NYC parents call for student version of LinkedIn to showcase achievements

· New York Post

Readin’, writin’ and resumes.

City school kids should have their own version of LinkedIn, according to a parent advisory board pushing the Department of Education to create a platform for students to showcase their achievements to potential colleges and employers.

The DOE already provides a limited internal system to let students manage college applications, communicate with guidance counselors and create a resume.

The Citywide Council on High Schools passed a resolution to implement an ePortfolio initiative for NYC high school students on Oct. 9.

But the Citywide Council on High Schools — a parent volunteer group that advises and comments on educational policy — wants a more public online portfolio for students to highlight their writing samples, projects, extracurriculars and more.

“The creation and maintenance of student ePortfolios are valuable tools for reflecting on personal growth, showcasing achievements, planning future educational and career paths and sharing with higher-educational institutions and potential employers,” the council argued in an Oct. 9 resolution passed after five months of consideration.

Students demonstrate higher quality interview skills after ePortfolio training, according to research cited by the council.

“During my six years on NYC district and citywide high school education councils, I have seen students do some phenomenal work that is just not being captured on their school transcripts,” Ben Morden, a Manhattan CCHS rep and a co-sponsor of the resolution, told The Post.

“E-portfolios allow students to pull together all their achievements in one place without them being scattered through social media or missed entirely,” he added.

Two e-portfolio companies presented their platforms to the council: Trovvit and TomorrowToday.

TommorrowToday prioritizes career readiness programs, according to its website.

Trovvit, which is being piloted at Staten Island Technical High School, focuses on education and personal development, its founder and CEO Torrance Robinson said at the CCHS meeting.

Vendors presented various student e-portfolio programs for the council, including one being pilots in a NYC high school.

Forty-two percent of admissions officers who search applicants online say what they find has a negative impact on their decision, Robinson added.

Aside from doing fun dances on TikTok, students are also looking for a professional way to say “I want to do serious things,” he said.

The non-binding resolution passed by a vote of 7-2 and the group can now advocate for it to the new schools chancellor.