Ford Partnership for Advanced Studies

www.fordpas.org The Ford Partnership for Advanced Studies (Ford PAS) is an academically rigorous, interdisciplinary curriculum and program that provides students with the content knowledge and skills necessary for future success in areas such as business, economics, engineering, and technology. The Ford Motor Company Fund and Education Development Center Inc. (EDC) developed the inquiry- and project-based program, which offers five semester-long elective courses that link learning in traditional academic subjects with realistic applications. These links are forged through communitywide, cooperative efforts and innovative partnerships that join local high schools, colleges and universities, and businesses. The learning modules within the courses are designed so that skills and content knowledge develop as students move from one module to the next, and the realistic applications prepare students for the challenges they will face in postsecondary education and the workplace. For example, in a semester-long course, Planning for Business Success, students become managers of a fictitious local band trying to break into the national music scene. Through case studies and computer simulations, they learn about marketing and finance. They also debate ethical issues involved in marketing. Eventually, they create a business plan that they then pitch to potential “investors” from the community. In addition to the semester-long courses, Ford PAS offers five modules that can be used independently as units in existing courses in economics, engineering, physics, statistics, and U.S. history. Ford PAS also assists teachers through online courses and forums, professional development institutes, technical assistance, and conferences that provide networking opportunities.