Young People Need More Experience, Not Information.
- CFL
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
Across the nation, a growing number of employers are questioning whether today’s graduates are truly prepared for life after graduation. Earlier this month, Higher Ed Dive reported that more than 50% of hiring managers believe recent graduates enter the workforce lacking key professional and interpersonal skills needed to succeed. With mounting evidence that young people are stepping into the real-world unprepared, it’s time that we examine the true gap between the established learning landscape and the rapidly evolving demands of life after graduation. That’s why authentic learning experiences matter.
On a recent episode of The CFL Podcast, student photographer and entrepreneur Gavin shared that sometimes the most meaningful learning begins when students are given the opportunity to try something new.
Gavin didn't set out to become a photographer. In fact, he had never used a camera before. His introduction to photography came unexpectedly while he was creating some digital assets for his school’s track team. At the time, he was channeling his creativity into digitally designing posters and meet-day graphics when someone asked if he could take photos at an event and on the spot, he said yes.
That single decision changed everything. What started as a chance quickly became a passion and creative outlet, before eventually evolving into a self-directed entrepreneurial business.
Discovery Happens Through Hands-On Learning
Too often, learning asks students to identify and pursue their future before they've even had the chance to experience it.
How can a student know they want to work in healthcare if they've never felt the rush of a critical patient intake? Or how can they know they enjoy engineering if they've never built something? In Gavin’s case, how can they discover a passion for photography if they've never picked up a camera?
Young people learn who they are by trying new things. Through photography, Gavin learned much more than how to take pictures. He set off on a whole learning journey that taught him how to communicate with people, advocate for himself, navigate challenges with clients, understand business fundamentals and develop empathy by seeing situations from someone else's perspective.
These are the kinds of durable skills that employers consistently say matter most and they often develop through authentic experiences rather than traditional in-classroom instruction.
Learning Becomes Meaningful When It Feels Real
Learner disengagement is a systemic issue in education, both nationally and locally. One of the leading symptoms of disengagement is chronic absenteeism in schools, which ramped up heavily after the pandemic. According to the U.S. Department of Education, over 28% of learners were chronically absent during the 2022-23 school year. Here in Nevada the numbers were even higher, with 39% of learners chronically absent, placing us among the top five most absent states in the nation.
Clark County School District’s (CCSD) new five-year Strategic Plan focuses on improving student engagement and attendance across Southern Nevada as one of its central priorities. But how do we get there? Most young people inherently know that education is important, but when classroom learning doesn’t feel relevant to life success it’s all too easy to “check out.” When learning is centered in authentic experiences that connect to real challenges or shared projects, engagement follows.
During this podcast episode, both Gavin and host Akilah Bello reflected on how hands-on experiences helped them better understand their own interests and strengths. “Some of the best educational experiences students get are from extracurricular activities, jobs, internships – things outside of school,” says Bello.
The lesson here isn’t that traditional classrooms don't matter, but that learners thrive when classroom learning is connected with experiences that allow them to test ideas, problem-solve, collaborate and explore their interests. When learning is connected to authentic life experiences, young people take notice and show up with a deeper interest in how learning can be applied to their own future goals.
The Future of Learning Requires Exploration
We are increasingly living in a world where the future is changing right before our eyes, with rapid technological development evolving the industries, lifestyles and systems all around us. More than ever, change is the only certainty. Preparing learners for this future requires helping them build the durable skills needed to confidently explore, innovate and grow with the world around them.
As Gavin shares in the podcast, discovering your path isn't something that happens overnight. It takes time, curiosity and a willingness to step outside your comfort zone. Sometimes it starts by simply saying "yes" to an opportunity you never expected. We need to give learners more opportunities to say “yes” to the things that will spark their own personalized deeper learning journeys.
What If We Gave Students More Chances to Explore?
Imagine a system where every young person had regular opportunities to:
Participate in internships and apprenticeships
Work alongside professionals in industries that interest them
Launch projects connected to real community challenges
Create, design, build and test ideas
Discover new passions through arts, technology, entrepreneurship and innovation
Learn by doing, not just by listening
When young people are presented with the opportunity to learn about themselves and pursue their own interests, it helps them develop the direction and confidence needed to succeed long after they’ve graduated. Learners don’t need all the answers right now but they do need the durable skills they can leverage to keep uncovering answers along each step of their journey.
