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JASoCal and CUSD Announce Launch of 3DE Learning Model at Dominguez HS

Media Release

Transformative four-year education model opens for freshman

Compton, CA — Junior Achievement of SoCal (JASoCal), in partnership with Compton Unified School District, proudly announces the successful launch of the innovative 3DE by Junior Achievement (3DE) learning model at Dominguez High School. The kick-off press conference, held on August 24, showcased the cutting-edge advancement in education and how it equips students with the skills needed to excel in the ever evolving 21st century workforce.

United around the belief that equitable access to high-quality education is a lever to economic mobility, 3DE transforms learning to be more interconnected and better reflect the real world. 3DE by Junior Achievement at Dominguez will serve ninth-grade students beginning August 2023 and will continue through high school as students continue their academic journey to graduation.

3DE Dominguez

3DE, CUSD, and Dominguez High School Students, Staff, Teachers, Administrators. 

The 3DE instructional model uses case methodology to help students develop key competencies like communication, collaboration, and self-direction through real-world business challenges that are woven across their core subjects. This school year, ninth-grade students will solve six business challenges provided by local and national corporate partners like Delta Air Lines and NBCUniversal.

Dominguez Overview

The JASoCAl - CUSD 3DE Launch Press Conference at Dominguez High School. 

The grand opening brought together key representatives from Junior Achievement of SoCal and Compton Unified, including Superintendent Dr. Darin Brawley, JASoCal President & CEO Dr. Les McCabe, CUSD Chief Academic Officer Mario Marcos, students, CUSD board members, educators, and Compton community supporters.

“The Compton Unified School District Board is committed to making sure that our students have what they need in order to be successful both in the classroom and outside of the classroom,” said CUSD Board President Denzell Perry. “Partnerships like this allow our students to be connected to the careers of tomorrow.”

Dominguez Perry

 CUSD Board President Denzell Perry

This partnership also provides more avenues of success for Compton students. “This School District has to provide more programs to eliminate the opportunity gaps that are consistently present for black and brown students,” said Superintendent Brawley. “3DE is one example of providing an in-depth experience for students to apply their critical-thinking analysis skills and project-based learning to solve real-life problems that exist in the workforce for various companies throughout the United States.”

Dominguez Brawley

CUSD Superintendent Dr. Darin Brawley

“The 3DE model provides students access and exposure to diverse and high-growth careers and provides businesses innovative perspectives from students who are future leaders, consumers, and employees,” McCabe said. “But more importantly, it articulates the ‘why’ behind why kids are learning what they’re learning. 3DE is the most innovative instructional model in a generation and we are excited for the students of Compton to be a part of it”.

Dominguez McCabe

Junior Achievement of Southern California President and CEO Dr. Les McCabe 

The first 3DE cohort of 100 ninth-grade students at Dominguez will work with four teachers on various projects. “3DE is all about science, math, and English. In their business class, they are doing challenges where students answer real problems that companies have,” said Principal Oliver. “The students will work in teams with different companies. They will actually come into the classroom and present a problem and ask students to come up with the best solution. Then the students will present their solutions to the companies. 3DE is going to be the avenue in which we connect students to employers in different career fields in order to make our students see themselves as career ready.”

JA Oliver

Dominguez HS Principal Caleb Oliver 

Originally piloted in Georgia in 2015, 3DE schools have seen tremendous success, with students consistently outperforming their school peers on all state standard benchmarks and milestones. Other 3DE Outcomes Include:

  • 90% out performance on percentage of students scoring proficient or above for state end-of-course assessments during the 2018-2019 school year.
  • 3DE increases student competitiveness with 89% of seniors successfully participating in an internship/consultancy.
  • 3DE’s 2019 graduates have shown a 92% college persistence rate.

“When an organization like Junior Achievement, school districts, and business partners come together to create opportunities for students, it can be truly transformational,” added CUSD Chief Academic Officer Mario Marcos. “And for the next four years, these students are going to embark on an exciting journey working with 16 different partners and attacking 16 different case challenges. And those opportunities will foster creativity, innovation, and collaboration skills, 21st Century skills that are necessary for the workforce today.”

