Centering Student Career Exploration

According to the Post Graduation Readiness Report by YouScience, 83 percent of students cannot connect the skills from school to future employment. Similarly, recent research shows that while 88 percent of district leaders, teachers, parents, and students rate life skills as very important, only 57 percent of students believe their schools adequately teach the life skills needed for future success.  

At Discovery Education, we partner with industry-leading organizations to ensure all students have access to high-quality education that connects the dots between classrooms and careers. One such partner is Lyda Hill Philanthropies, who is a part of Career Connect.  

Through Career Connect, professionals from a wide range of industries virtually visit classrooms, sharing not only their unique career path, but also how the lessons students learn today can transform into real-world applications. 

I recently sat down with Margaret Black, Managing Director and Co-Founder of IF/THEN® at Lyda Hill Philanthropies to learn more about how they are helping students discover careers. Let’s hear from Margaret: 

What is Lyda Hill Philanthropies? What is the IF/THEN® initiative? 

Encompassing the charitable giving and investing for founder Lyda Hill, Lyda Hill Philanthropies puts one core belief into action: science is the answer. 

Lyda is a life-long entrepreneur, philanthropist, and advocate for science-driven solutions to global challenges. In 2010, Lyda signed the Giving Pledge, a platform created by Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett to support high net worth individuals who wish to donate a majority of their wealth to charity. Lyda has not only pledged to give away a majority of her wealth; she has committed to donating the entirety of her wealth to philanthropy and supporting science in her lifetime. 

In 2019, Lyda Hill Philanthropes founded the IF/THEN® Initiative to empower women STEM role models and activate a culture shift so the next generation is inspired to solve our biggest global challenges. We do this by connecting partners across industries to level up storytelling and the visual world around girls, so that all people can imagine – and achieve – their own STEM dreams. 

Can you share a bit about your role and how it connects to empowering K-12 students to explore potential career paths? 

In my role at Lyda Hill Philanthropies (LHP), I support the growing reach of our IF/THEN® Initiative, which has always had a focus on K-12 students both in and out of school. What makes it super interesting is that our office invests across asset classes and through a combination of philanthropic grant making and private investing to unlock faster, deeper impact. This flexibility puts IF/THEN® in a prime spot to team up with brands, nonprofits, and creators to finance, develop, and produce content that actually makes a difference.  

With the belief that science is the answer, we know that in order to solve our world’s biggest challenges, we need everyone to have a seat at the table to provide their valuable experiences and perspectives. Showing students from an early age that there is a whole world of STEM around us and that there are so many unique ways to thrive in a STEM career is essential to building a brighter future. 

Why do you think early career exploration is important for students, especially in K-12 education? How does it shape their future opportunities? 

We believe that IF students can see it, THEN they can be it. One of the most important tools in setting a student up for success in finding and pursuing a career in STEM is visibility. There are so many unique STEM careers that have become real in recent years, and more that we haven’t begun to dream of yet. By showing students as many examples of career paths in STEM as possible, and connecting those industries, jobs, and environment to their day to day lives, we are showing them that those things they are curious about or like to do in their free time can be a career – and a career that changes the world. It also helps when the people representing those career paths and industries look like the student who is interested in them, so diversity in the visible examples are essential. 

STEM careers are often highlighted as critical for the future. How is your organization working to spark curiosity and engagement in STEM among young learners? 

The curiosity sparking and engagement really starts with the 125 women STEM innovators named AAAS IF/THEN® Ambassadors in 2019. Using a talent agency model, IF/THEN supports the work of these STEM role models, and helps amplify their personal STEM stories on a national platform. Their careers range from classic STEM fields to unexpected areas like sports, music, fashion and more. Making these relatable Ambassadors approachable and relevant to the interests of young learners is key. 

Many of these Ambassadors highlighted in the IF/THEN® Collection have also been featured on Mission Unstoppable, an Emmy-nominated Saturday morning television program on CBS and Paramount+. LHP produces the show, now in its sixth season and the #1 STEM show on TV, and has supported the show’s successful social media presence with over a million followers on social media.  

Representation plays a vital role in career inspiration. What steps have you taken to ensure students see diverse role models in different industries, particularly in STEM fields? 

Over the past five years, our 125 Ambassadors and real-life STEM superheroes have totally changed the game. Textbooks, museum walls, classroom walls – you name it – now show the faces and stories of these trailblazers. All of this custom content is housed on the largest free digital library celebrating women in STEM: the IF/THEN® Collection. Women with seriously cool science jobs inspire millions weekly on TV, streaming, social media and more. From the top STEM show on broadcast television (Mission Unstoppable) to the largest collection of women statues ever (#IfThenSheCan – The Exhibit), we are really proud of IF/THEN®’s momentum to drive culture change.

Can you talk about any specific programs or platforms you’ve developed that connect students with real-world professionals and industries? How do these experiences impact students? 

Career Connect, of course, brings the opportunity to connect students to industry professionals in the classroom, allowing them to ask questions, learn more, and explore their curiosities in different pathways.  By combining the power of Discovery Education’s platform with the inspiring stories from the IF/THEN® Collection, this collaboration helps make STEM come alive for students and teachers alike. With access to interactive resources, engaging videos, and lesson plans featuring real-life STEM role models, students can see themselves in STEM and can see how jobs in STEM fields can be FUN!   

With the job market constantly evolving, how can educators equip students with the skills and mindset to adapt to careers that may not yet exist?

How women in STEM are shown in the media has major power to change the game for girls and boys alike.  By ditching old-school stereotypes and creating fresh, inclusive stories, we can make STEM concepts and current careers appealing, knowing full well that the STEM jobs of the future are yet to be invented. 

IF/THEN’s approach to its media and entertainment content includes these three objectives: (1) spotlight how STEM shapes the world, (2) amplify women STEM role models, and (3) make STEM careers more visible and relatable.  

Educators can also apply this approach and utilize the growing number of tools, assets, and media that provide positive examples of careers that currently exist, share what STEM leaders now are excited about, and see potential for in the future.  

What resources or partnerships are you most excited about right now, and how can educators or schools make the most of them in their classrooms?

We love to share the IF/THEN® Collection at ifthencollection.org because it is free for educators. It includes tons of interactive content and tools that we encourage educators to bring to their classrooms. There are activity sheets, DIY project guides, and engaging content that can be shared with students to use in the classroom and at home. 

Also, don’t overlook the treasure trove of episodes and video shorts you can find on Mission Unstoppable’s YouTube. Teachers shouldn’t be afraid to bring this content into their classrooms. 

And lastly, we encourage educators to utilize the STEM Careers Coalition in their classrooms to engage with real STEM professionals who are excited to share their journey with students. 

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