Picture a cozy nook as you immerse yourself in the pages of a captivating story. Welcome to the enchanting realm of Book Lovers Day, a celebration of literature and the transformative power of reading, recognized on August 9.

Studies have shown reading is not just a source of entertainment but also a gateway to numerous health benefits. As you embark on literary adventures, you simultaneously stimulate your mind, improve memory retention, reduce stress levels, and even enhance your social skills. It’s like a workout for your brain, leaving you feeling refreshed, inspired, and intellectually invigorated.

What better way for bibliophiles around the world to celebrate Book Lovers Day than to share in new authors, different genres, and a love for books with fellow enthusiasts? Recently, ASU Prep staff and students shared their favorite literary treasures. Let’s take a look at their recommendations.

Student Recommendations

Or Give me Death by Ann Rinaldi, historical fiction, is a Revolutionary War tale about Patrick Henry’s family as told by his daughters about their mother Sarah, who is locked in a cellar due to her mental illness.

Neanderthal Opens the Door to the Universe by Preston Norton, contemporary young adult, is the tale of two mismatched classmates on a mission to make their high school a little less awful.

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garica, gothic horror, is set in glamorous 1950s Mexico and follows a young woman investigating her cousin’s claims that her husband is trying to murder her.

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson, young adult mystery, is a series about an investigation turned obsession when a student re-examines the closed case of a murdered schoolgirl.

Tokyo Ever After by Emiko Jean, young adult fiction, tells the story of a Japanese American girl discovering her father’s true identity—the Crown Prince of Japan—and being caught between two worlds.

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo, fantasy fiction, is a two-book series following the Shadow and Bone trilogy that tells the story of a criminal prodigy and his crew on an impossible heist.

The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han, young adult romance, is a trilogy that follows Belly’s most memorable summers, growing up and falling in love.

Some notable reliables that were also recommended by students include the fantasy series Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling and The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien, as well as coming-of-age classics Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery and Little Women by Louisa May Alcott.

Staff Recommendations

The Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman, nonfiction, combines commentary on product design and the principles of cognitive psychology.

Turn Right at Machu Picchu: Rediscovering the Lost City One Step at a Time by Mark Adams, memoir, is an engaging and funny recounting of the author’s journey to the historic site.

Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi, historical fiction, recounts the lives of two half sisters, one living in a castle, and the other sold into slavery and imprisoned in that same castle.

Last Train to Memphis by Peter Guralnick, biography, tells the story of legendary musician Elvis Presely like never before.

The Human Target by Tom King & Greg Smallwood, detective story, follows the mystery of who is out to murder DC Comics villain Lex Luthor.

Empty Mansions: The Mysterious Life of Huguette Clark and the Spending of a Great American Fortune by Bill Dedman and Paul Clark Newell, Jr., nonfiction, delves into the life of a reclusive heiress, tracing her family’s immense wealth from the Gilded Age opulence to a twenty-first-century legal battle over inheritance.

Many staff members recommended nonfiction instructional books including: The Coaching Habit by Michael Bungay Stanier, Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard by Chip Heath and Dan Heath, Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert B. Cialdini, Boundaries: When to Say Yes, How to Say No to Take Control of Your Life by Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend, and Set Boundaries, Find Peace: A Guide to Reclaiming Yourself by Nedra Tawwa.

Contemporary fiction novels often seen on book club lists were also common suggestions, including This Time Tomorrow by Emma Straub. His and Hers by Alice Feeney was recommended and may lead to reading more of her popular thrillers. The same is true for The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah, which may turn readers into superfans of her many bestselling books.

Celebrate Book Lovers Day

Whether it’s a thrilling mystery, a heartwarming romance, or enlightening nonfiction, there’s always something new to discover in the pages of a good book. Join ASU Prep in celebrating Book Lovers Day by checking out one of these recommendations or sharing your own recommendation with our ASU Prep community on Instagram using #ASUPrepReads. Remember, every book you haven’t read is a new adventure waiting for you.

In honor of National Intern Day on July 27th, we want to shine a spotlight on ASU Prep’s internship program, designed to support high school students on their journey toward higher education and fulfilling careers. ASU Prep is dedicated to providing students with real-world experiences that spark their interests and prepare them for future success. The internship program is part of this commitment, guiding students on college and career pathways.

