ST PAUL, Minn. — This is the first school year St. Paul Public Schools is offering an innovative Junior Achievement program called 3DE.
So far, the 3DE curriculum is available to all ninth graders at Washington Technology Magnet and Como Park Senior High School. District and program leaders says it's designed to connect the freshmen with professionals from high-demand industries, and provide project-based learning opportunities both in the classroom and out in the field.
"Yes, it is very, very important," said Isaac Kreis, who attends Washington Tech. "I got this opportunity through my first-year focus class."
This week, the schools visited Cargill at its Wayzata headquarters.
Leading up to their field trips, the nearly 175-year-old, international agriculture producer and distributor asked students to help find a nonprofit with similar goals as Cargill. Washington Tech students presented their findings Thursday to a judges panel of Cargill employees, who then provided positive feedback.
"3DE was founded in Atlanta at Banneker High School, and they saw dramatic results," said Kumar Balasubrahmanyan, who facilitates 3DE programming for Junior Achievement North. "The students matriculated in the college at much higher rates. Teachers were saying that they were much more satisfied in their work and engagement went up."
Over the years, Cargill and the Cargill Foundation have provided more than $2 million to support Junior Achievement North programming, including a $450,000 grant to bring 3DE programming to Minnesota.
"It's not just dollars," said JB Scherpelz, global employee engagement manager of Cargill's corporate responsibility team. "We have a number of volunteers that make it possible, and in the past five years we've had more than 200 volunteers spend time with Junior Achievement North, impacting more than 5,000 students.
"There's a chance for students to learn about what could it look like to work in a place like Cargill and not just Cargill, but to envision themselves in a career."
Already, the few hours spent on site seemed to have made a lasting impression on Kreis.
"Before this, I wanted to be a biomedical engineer, which is a type of engineering looking into technology, helping people who have lost their limbs get it back through prosthetics, and Cargill is pretty broad in engineering and technology so I think I am very interested into getting into Cargill now that I've been here," the ninth grader said.
SPPS announced 3DE programming in October last year at an event including celebratory remarks by Mayor Melvin Carter.