Dominguez Marcos

CUSD Chief Academic Officer Mario Marcos

This announcement follows an extensive due diligence process with leadership from the School District, Dominguez High School, and 3DE/Junior Achievement of SoCal. Over the course of this year, the team has worked collaboratively with school administration and teachers to prepare for the launch in 2023 with plans for expansion to additional Compton Unified School District high schools. 3DE will continue to provide consistent support for the teachers and school leadership through a dedicated team.

To learn more about 3DE visit https://jasocal.org/3de/.

Dominguez Podium

JA Board Member and Chair of the 3DE Committee Trey Pruitt, JASoCal Chief Impact & Partnership Officer Kat Delgado Kirkwood, Junior Achievement of Southern Cal President and CEO Dr. Les McCabe, CUSD Superintendent Darin Brawley, CUSD Board President Denzell Perry, CUSD Board Member Charles Davis, CUSD Sr. Director of Educational Services K-8 Dr. Jennifer Moon, CUSD Chief Academic Officer Mario Marcos, Dominguez HS Principal Caleb Oliver

Davis Dominguez

CUSD Board Member Charles Davis

Dominguez Moon

CUSD Sr. Director of Educational Services K-8 Dr. Jennifer Moon

Dominguez Metcalf

Dominguez 3DE Teacher Ms. Angelia Metcalf 

Dominguez Garcia

Dominguez HS Freshman Melzer Diaz Garcia 

Dominguez Mendez

Dominguez HS Freshman Jacques Mendez

About Compton Unified School District

Compton Unified School District, whose Superintendent is Dr. Darin Brawley, is located in the south-central region of Los Angeles County. CUSD encompasses the city of Compton and portions of the cities of Carson and Los Angeles. The district currently serves more than 18,000 students at 36 sites. CUSD is a district that is elevating, with a high school graduation rate over 90%, dramatic facilities improvements, increasing college acceptance rates, and a focus on STEAM throughout all schools. The mission of the Compton Unified School District is to empower leaders to lead, teachers to teach, and students to learn by fostering an environment that encourages leaders and teachers to be visionary, innovative, and accountable for the achievement of all students. CUSD schools have received numerous awards, including Golden Bell Awards, Blue Ribbon School designations, and Top 10 LA Public Schools by Innovate LA. CUSD is also a member of the League of Innovative Schools. The District’s Superintendent, Dr. Darin Brawley, was named 2019 Superintendent of the Year by the Los Angeles County Office of Education. For more information, visit http://www.compton.k12.ca.us.

About Junior Achievement of Southern California

Since 1954, Junior Achievement (JA) of SoCal has been the leader in inspiring and preparing young people to succeed in a global economy. JA SoCal brings our local education and business communities together to invest in the success of K-12 students- the majority of which are considered socio-economically at-risk. With the support of nearly 4,000 volunteers, JASoCal provides relevant, hands-on learning experiences that connect what students learn in the classroom to the real-world and demonstrates how learning correlates to earning - knowledge critical to empowering students to own their economic success. Through a variety of programs and initiatives around three pillars: Financial Literacy, Entrepreneurship and Work-Readiness, the organization is shaping the college and career-readiness conversation and playing an important role in Southern California's economic development.  JA SoCal currently serves the counties of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, and Kern. For more information, visit jasocal.org.

About 3DE by Junior Achievement

3DE by Junior Achievement is dedicated to expanding economic opportunity by re-engineering high school education to improve student engagement, accelerate academic outcomes, and develop competencies to excel in the future of work. 3DE schools are developed and sustained through joint venture partnerships with school districts, Junior Achievement, and the broader community. 3DE National Leading Partners include Arby's/Inspire Brands, AT&T, Delta Air Lines, The Home Depot, Spanx, Truist and UPS. Local Partners Include Deloitte, Gensler, McCarthy Cook & Co., and NBCUniversal. The 3DE program is in 42 schools in the U.S. with more than 600 educators trained in the program and more than 100 industry partners. It was first launched in 2015 in a Georgia high school.

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