1. Soft Skills for a Tough World
Grace Cheng, Wellesley College
Rod Skinner, Milton Academy
Harvard Summer Institute on College Admissions
Thursday, June 22, 2017

2. Soft Skills: Research and Evidence

3. Two Types of Skills Rear Wheel Skills
Technical knowledge and experience (the “What you can do”), usually measurable and quantifiable
Grades
Scores
Titles
Awards
Activities
Accomplishments
Front Wheel Skills
Ability to steer and navigate (the “How are you going to accomplish things”), intangible qualities and behaviors
Initiative
Communication skills
Leadership
Willingness to be led
Collaborative skills
Personality
Personal Energy
Respect from others
Why anyone would want to be in the same class/club/dorm room as you

4. SCANS report Secretary of Labor’s Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills:
Taking responsibility
Making effective decisions
Persevering
Working well in teams
Communicating effectively
Having empathy
Knowing how to learn

5. Stunning Statistics
25% of workers are in occupations that didn’t exist decades ago >65% of today’s high school students will be employed in jobs that don’t yet exist today!

6. Examples from the Counseling Side

7. Putting the Pieces Together
Developing Interesting and Successful Individuals Starting in Lower School
There are many different pieces that need to be considered when talking about children and technologies.

8. So how do we allow each of us to be our own best individual?
No Magic Formula!
There is NO magic formula of what every child needs to learn or what activities s/he needs to do to be considered successful
Otherwise we would all be clones of each other
So how do we allow each of us to be our own best individual?

9. Pieces Leading to Success
Personality
Passion
Joy
Achievement
Today we are going to quickly look at the following:

10. PERSONALITY Evident in Interacting with Others
Having a Voice and Courage to Speak
Independence
Self-Awareness
Creativity
Leadership
Good Judgment and Character
There are many different pieces that need to be considered when talking about children and technologies.

11. PASSION Developing a Talent, Skill or Motivation Initiative
Independence
Commitment
Curiosity
Developing a Love of Learning
There are many different pieces that need to be considered when talking about children and technologies.

12. JOY Happiness Pride Self-Confidence
Developing Strong Relationships with Others
Respect
Socialization with Peers
Love of Learning
There are many different pieces that need to be considered when talking about children and technologies.

13. ACHIEVEMENT Academic Honesty Integrity Love of Learning Curiosity
Creativity
Courage to Take Risks
Unafraid to be Wrong
Self- Reflective
There are many different pieces that need to be considered when talking about children and technologies.

14. Successful High School Grads
Demonstrate values of honesty, respect, responsibility and kindness
Possess personality, passion and joy
Can speak articulately and reflect thoughtfully
Can make independent decisions, take risks and accept choices and consequences
Are academically prepared for college 14

15. How do we get there?

17. Questions and Discussion