U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan will give keynote remarks at the National Academy Foundation’s NEXT annual conference at 9 a.m. on Thursday, July 10, in Washington, D.C. A Q-and-A session will follow his remarks.
Duncan will discuss the need to prepare all students, including those from underrepresented populations, for high-skill, high-wage jobs, and the value of providing work-based learning opportunities as a part of that preparation. He will also discuss the increased need for involvement on the part of business and industry leaders to provide mentoring, internships, shadowing and other work experiences for students.
A new initiative called Race to the Top-Equity and Opportunity (RTT-Opportunity), included in President Obama’s budget proposal, would create incentives for states and school districts to drive comprehensive change in how states and districts identify and close opportunity and achievement gaps.
Begun in 1982, the National Academy Foundation prepares young people for college and career success by fostering partnerships between the business and education communities that provide internships and other opportunities for underserved students.Its network now spans 565 academies serving more than 70,000 students across the country.