KnoPro is powered by NAF, which is a national non-profit educational organization. While KnoPro itself is a CTE platform created to provide students with the most in-demand skills, it also offers solutions to companies thanks to student ideas.
Basically, this is a place where struggling companies can set tasks for students to work on and solve, gaining valuable work experience in the process. That way, it should be a win-win scenario and is likely why more than 120,000 US high schools work with this system.
Companies have real problems identified, while students gain real-world experience that is great for college and job applications in the future.
This guide presents everything you need to know about KnoPro to see how it could work in your classroom.
What is KnoPro?
KnoPro is a CTE-friendly platform developed to help students work on real-world skills by solving problems for businesses that might need their help. By using a points and reward system, you allow children to feel involved in this way of learning and developing.
Thanks to partners working with the platform, including American Express, Fleischer Scholars, Lenovo, Merck and others, it allows students to connect with real companies. The result is that a student or group could find a solution to a problem that is actually used by real companies – a great line to add to the resume.
The system works through challenges to give you a sense of competition, but also to help break down the sections that students can work on. This may include assigning tasks to individuals or groups as a way to help develop specific skills based on the demands of each task.
How does KnoPro work?
Individual students can enroll in KnoPro as long as they go to high school. They are then faced with a selection of challenging topics to choose from and can choose to work alone or in teams.
Teachers can also register and search through projects, as well as monitor student progress and receive feedback as they progress.
The system uses virtual mentors to provide feedback so that students can work largely independently of teacher help. They will then be able to submit their work to earn points and potentially win cash prizes.
Non-core entry options are also available through which students can try out the Daily Skillbuilders, as they are called. These are designed to help develop skills and also win prizes, but on a smaller scale, and usually only take about 10 minutes or less to complete.
What are the best features of KnoPro?
KnoPro is as realistic as possible. So, despite being digital and safely accessible, students can create change in real business scenarios. This is a tremendously enriching experience for students in itself.
The monitors who offer comments are hired from the main companies that work with the platform. This means that students receive direct feedback as they might in a future job, giving them invaluable experience and skills.
The gamification of all of this makes it super accessible in a way that isn't scary, which might otherwise be a simple task. Students earn points and have the potential to win those cash prizes, incentivizing them perfectly.
It's about getting an internship-like experience for students without costing them anything or requiring them to go anywhere. And thanks to Skillsbuilder's daily challenges, prizes and points are up for grabs on a regular basis.
KnoPro is only for students ages 13 and up, so while teachers might be able to solve problems with a younger class, they won't be able to sign up for their own work accounts.
How much does KnoPro cost?
KnoPro was created by NAF, the non-profit organization, as a way to provide work experience to more children and as such has done so for free. Students can win cash prizes, but participating costs them nothing more than their time and effort.
Best KnoPro Tips and Tricks
do daily
Get students in the habit of participating by encouraging those daily challenges, in class and on their own time.
form a team
Set up groups so students can encourage and support each other as they get a feel for the process of how this all works.
give prizes
Offer your own class-based rewards to help students feel like winners even if they don't win overall on the assignment.
