Who We Are
In 2015, Future Think joined forces with The Caribbean Diaspora for Science, Technology & Innovation (UK) and The British Foundation of the University of the West Indies to raise the STEM achievement levels of Caribbean families in the UK. The STEM achievement levels of our Caribbean communities in the UK have long been worryingly low. Yet a strong STEM foundation is critical to opening doors to well-paid jobs in our fast-changing, technologically sophisticated, 21st-century jobs marketplace.
What We Do
We help our students academically but our ambitions are far greater. We:
1. Raise awareness of the new and emerging job opportunities available to those with the right skills and mindset;
2. Actively seek to ignite a passion for STEM, and build the emotional resilience, motivation, and confidence needed to succeed;
3. Empower students to learn how to learn – a key skill needed in the workplace of today and tomorrow;
4. Equip students to develop into independent, collaborative, life-long learners.
Since research shows clearly that parents play a crucial role in children’s academic achievement and career choices, we work extensively with and through parents, and run tightly facilitated “Parents Helping Parents” problem-solving discussions. The close involvement of parents also helps us to manage safeguarding considerations.
We draw on the expertise and experience of STEM specialist teachers, a qualified and experienced parenting educator, Caribbean parents of high achievers, and a network of STEM professionals to shape and deliver our programs. At the same time, we believe that we are all on a learning journey together. Everyone has valuable insights and expertise to share. and we encourage all parents and students in the Club to connect, share and learn from one another.
Feedback from Previous Years’ Parents
“People Helping People” Problem-Solving Discussions
We try hard to create a safe space for the families in our network to develop the social and intellectual capital and know-how all families need to thrive in fast and constantly changing educational and labor market landscapes. We seek to build trust, generate commitment, and drive results through well-developed “Relationship Intelligence” (RQ). We embrace the following four key RQ skills promoted by the world’s leading expert on relationship awareness theory, Tim Scudder Ph.D., a principal and primary researcher at Core Strengths (www.corestrengths.com):
1.Positive regard: treating people (including oneself) with dignity and respect, always assuming positive intentions and motives.
2. Service orientation: being curious and open to learning what people need; being willing to meet other people’s needs and being appreciative when they meet yours.
3. Personal accountability: taking ownership and initiative; being responsible for the results of your actions and choices.
4. Strength-based agility: the intentional use of behavior strengths in pursuit of desired outcomes, choosing the right person(s) and tools for the job.
Some of our previous People Helping People Problem-Solving Discussions can be found here