ISTOCK.COM/DESIGNER

In today’s rapidly changing world, high school leaders are increasingly looking for ways to create strong career and technical education (CTE) pathways that will prepare students for high-value occupations, particularly in STEM fields. Here we describe an initiative, the HP Learning Studio, that was carried out during the 2023–24 school year, in which Digital Promise, with support from HP, Microsoft, and Intel, aimed to create opportunity by integrating high-powered and effective technology into Anaheim Union High School District (AUHSD) and Anaheim High School (AHS).

The HP Learning Studio’s approach is based on the idea that students are more likely to be engaged in learning when they have access to tools and technologies that are relevant to their interests and that allow them to work on authentic and challenging projects. The Studio is designed as an open-access learning environment available for use by the entire school community. It’s a classroom filled with high-powered workstations, prosumer-grade audio-visual equipment, esports peripherals, and more. On any day, you might find a group of students recording an entrepreneurship podcast, designing products using CAD software, practicing for the esports club, or preparing for a live broadcast. The success of the HP Learning Studio at Anaheim High School can be attributed to AUHSD’s innovative Career Preparedness Systems Framework, Anaheim High School’s commitment to community and youth voice and CTE pathways, and the goals of the HP Learning Studio initiative. We share lessons learned below.

Unique Career Preparedness Programs

Alexis Vargas, a physics teacher, and his student discussing the physics simulation software. PHOTOS COURTESY OF DIGITAL PROMISE

AUHSD’s Career Preparedness Systems Framework (CPSF) is a holistic framework that addresses student interests, integrates career learning with academic coursework, and aligns career pathways to the demands of the local labor market. The CPSF also emphasizes the role of community partnerships in facilitating equitable industry opportunities for students. Instrumental in the success of this work are initiatives like the Anaheim Collective, a local coalition including the school system, city, higher education institutions, businesses, and nonprofit organizations, and the Anaheim Innovative Mentoring Experience (AIME), which creates opportunities for students to participate in hands-on experiences such as summer internships at local businesses like Disneyland and Deloitte, leadership and development workshops, and more.

Embrace Community Partnerships

In addition, AHS was recently named a community school because of its commitment to integrating support systems throughout the school, offering expanded and enriched learning opportunities, actively engaging families and communities, and embracing collaborative leadership. The Community School model strives to make school the center of the community and engage all stakeholders in decision-making.

These partnerships are critical for the success of the work happening in and around the HP Learning Studio, creating authentic and relevant opportunities for an enrollment of nearly 3,000 students, 94% of whom are Latinx/Hispanic and 92% of whom qualify for free and reduced-price meals. When speaking with Principal Ruben Calleros about the role of community and student voice in this work, he explains:

“We’re doubling down on the amount of input we try to get from them…bringing them into community voice circles where we ask them for feedback. We ask them what is it that they want in a class? What are some things that you wish your teachers knew? We’re really trying to get a good picture of what our kids want and need, and how do we help and support those wants and needs. Being a center of learning and service is our vision. Our students understand the needs of their community and they understand how to help their community and all we need to do is support them.”

A student showing off his EV3 Mindstorm robot and coding assignment to Michael Campbell, senior director and general manager, education client division, Intel.

Ensure Open Access

Typically, high-powered learning environments like the HP Learning Studio are reserved for specific specialized subjects and coursework, which are only open to students enrolled in those classes. These limitations inhibit the opportunity for students not already on those pathways to use versatile, higher-powered equipment for core coursework and exploration of their passions, creating potential missed opportunities for students to discover their talents and prospective college and career pathways. The HP Learning Studio flips this approach on its head and shines a light on innovative practices and technologies that are available to students by opening up a space that is not tied to any one teacher’s class or club. The studio then serves as an exciting entry point rather than only being accessible to specialized academic journeys.

Align With Student Interests

Prioritizing student agency and creating multiple entry points aligned with varied interests contributes directly to transforming traditional CTE pathways into an organic journey of discovery and growth. The HP Learning Studio at Anaheim High School allows students to explore a wide range of interests, from graphic design and coding to physics simulations and robotics. Learning is meaningful and resilient when interests are supported across settings. For instance, a student who games with friends at home can connect their interest in gaming to the esports team at Anaheim High School and create a game in their AP Computer Science class using the HP Learning Studio.

By providing a space with access to powerful technology that is often used by professionals, students who are not currently enrolled in CTE pathways or who don’t see themselves as interested in STEM can explore their interests and perhaps decide to pursue CTE coursework going forward. The Learning Studio allows for inquisitive and reflective activities, where students can feel safe trying on new identities and occupational personas without fear of failure. That student with an interest in gaming used in the example above may discover connections to career pathways like game development and broadcasting due to their exposure to the HP Learning Studio.

Moving Students and Educators Toward Deeper Engagement

The integration of the HP Learning Studio at Anaheim High School provides evidence for a CTE “engagement funnel,” in which both students and educators move along a pathway of awareness, interest, and engagement with the studio. Having both educators and students move deeper through the funnel is in service to the same goal: for more students to have access to the technological resources that enable them to pursue their interests and expand their future aspirations, specifically as it leads them to try out potential CTE pathways.

Patricia Barba, an entrepreneurship teacher and CTE department head, and her students recording a podcast using the new HyperX ProCast equipment.

Students and educators first learned and gained awareness of the HP Learning Studio and the technology and resources offered there through the Anaheim High School educator leadership team, and at the ribbon-cutting launch event. As awareness grows, interest in the space will also increase, with students spreading the word about the Learning Studio and a wider group of educators starting to plan ways to integrate the space into their coursework. Long-term interest sparks sustained engagement and participation from students and educators alike, and we expect that students who may have sat on the sidelines of CTE coursework will see themselves in occupations and careers they previously wouldn’t have considered. That is, students’ occupational identity may shift to align with career activities they see mirrored in the HP Learning Studio, such as broadcasting, software development, or games-based occupations. One AHS senior put it, “The students that are not really involved a lot [in school], if you get them in there, they’ll get involved.”

Support Teacher Development

The low-stakes, high-powered nature of the HP Learning Studio creates opportunities not only for students to grow their skill sets, but educators as well. Thanks to it, educators can try out powerful technologies they don’t have access to in their classrooms to help students explore their interests. Faculty and staff can come into the space and learn alongside students, discovering new ways to pair student interests with the content and skills they teach. Once students and educators become aware of the possibilities powerful technology presents, they are more likely to actively explore, interact, and, ultimately, deeply engage with the learning experiences facilitated by
these tools.

The HP Learning Studio at Anaheim High School represents a promising approach to bridging the skills gap and promoting equitable access to jobs for the future for all students, especially those from historically marginalized communities. Through the integration of technology and innovative pedagogical approaches, schools can create transformative learning experiences that prepare students for success in the 21st-century workforce. However, schools can only bridge the gap between K–12, an ever-evolving jobs landscape, and future-ready careers by ensuring those technologies and pedagogies are available to all students.

Nick Schiner is the director of peer-to-peer professional learning at Digital Promise, where Amanda Wortman is research and evaluation manager. Learn more at digitalpromise.org.

Reference

Wortman, A., & Schiner, N. (2024, June). Access to powerful technology as a catalyst for career pathway engagement. Digital Promise. doi.org/10.51388/20.500.12265/217