TRANSFORMING EDUCATION

At 3DE Schools by Junior Achievement, education isn’t just available — IT’S IRRESISTIBLE!

What is 3DE? Relevant Authentic Experiential

3DE transforms high school into a four-year journey where students solve real business challenges, build career-ready skills, launch businesses, and work alongside industry professionals.

Become a student

Become A Student

Step beyond the classroom and into the real world. In 3DE, you’ll solve real business challenges, work alongside professionals, launch your own business, earn industry certifications, access to scholarships, and build the skills and confidence to succeed in college, careers, and life.

Volunteer as a Coach

Volunteer as a Coach

Volunteer just a few hours each semester to mentor students, judge presentations, or coach startup teams.

Invest in Student Success

Invest in Student Success

Help prepare the next generation of talent while strengthening your workforce pipeline. Sponsor a case challenge, provide mentors, fund student experiences, or support scholarships.

HOW WAS 3DE CREATED?

At Junior Achievement, We Believe Education Can Be a Catalyst to a Life of Opportunity…​

But, for far too many students, this is not their reality. ​

In 2015, 3DE was developed through a shared vision from leaders within education, business and Junior Achievement. This collaboration of passionate and innovative individuals united around the belief that equitable access to high quality education is the lever to economic mobility. ​

With 90 percent of students in public schools, the focus was to develop public-private partnerships to systemically re-engineer education to better reflect the real world and prepare students for life beyond the classroom walls.

3DE: “A NEW INSTRUCTIONAL MODEL TO TRANSFORM HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATION”

Through 3DE’s Competency-based Case Method, students master competencies for economic competitiveness, while increasing learning engagement and strengthening academic comprehension.

This comprehensive instructional approach unlocks the creative capital of educators and fosters and behaviors, skills and mindsets so all students have the capability, experiences and self-efficacy to lead choice-filled lives.

3DE Schools prepare today’s students for the demands of tomorrow’s economy by:

    • Integrating business challenges (i.e., real-world concepts) directly into education, learning moves past theory to heighten students’ appreciation for academics (e.g., Reading, History, Math, Science, etc.) and long-term workforce aspirations.
    • Infusing business connectivity into ALL aspects of learning to deepen students’ understanding of core academic subjects, to sustain student classroom engagement, and to develop the necessary workforce development skill sets for success.

What Makes 3DE Schools Unique?

The 3DE school “within-a-school” model uses real-world experiences to connect standards based learning and project-based application to create interdisciplinary learning environments. This model breaks through traditional barriers and redesigns the framework of education from the inside out – expanding economic opportunity for ALL students. It…

1. Provides access and exposure for students to diverse, high-growth careers

2. Provides businesses innovative perspectives to discover new productivity ideas and/or solutions by tomorrow’s leaders, future consumers, and future employees

3DE Schools Thrive

3DE fosters a highly engaging and motivational environment to empower students with the knowledge, skills and ambition to navigate their own path to success. The reflections below are a snapshot of the energy and camaraderie that developed among 3DE students and teachers.

97% OF 3DE STUDENTS FEEL ENCOURAGED BY THEIR TEACHERS.

98% OF 3DE STUDENTS FEEL EXCITED ABOUT THEIR FUTURES.

98% OF 3DE TEACHERS SAY THEY’RE INSPIRED TO BE A BETTER TEACHER.

3DE Schools by Junior Achievement