Gateway America Prep

The Importance of Soft Skills

There’s no doubt that a solid base in literature, advanced math, scientific concepts, and history are important to your child’s education. But educators and employers alike are increasingly emphasizing the importance of teaching children crucial “soft skills” before they reach graduation. “Soft skills” refer to personal attributes, such as problem solving, self-motivation, leadership, communication, and the ability to socialize. These skills are in high demand in the job market, and workers who possess these skills are better equipped for problem solving and successful interactions with others. Soft skills are also a major asset to college students, as success at the university level requires considerable self-motivation, time management, and goal setting.
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Soft Skills In Action

In our small environment, we encourage peer mentoring and group work to help our students develop crucial soft skills. Group work is an excellent opportunity for students to practice their communication, leadership, and teamwork skills—all considered crucial soft skills. It’s also valuable for students to learn to solve problems together. This helps students learn to collaborate with others, and teaches students how to solve problems they may not be able to tackle on their own.

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Soft Skills through Socialization

Social development is as important to our students as academic success. Gateway America encourages students to develop strong relationships with their families, teachers, and other students. Students have many opportunities to interact with their classmates, ranging from peer mentoring and group work, to breaks during the day for socialization, conversation, and games. Being able to interact effectively with others is a crucial element of building soft skills. These activities help students build their communication and interpersonal skills, and we believe this will benefit them greatly in their life after Gateway.

The Value of Our Community

Gateway America is proud of its culture of community. We encourage parents and families to be involved in their child’s education as much as possible. As we teach personal responsibility, communication, and relationship development, it is highly valuable to the student if these skills are reinforced, practiced, and modeled at home. It is our goal for students to build strong relationships with their parents, while also gaining the ability to speak for themselves on any occasion. We work to create a safe and welcoming environment where all students, regardless of race, ability, or sexual orientation, feel comfortable and supported in their learning.