What if College Isn’t For Me?
More and more colleges, think tanks, and educators are finally getting the message that not every student is cut out for a traditional four year college and degree. Here, for example, is a study from Harvard that states this very thing: http://www.gse.harvard.edu/news_events/features/2011/Pathways_to_Prosperity_Feb2011.pdf
The question is, what are we offering as an alternative? Where do students get work experience, social skills, and the life skills necessary to live in a confusing and (sometimes) toxic culture?
Elijah School tries hard to give every student those skills, and to help them discover their strengths. Some students find them in academics; many find them through artistic expression, and many through work. One of our students has struggled in school all ofhis life – what makes him work harder (and succeed) at Elijah is the fact that every Tuesday his internship is with a local farmer. He loves that work experience and it motivates him to work harder at the things he doesn’t like.
Our education system needs to recognize that one-size-fits-all does nothing of the sort. It should be obvious to anyone that two of Harvard’s most successful alumni never graduated: Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg. Clearly the traditional path isn’t for everyone, and we thank God that He has created so many different people with such a diversity of gifts.
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