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Because Mississippi doesn’t offer an elementary school tech curriculum, educators at Madison County Schools developed their own.

The goal: Get students comfortable with computers as early as possible to jumpstart their acquisition of skills needed for the future of work, says Nashandra James, instructional technology coordinator.

The learning provides the foundation for computer science and STEM classes in middle school. “We had to make sure they can keep up when they make the transition,” says James.

Elementary students start with basics such as keyboarding, drag-and-drop functions, managing files in the cloud, and creating spreadsheets and presentations.

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In later elementary, students use the internet for research and platforms such as Microsoft 365 to collaborate on projects.

This teamwork begins developing students’ communication and collaboration skills.

The program was designed by a team of instructional and content specialists who studied curricula and grade-level learning standards designed by other districts. And, like other future career-focused programs, students emerge real-world ready.

Read the other stories in our series on the future of work:

1. How to ensure equity begins early when building career skills
2. How to develop students who are creators, not consumers
3. Why you should stress COVID-era skills in CTE programs
4. How CTE develops on-the-job learners
5. 5 changes that will prepare students for the future of work