NBC News Presents 'Education Nation Boston: Build the Future' Live Town Hall

NBC News Education Nation is convening education, government, and business leaders from the Boston area for a live, two-hour town hall in Boston on Wednesday, Oct. 11, from 6 to 8 p.m. ET at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. The forum will address a wide range of issues faced by young adults across the country - from social and emotional learning skills necessary to enter the workforce to the achievement gap facing economically disadvantaged students who pursue higher education. The event also will highlight training and career opportunities available in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields.

NBC News Chief Education Correspondent Rehema Ellis will moderate six panel discussions, and will be joined by NBC Boston reporter Frank Holland.

"Education Nation Boston: Build the Future" is produced in partnership with NBC Boston, and is supported by Lead Sponsor Pearson, Supporting Sponsors The Boston Foundation, Chevron, GE, The Lynch Foundation and The Nellie Mae Education Foundation, and Knowledge Partners America's Promise Alliance, the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, MENTOR and Sociedad Latina.

The forum is being presented as part of the Kennedy Library Forum Series, and will be live-streamed on EducationNation.com, and broadcast live on NBC Boston and New England Cable News (NECN). It will feature original and inspirational stories of youth finding success after high school, as well as the following panel discussions:

One of our country's founding ideals is universal access to opportunity, but not all students across the country start at the same baseline. What can be done to help close gaps so that all students, regardless of socioeconomic status, race, language skills, and immigration status, leave high school with the tools necessary to be successful adults?

For many young people, the path to a successful career is no longer a linear one. This panel will focus on both established and emerging alternative pathways aimed at engaging young adults in meaningful education and career options.

The workforce model in the U.S. has changed significantly, and, in turn, so have the skills that employers seek. In addition to technical skills, so-called "soft" skills like communication, creativity and problem solving have become increasingly important. How do today's students go about acquiring these skills, and how are schools working to infuse social emotional learning programs into their curriculum?

With 70 percent of Boston Public Schools students coming from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, ensuring that all are prepared for, and have access to, a quality postsecondary education is a critically important topic. What efforts are underway at all levels to give students the tools necessary to make a college education a reality?

Boston's major industries include financial services, high-tech research and development, testing for life sciences, and building trades, making the city an ideal place to train young people to work in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) jobs. Despite this, there are often more jobs in STEM fields open than there are young people to fill them. How can the education, employment and nonprofit sectors work together to engage young people in STEM career paths and strengthen the pipeline for available jobs?

Research has shown that mentoring can be a powerful and effective method to support students, particularly those from low-income backgrounds. Whether through formal or informal mentoring, peer-to-peer connections, or access to school counseling, mentor relationships are an essential part of preparing young people to transition to adulthood.

How to Attend: For more information, and to RSVP, visit EducationNation.com. To join the conversation on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, use the hashtag #BuildTheFuture.

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