PHILADELPHIA – March 31, 2025 – MicroSociety Inc. (MSI) is proud to partner with American Student Assistance® (ASA), a national nonprofit at the forefront of changing the way kids learn about careers and prepare for their futures, to ensure that low-income middle school students gain the career exposure and durable skills they need to thrive in an evolving workforce.
Revolutionizing Career Exploration for Middle School Students
MSI has been a trailblazer in skills-based, interdisciplinary, real-world learning for the K-8 population for more than 30 years, serving over 650,000 students in 500 schools across 20 states and five countries. Through its unique hands-on model, students don’t just learn about durable skills—they actively apply them every day in their own school-based miniature societies, where they launch businesses, run governments, and tackle real-world challenges. With this new three-year initiative, funded by a $300,000 grant from ASA, MSI will transform its career-connected learning to include high-growth opportunities in technology, engineering, law, public service, and finance while also building the critical thinking, communication, and problem-solving skills employers say are essential for success.
“Too often, students from low-income communities don’t get the career exposure or real-world learning opportunities that set them up for success,” said Carolynn King Richmond, President & CEO of MSI. “Employers are looking for candidates with not just technical skills, but durable skills—like collaboration, adaptability, and leadership—that our education system often delays until high school or beyond. With this initiative, we’re ensuring young people develop these essential skills early, so they’re prepared for the careers of tomorrow.”
Why Career Exploration and Durable Skills Matter for Low-Income Students
🔹 Breaking Barriers to Career Success – Many students in low-income communities lack access to career role models, mentors, and hands-on work experiences. This initiative bridges that gap by immersing students in career-connected learning in middle school.
🔹 Preparing for High-Demand Careers – Industries like technology, engineering, and finance offer pathways to economic mobility, but too few students gain early exposure to these fields. We provide real-world experiences through student-run businesses, government, and entrepreneurship that help students develop career confidence and essential workforce skills.
🔹 Meeting Employer Demands – A 2023 workforce study found that over 70% of executives prioritize durable skills like critical thinking and communication over technical skills like AI proficiency. Yet, our education system delays skill-building for careers until high school or college, leaving young people underprepared. Through this initiative, middle schoolers will develop these durable skills early, setting them up for long-term success.
A Three-Year Plan for Impact
The ASA-funded initiative will roll out in three phases:
- Year 1: MSI will conduct a listening tour, visiting six MicroSociety schools between March and May to engage students, educators, and community mentors and shape this initiative around their needs. These schools include:
- Noah Webster MicroSociety Magnet School (Hartford, Conn.)
- Jersey City Global Charter School (Jersey City, N.J.)
- MicroSociety Academy Charter School (Nashua, N.H.)
- Imagine School at South Vero (South Vero, Fla.)
- Penn Hills Charter School of Entrepreneurship (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
- Eugenio María de Hostos MicroSociety School (Yonkers, N.Y.).
- Year 2: We will test and refine elements of our new middle-grade model and deploy our digital platform in select schools.
- Year 3: The model will be scaled to ensure long-term sustainability and impact.
Join Us in Expanding Career Pathways for Low-Income Students
This initiative is specifically designed to support low-income, minority, immigrant, and rural students, as well as students with special needs. MicroSociety Inc. invites educators, industry leaders, community members, and funders to partner with us to equip middle schoolers with the skills and career knowledge they need to thrive. For more information about MSI and to learn how to bring our hands-on career-connected learning model to your community, email us at bettertogether@microsociety.org:
Media Contact:
Riva Richmond
Director of Content and Development
MicroSociety Inc.
rrichmond@microsociety.org
917-670-4299
About MicroSociety Inc. (MSI)
MicroSociety Inc. (MSI) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to transforming education through immersive, real-world learning experiences. Since its founding in 1991, MSI has worked with schools across the U.S. and internationally to help students develop the entrepreneurial, financial, and civic skills needed for future success. Through participation in student-run miniature societies, we expand horizons, unlock potential, and ensure every child finds their place in the world and shines. Learn more at www.microsociety.org and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
About American Student Assistance® (ASA)
American Student Assistance® (ASA) is a national nonprofit at the forefront of changing the way kids learn about careers and prepare for their futures through access to career readiness information and experiences for all. ASA helps middle and high school students to know themselves—their strengths and their interests— and understand their education and career options so that they can make informed decisions. ASA fulfills its mission–in schools and beyond the classroom–by providing free digital experiences, including Futurescape®, Next Voice™, and EvolveMe®, directly to millions of students and through advocacy, impact investing, research, thought leadership, and philanthropic support for educators, intermediaries, and others. ASA fosters a generation of confident, crisis-proof young people who are ready for whatever path comes next after high school. To learn more about ASA, visit www.asa.org/about-asa.