable and has reliable sources.  They must know how to draft their article to ensure it is well-structured, neutral, and properly cited with verifiable references.  Following Wikipedia’s formatting standards is vital, and the writer must avoid the use of original research. These are facts and ideas that cannot be backed up by reliable sources.

Once the draft is ready, the article can be moved to the main space, where it may undergo review by other editors.  Engaging with the Wikipedia community for feedback and making necessary revisions can further enhance the article’s credibility and longevity.

Wikipedia:  The Open Source Network

Wikipedia and Simple Wikipedia are “open source” platforms where anyone can contribute. After an entry is approved and published, it can be edited by anyone to correct errors or update information. Knowing how to properly cite reliable sources is essential. Popular Wikipedia articles often have moderators who review edits to ensure accuracy. This review process helps Wikipedia become more reliable. Still, even Wikipedia states that it is not a reliable source. on it’s own.

What We Have Learned about Wikipedia’s

• Wikipedia is a free online Encyclopedia written in English, as well as many other languages.

• Simple Wikipedia is an additional English version of Wikipedia, written at a lower reading level.

• Wiki for Kids is our own form of Wikipedia created for younger kids. It employs safe search and is kept separate from the main unfiltered Internet.

Remember, when conducting research, it’s crucial to consult multiple sources to gain true expertise of any subject.  

The Idea Behind Wikis (Explained in Simple Terms)

A wiki allows collaboration on a subject with input from people anywhere in the world. All they need is a computer, tablet or phone with an internet connection. In the case of Simple Wikipedia, a wiki page is edited to make it more simple for readers. From there any one can edit it and correct a mistake make about a fact or update it with new information.

This video explains the concept of wikis in a fun way: