How do you help students build important workplace skills while becoming better global citizens? A new Cisco corporate social responsibility (CSR) educational initiative introduced at ISTE, Global Problem Solvers: The Series (GPS: The Series), helps educators introduce middle-schoolers to in-demand skills like complex problem solving, critical thinking, creativity, people management, and coordinating with others while emphasizing social consciousness, entrepreneurship, and the potential of technology to accelerate impact.
By approaching social change as an entrepreneur, and applying technology to accelerate the difference they can make, students learn to find solutions that not only bring about real change but are scalable and sustainable.
Find out what tomorrow's global citizens are doing this summer: #ISTEProblemSolvers
GPS: The Series targets students during a critical inflection point in adolescent development and STEM adoption, especially for girls, and further aims to demystify and understand the potential of IoT to be harnessed for social good.
The animated characters in GPS: The Series — and students working with the program — focus on social, economic, and environmental problems around the world. In the first season, they give a village access to clean water in Malawi, and in the second, they figure out how kids can continue learning when schools are closed after a hurricane hits the U.S. Gulf Coast.
A multiyear pilot program for GPS: The Series is in progress in partnership with Arizona State University (ASU) and Phoenix-area public schools. Members of the ASU team and pilot teachers are present this week at ISTE to share their experiences with their peers and show the impact of the Series in the classroom, as well as the potential to inspire students.
GPS: The Series, a new animated series and supporting activities for middle schoolers are available at no cost in English, Spanish, Hindi, and French at www.gpstheseries.com.
For more than two decades, Cisco has built an award-winning IT training program in the Cisco Networking Academy that has prepared millions around the world for careers in technology and supported educational nonprofits that foster STEM skills development for students of all ages. On the heels of NetAcad’s 20th anniversary, Cisco is looking now to middle schools with a new signature program that will inspire the next generation to embrace the power and potential of technology and social entrepreneurship to transform lives.
Educators are using #ISTEProblemSolvers for sharing collaborative solutions to real-world challenges. Join the conversation and get ideas for your classroom!
