Sometimes people ask us why we do this. Why education? Why kids? Why America? Every now and again, a story emerges in the mainstream media to which we can point and say, “That’s why.” Recently, Entrepreneur.com explored the reasons why talented millennials get fired. Education leader Trevor Muir then distilled the 11 reasons they identified down to a single concept – the lack of “soft” skills. For the team at FasTracKids, these two articles give us the opportunity to say, “That’s it. That’s what we’re all about.”

Filling in the Gaps

FasTracKids exists to give kids what’s missing at school. There’s a systemic problem in American education, and it has to do with a blind spot. Entrepreneur has pointed out what really matters in the workplace, and it’s not coding ability or calculus. To be competitive and secure a position, every candidate must demonstrate those hard skills. Keeping a job, however – building a career – would appear to require the in-between skills. Communication. Creativity. Collaboration. Muir goes so far as to say these underappreciated skills “are absolutely necessary to thrive in the modern world”…and to point out that they’re not emphasized in the common core. Through diverse program options, even through the summer, we make sure this supplemental education is available to New York parents year-round.

We emphasize them here.

At FasTracKids, our early elementary STE(A)M programs are driven by what we call “The 5 C’s of Learning” – Creativity, Communication, Critical Thinking, Collaboration, and Confidence. We also feed the flame of curiosity. Our enrichment classes use a hands-on, interactive, inquiry-based approach to teaching in which skills traditionally characterized as “hard” and “soft” are developed equally. We agree with Muir that “when students have these fundamental skills, and are confident, creative, critical thinking, hardworking collaborators, you’ll find learning that other stuff comes much easier.”

“C” for “Complete”

As a New York City parent, it’s crucial that you understand that you have options. Here, in the greatest city in the world, you have access to unimaginable resources. However, decision fatigue is a real challenge. Whether your child struggles with or excels at his or her coursework, you can ensure that the “hard skills” in the curriculum are accompanied by the social interaction, confidence building, and creative experimenting (complete with failures). Schedule a tour, placement evaluation, or free trial class at an NYC FasTracKids learning center, and we’ll simplify the decision for you. Just one encounter with your tutors and methods, and you’ll see how our enrichment programs are different from anything you’ve seen before. We’ll ensure your child builds a solid foundation of “soft skills” upon which to build a career in addition to the “hard skills” he or she will need to score that first interview.