Northeast High School Students Excel in Unique 3DE Program

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Excitement and nerves filled the air in Northeast High School as students presented their projects to a gathering of peers, teachers, and business coaches in a unique program known as 3DE on Wednesday, March 13, 2024.

“Your spiel is walking them through your idea, your box tops, your vision boards,” said Dr. Stephanie Reynolds, Director of School Leadership of Junior Achievement 3DE at Northeast High School.

3DE Program: A Unique Opportunity

This unique educational opportunity is currently only available in the state of Missouri at Northeast High School. The program, which lasts for a period of six weeks, challenges students to push their boundaries and work cooperatively with students and business partners on an intricate project.

Students’ Experience and Growth

Participating sophomore, Lyrik Hearn, expressed that this initiative significantly set the students apart, especially considering the socio-economic challenges they face. This sentiment was echoed by Robert Vasquez, another participant who noted a marked improvement in his public speaking skills thanks to his involvement in the program.

“Beforehand, every time I’d try to talk to somebody, there would be this fear of me saying the wrong thing, or me not saying the word properly. I’d be scared to talk in front of a group of people, even just one person, but now I can talk to a lot of people,” Vasquez said.

Hearn also noted the benefits the 3DE program has had on her development and future prospects. “I’ve gained a lot of people skills, I’ve talked to a lot of businesses, I’ve gotten job referrals,” she said.

Impacting Graduation Rates

Despite the nerves induced by such a large-scale project, the students successfully presented their advertising ideas and visions for a campaign centered around Box Tops for Education. The project culminated in a gallery walk where the students presented their vision of the campaign to various students and adults.

Discussions around the impact of the 3DE program reveal that it has a significant positive effect on sophomore graduation rates, with many more students now on track to graduate than before the program’s implementation.

“This could have been any school, but they chose us to have 3DE,” Hearn said, pointing to a sense of pride and accomplishment that resonates within the student body.

Preparing Students for the Future

Reynolds noted the most significant benefit of the program is the real-world experience that students gain at an early age. “They are getting to do things that most of us didn’t get to do until when we were in college,” she stated.

Dr. Reynolds, along with the students, are hopeful that this unique program will be replicated in more schools across the district, the state, and even the country, providing more students with the necessary skills and experiences to succeed in their future careers and endeavors.