The ASU Prep Internship Program

ASU Prep offers multiple avenues for students to secure internships. They can either apply from the database of over 50 contacts provided by ASU Prep, create their own internship opportunities, or turn their existing jobs or volunteer experience into an internship. The program is flexible and accommodates different pathways, even allowing students to gain credit for their internship experiences.

An asynchronous digital course brings together students from across the ASU Prep network of campuses. Participants receive support and guidance from a dedicated instructor and are encouraged to collaborate with fellow students through discussion posts, as well as fun “show and tell” type activities where students can “show off” their internships with one another. Students also complete weekly reflections and submit their internship hours. The elective course can be taken twice to earn one full high school credit.

A Network of Strong Partnerships

While some students seek out their own internship opportunity, like one industrious ASU Prep Digital student who worked at a Lafayette, Louisiana police department, others rely on an impressive list of local partners, maintained by Felecia O’Neal, ASU Prep’s Network College and Career Coordinator.

These diverse partnerships have connected students to internships at the Mayo Clinic; Victory Legal Solutions, a female-owned local law firm; the Biltmore Resort; Arizona Department of Corrections, and many more.

And of course, ASU Prep’s relationship with Arizona State University opens up a whole world of internship opportunities. Ms. O’Neal points out Mathematics Professor Natalie B. Welcome as an ideal example of the level of mentorship available: “She not only walks students through how to be a professor, how to grade papers, and how to use rubrics, she also plans field trips so students will visit all the labs. Whether it’s art or science, she lets them connect to a variety of different places on campus.”

Some ASU Prep interns work with ASU’s SCience and ENgineering Experience (SCENE), getting the opportunity to complete science research in state-of-the art university labs. Digital students can even participate by working in a lab closer to home and meeting with their professors virtually.

The Impact and Benefits

By providing real-world experiences and hands-on opportunities, the ASU internship program instills determination and passion in students, igniting a desire to succeed beyond high school. Students gain insights into their fields of interest, explore various industries, and develop transferable skills that are invaluable for their future careers.

Ms. O’Neal explains the importance of these character- (and résumé-) building experiences: “Determination is when you have a vision or feeling that locks in that you are going to pursue success. You’re not just thinking about it in your head, but you’re actually working on doing meaningful work in a particular area. That determination helps you succeed and figure out how to be successful beyond high school.”

To learn more about ASU Prep’s internship program, students can contact their Academic Advisor or Learning Success Coach.

Visit ASU Prep to learn more about all of our programs dedicated to preparing students for success.

When you are a student at Khan World School at ASU Prep you have access to all sorts of exciting education innovation, including Khanmigo, the latest AI tools from Khan Academy. Thanks to her creative AI conversation with Jay Gatsby, Saanvi, a promising ninth grade KWS student, earned a mention in Sal Khan’s latest Ted Talk—How AI Could Save (Not Destroy) Education. Check out the clip below and learn more about this innovative online school at one of their virtual info sessions.

 

Khan World School (KWS) at ASU Prep is where self-motivation, curiosity, and creativity meld together. The results are in—thanks to outstanding student performance in our first year—KWS is transforming lives around the world! Read what this parent has to say:  

Inspiring Meaningful Experiences      

“We are so appreciative of the entire KWS staff for creating and providing our child with an innovative, meaningful, engaging, and encouraging learning experience. You are all doing amazing hard work, which is evident in how our student has grown and blossomed as a KWS student. Thank you, thank you!” 

Khan World School (KWS) at ASU Prep is where self-motivation, curiosity, and creativity meld together. The results are in—thanks to outstanding student performance in our first year—KWS is transforming lives around the world! Read what this parent has to say:  

Optimizing Opportunities

“I just wanted to say how thankful I am that my son is finally in a school environment that is challenging him. I really appreciate that your teachers are sending work back for him to redo if they know he can do better and that they are holding the standard high.

We had such a hard time finding a place where he would have to stretch to meet expectations thereby pushing him to learn really important life and time management skills along with academic skills. The options in our town are very limited so we have always had to handle his education on our own and a school like this has been a dream of ours for a long time that just didn’t exist.

