The Future Ready Tech Challenge, launched by NAF on its KnoPro platform this week, kicks off with a $10,000 question: How can high school students use cutting-edge technology to explore and chose their ideal career path?
A nonprofit education agency recently unveiled a free online platform to help U.S. high school students prepare for in-demand careers and network with future employers.
NAF recently launched KnoPro, a web-based interactive tool that shares 10- to 15-minute skill-building activities as well as information about monthly competitions in which students can, either in a team or by themselves, work on solutions to specific problems faced by industries or communities. KnoPro shares information about the performance of participants with representatives from different companies, who in turn provide feedback and help students develop professional skills and a resumé for future employment, according to a recent news release.
Students and teachers participated in KnoPro’s testing before its official launch, and events centered around it kicked off this month. As an incentive to encourage nationwide participation, NAF is sponsoring individual and team competitions in which students have a chance to win cash and prizes, according to the news release.
“After a year of successfully piloting and iterating with our network and partners to bring KnoPro to life, the time has finally come,” NAF CEO Lisa Dughi said in a public statement. “The world today is technology-driven and it is critical for NAF to be at the forefront of innovative thinking in support of all students. We can’t wait to witness the impact that KnoPro will have on the next generation of talent on their journey to becoming future ready.”
The competitions, current and previous, are explained on the KnoPro website. The Future Ready Tech Challenge, which is co-sponsored by tech company Lenovo and opened Oct. 2, advertises a $10,000 award to the team who best answers the question: “How can high school students use cutting-edge technology (AR, VR, XR and AI) to explore and choose their best fit career and/or training path (college or technical program)?” The deadline for entries is Nov. 3.
In the Health Equity Challenge, which has awarded winners in the past but is still open for submissions, students were asked: “How might we help to ensure that medical research participation is more representative of the U.S. population?”
According to the challenge tutorial on the KnoPro website, online mentoring from anonymous industry experts is available for each project, and users can also access videos and a variety of background content to complete their work. Competitors use a template on the website to submit their completed challenges before the announced deadlines, and feedback from mentors is provided regardless of the results.
Beyond increasing participation in its own program, NAF’s longer-term goal is to foster mentorships and partnerships between students and future employers, whether other nonprofits, small businesses or large corporations, according to the news release.
NAF, which originated in New York City in 1980, offers career exploration and preparedness “academy” programs in the finance, tourism/hospitality, health sciences, engineering and information technology industries at hundreds of schools across the country. The organization’s website says during the 2022-2023 academic year, more than 112,000 students participated in more than 600 NAF academies, and 88 percent of participating high school seniors indicated that they planned to go to college, according to the news release.