2023 META24 Course Catalog-7

Equity and Access
School districts choose META24 labs across 3rd through 12th grade to dramatically improve retention through
engagement, enrichment, skill building and core mastery through our 21st century labs, curriculum, and teacher
training. The skill and core gap trend existed prior to the pandemic and has been accelerated by the lack of attendance
and direct instruction, as well as an absence of career, entrepreneurial, and 21st century programming.
School districts have lost a significant portion of their student population over the past five years though the past
two years has seen a drop in both the high school and middle school levels where attendance remains around
80% of those who attend in person. The majority African American population needs access to the machinery,
software, instruction, skills, and unique systems META24 labs will provide.
Equity and Evidence
Workforce High (WFH), a division of Banner Learning Corp - Chicago, is an education, training, and career success
collective that strives to create sustainable opportunities for disenfranchised young adults (ages 8 to 26)
by providing access to innovative on-site and virtual learning communities. Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois,
Workforce High leverages private and community partnerships to build pathways to entrepreneurism and
sustainable careers in emerging industries, and to promote wealth creation in underserved communities. Our
proven model has supported the development of over 100 viable businesses, 400 sustained job placements,
2,600 sustained career placements, and the acquisition of over 20,000 workforce, core, and soft skills. At the
community level, our work has supported over $2 million in earnings in WFH communities.
Our formula is simple but effective:
1. We provide tailored learning opportunities that build metacognitive skills that are
necessary for career success
2. We offer advanced training that gives young people competitive footing in a rapidly
changing job market.
3. We build tangible pathways to sustainable careers in emerging industries by curating
private sector partnerships with local corporations.
4. We enable graduating participants to leverage their acquired skills to start their own
social enterprises or to gain employment in highly sought after industries such as fiber
splicing, IT, 3D design, virtual reality, game design.
5. Individual wealth creates conditions that support social and economic changes in
disinvested neighborhoods.
Additional Scientific Methods are chartered in an attachment.
Cost Rationale
META24 helps students (1) build core skills that support entrepreneurism and/or competitive entry into sustainable
jobs, (2) develop transferable skills that increase employment retention, and (3) cultivate hands-on skill development
and targeted competencies in emerging industries, including graphic design, 2D design, fashion and
sewing, music production + studio, video and podcast production, personal care social enterprise development,
entrepreneurship, basic to advanced construction, IT, 3D printing, CNC production, virtual reality and GAMING,
coding, CNC machinery, electrical manufacturing, management and supply chain.
Our theory of change is that Skill Development (i.e., core, transferable, and advanced training in emerging industries)
supports Workforce Integration. In turn Workforce Integration enables Wealth Creation (i.e., career sustainability
and homeownership) in underserved communities. Wealth Creation then fosters Community Stability that
improves the overall quality of life in disinvested neighborhoods.
We serve this population by innovating upon traditional models of education and career attainment that rely disproportionately
on a linear framework that moves young people from high school completion to college graduation,
to career attainment. In communities hardest hit by poverty and crime, overreliance on this framework has
resulted in high levels of school disengagement and corresponding rates of high school incompletion.
Inquiry Bridge, © 2023 meta24.org
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