It is a wonderful opportunity for him to meet like-minded people and role models and the work that you put into building a community environment really does make a difference. It is the first time that I have been able to step away from managing his education and I can now allow it to be his own space and his own experience outside of me because I trust that he is in good hands. Thank you for all your hard work.”  

Khan World School (KWS) at ASU Prep is where self-motivation, curiosity, and creativity meld together. The results are in—thanks to outstanding student performance in our first year—KWS is transforming lives around the world! Read what this parent has to say:  

Mastering Self-Motivation & Independence  

“I try to avoid direct contact with the guides, as I am trying to get my son to be as independent as possible. I work with him every Monday to set goals for the week and nudge him to contact the guides when it seems needed.

At the beginning of the year, it seemed he needed significantly more structure, but he has been developing independence, and I have seen a bit more structure (in the form of course completion guides, etc.) from the teachers.

Over the past month or two he has not only become more self-motivated but has also started targeting an “A” in every class, whereas before he was happy to slide by with the minimum.”  

Khan World School (KWS) at ASU Prep is where self-motivation, curiosity, and creativity meld together. The results are in—thanks to outstanding student performance in our first year—KWS is transforming lives around the world! Read what this parent has to say:  

Transformational Growth  

“My husband and I are incredibly happy with Khan World School at ASU Prep. We are proud to have our son in the program. The rapidity with which he has grown has been astounding to us. It’s like he’s finally in a place where the challenge of school has awakened his brain. It’s certainly not an easy program, but it’s not overwhelming either. The topics broached are poignant and timely, and the content is not just surface level but thorough examinations of the material.

Much of the time, there isn’t a straightforward answer to the question posed, which causes him to really scrutinize any given subject deeply and search his own mind for what he believes, too. We’ve had some of the most astonishing conversations with our 14-year-old, and that is a reflection of the school and its guides.

This has been a wild ride so far, and we’re excited for the continued journey together.” 

This was originally published on the Harvard Graduate School of Education website.

Sal Khan appeared on Harvard’s Education Now with host Uche Amaechi. They discussed how new innovations in remote learning can be harnessed to improve instruction in classrooms and make up for learning missed during the pandemic. One of the promising solutions discussed was Khan World School at ASU Prep.

“Khan World School, I’m almost afraid to say the results, they are seeing five times the growth for high school students, because they are getting an opportunity to learn at their own time and at their own pace and really master the concepts.” – Sal Khan, Founder and CEO, Khan Academy; Founder, Khan Lab School; and Co-founder of Schoolhouse.world and Khan World School.

Article written by Krista Hinz. Originally published on ASU News 

August 25, 2022

Arizona State University has been named one of America’s Best Employers By State for 2022 by Forbes.

In partnership with Statista, a global provider of rankings and large-scale polling, Forbes surveyed 70,000 U.S. employees across 25 industry sectors and considered employee experiences such as working conditions, salary, potential for growth and diversity.

Audrey Dumouchel-Jones, ASU’s interim vice president and chief human resources officer, said the award showcases ASU’s reputation as a company that provides excellent employment opportunities at the local and national level.

“Our employees drive ASU’s standard of excellence. This award reflects our talented workforce supporting our ASU Charter and striving to build an inclusive and supportive culture for our students and community,” she said. “We are proud to offer all Arizonans exciting development opportunities and a chance to grow their careers.”

In addition to the career advancement opportunities at ASU, other benefits include 12 weeks of paid parental leave (expanded from six in July 2019), adoption and fertility subsidies, paid time off for volunteer service and an emergency child and elder care program.

Of the thousands of companies eligible for this recognition, only a select few are awarded in each state. The award may also reflect Arizona’s rapid growth in the last several years. According to 2020 census data, Phoenix grew in population at a rate of 11.2% (1.45 million people in 2010 to about 1.6 million in 2020), while Arizona has five of the 15 fastest-growing cities in the U.S., including Queen Creek, Buckeye, Casa Grande, Maricopa and Goodyear.

Forbes and Statista collected direct recommendations from employees as well as indirect recommendations from workers in the industry. Since the employee experience can vary greatly depending on an organization’s size and the individual worker, the rankings look at large and midsize employers. Beginning in 2015 with America’s Best Employers, Forbes and Statista have since expanded the coverage to include those employers considered best for diversity, women and new graduates.