MindSage Professional Durable Skills Certification Program
Real World Environment: Leaving the classroom behind.
The MindSage Professional Durable Skills Certification program is an in-person workshop/internship required to earn a Certificate of Competency. A fourth level is available for those aiming for a Certificate of Mastery.
Each level spans eight weeks with 24 participants. Applicants are invited to interview for the program.
Project-Based
Durable skills (soft skills) training is tightly integrated into our Social Media Research and Marketing project. This particular project has been chosen as it allows students to develop more difficult durable skills such as innovation, creativity, empathy, and emotional intelligence, in addition to other core durable skills. Participants are expected to:
Form a focus group of at least three individuals outside the program.
Engage in brainstorming and planning meetings on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. These meetings provide in-person training for primary durable skills (See A). Monday and Wednesday meetings last approximately half an hour, while Friday’s meetings can run up to an hour, allowing participants to share in a metacognitive discussion (See B).
Review each week’s lessons during the week (see below). Participants are expected to actively engage in brainstorming sessions and case study discussions.
Meet with their team to discuss potential topics for their social media campaign, plan, design, and produce media, and choose platforms for messaging.
Review lessons covered in each level in the lesson library
A. Monday Training
B. Friday Metacognitive Group Discussion (moderated)
Professional training: Proven results
Participants create various forms (articles, videos, artwork posts) of media as part of their team’s social media campaign. Participants have the autonomy to select the platform, the medium, and the message.
By enabling teams to self-organize, brainstorm, plan, schedule, and produce content, with a focus on its potential impact on other students' lives, students can cultivate essential durable skills such as organization, planning, collaboration, curiosity, imagination, and determination—qualities highly sought after by employers.
Each level of the program covers eight of the core 32 essential soft skills.
Originally designed for the workplace to empower and transform interns from students with theoretical knowledge into contributing, problem-solving, collaborative employees, we are confident that this program, designed by professionals and refined by educators, is effective for those with the ability and desire to grow and develop beyond the classroom.
Apply here for the next certification workshop.
B. Friday Metacognitive Group Discussion (non-moderated)
Additional participant comments can be found here.
Lessons
Over 10,000 students have taken MindSage lessons that are taught in our Certification Program. These lessons are currently in four states, and 22 schools. Students include those who are at-risk as well as students who are focusing on technology and innovation career pathways.
Teachers
Teachers are integral to our approach. We offer professional development that mirrors the durable skills program for students, enabling teachers to appreciate the significance of these skills. Educators explore how they can seamlessly integrate these principles into their classrooms and existing lesson plans. Our training also guides educators in fostering a classroom and school culture that empowers students to enter the workplace equipped with highly sought-after durable skills.
What Students Say Matters.
To fully benefit from any program, students must understand its purpose. Knowing why they are learning a topic keeps them engaged and maximizes the benefits. This understanding includes how the subject relates to their life and its implications for their future, particularly in the context of transformational learning.
Not every student will immediately recognize the importance of developing durable skills through metacognition. However, those who undergo our professional training redefine the standard for graduates entering the workforce. They embody a new, distinct, and innovative breed of graduates.
Todd is passionate about assisting students in developing the non-academic skills (durable skills) essential for success, skills not currently taught in schools. Witnessing numerous college interns with degrees but lacking practical or durable skills, he aims to shift the focus and emphasis of education toward helping students cultivate essential traits, qualities, mindsets, habits, and attitudes. Attributes he believes will empower students to pursue any passion and career they desire successfully. More