This new program wants to prepare teens for careers in STEM via science and storytelling

A new program is looking to prepare teens for careers in STEM.

Rockville, Maryland-based technology and engineering solution provider Acquired Data Solutions (ADS) partnered with Edge of Yesterday Media (EOY Media), a teen time travel novel series curator, to launch the MASTERY program, a virtual learning program teaching young people tech skills via an interactive platform. MASTERY is an acronym that highlights essential skills and topics: mindset, arts, storytelling, technology, economy, economy, reflection and you.

The companies partnered to launch MASTERY following this past summer’s On-Ramps to Careers internship program when they discovered their shared passion for working with young adults preparing to transition from high school to college and eventually full-time jobs, per a press release. ADS hosted 40 students for the internship program and developed a curriculum based on concepts like technology, economics, arts, marketing and socializing for successful career paths.

During the MASTERY program, ADS will bring its engineering expertise to design thinking and building while EOY Media will use storytelling as a vehicle for meaningful learning.

“Now more than ever, it is essential to revitalize our learning process with the hope that the next generation will emerge from this historic pandemic era stronger, more compassionate, and more grounded than before,” said ADS President Steven Seiden in a statement. “The MASTERY program comes at an opportune time when many school plans are up in the air and unclear, to provide parents with a learning approach based in science and story-telling to add substance and sustainability to their children’s educational experiences.”

MASTERY will act as an after-school program and will be run on Zoom. Participating students from ninth through 12th grade will learn things like how interviewing skills and strong communication can strengthen their chances to succeed. Currently, ADS and EOY Media are creating content and are working with past interns who will serve as mentors and advisors during the MASTERY program. They are also seeking additional partners to reach more underserved youth, which has been a focus of EOY Media founder Robin Steves Payes’ work.

“The goal of our approach is to prepare young people for a future workforce that has yet to be invented, which requires a strong grounding in the skill-sets we know will be needed in the years ahead: technology, economics, arts, and media savvy,” said Payes, a social media marketing consultant and science writer. “The world is changing and with it, so should our educational approach.”