President Biden’s executive order on AI makes one thing clear: The role of Artificial Intelligence in our lives will expand at a rapid rate.

These guidelines point to the ever-accelerating pace of change in our world, and the need for adaptability to succeed during this era. But how will schools adjust to these shifting circumstances? We can look at how schools responded during the pandemic as a starting point.

As student mental health issues rose, schools responded by introducing or expanding Social-Emotional Learning. Leaders knew that for students to learn, they needed emotional regulation, relationship skills, and other SEL competencies.

SEL: necessary but insufficient for student success

Now, as the professional world sprints ahead, fueled by AI advancements, new skills and knowledge become essential.

Consider The World Economic Forum's recent Future of Jobs report. Their list of essential skills includes analytical and creative thinking, resilience, motivation, leadership, social influence, and technological literacy.

These skills are inclusive of SEL competencies but expand them considerably.

An ever-evolving world leads to less certainty about the skills and knowledge students should learn. Schools can’t rely on teaching specific facts. Instead, they must teach useful tools that help students understand the world and learn faster.

Enter Power Skills and mental models

The list of competencies outlined in the Future of Jobs report are what we at NXTLVL call Power Skills. Power Skills help students think critically and creatively, communicate effectively, and collaborate seamlessly.

Beyond Power Skills, students must learn how to learn. Enter: mental models.

Mental models are tools for understanding how the world works. These are concepts like first principles thinking, probabilistic thinking, and the circle of competence. With mental models, students approach challenges with tools to adapt faster and more effectively.

Students who learn mental models can adjust faster than any course or curriculum ever could.

Fortunately, SEL, soft skills and mental models work synergistically. SEL provides the foundation for the development of soft skills. Soft skills contribute to the construction and refinement of mental models. Finally, Mental models enhance the application and effectiveness of soft skills.

With new skills come new methods

Here, a response might be, then why don’t schools expand their SEL programs to include Power Skills and mental models? Even then, the methods used to teach SEL fall short. A new approach that supports the forward-looking nature of these skills is required.

SEL methods like stories and self-reflections may help students develop emotional intelligence. However, to teach SEL competencies while also helping students build Power Skills and knowledge of mental models, students need real-world applications.

They need situations that demand strategic thinking. They need to put their learning into practice through creative problem-solving situations that require teamwork.

A head start on the future

This is where NXTLVL's unique approach comes in. NXTLVL uses SEL as a foundation and builds Power Skills and mental models on top. We do this by immersing students in team-based complex problems. Through these experiences, students rapidly build valuable soft skills and mental models. By working in teams and receiving expert guidance, they adjust their thinking in real-time. These experiences better equip students to deal with their current academic and social challenges, while also simulating a future that demands adaptability, resilience, and creativity.

Facilitation and coaching here are crucial. Instead of direct instruction, the facilitator asks good questions, nurtures collaboration, and fosters personal growth. Facilitators provide the right amount of guidance to steer kids toward learning objectives and keep them on track. With this model, students gain a mentorship-driven education that extends beyond the classroom, providing them with the practical skills needed to succeed in the modern world.

NXTLVL is backed by prominent ed-tech entrepreneurs like the founder of Brainpop, one of the most engaging K-12 Edtech platforms in history, and the team includes experts like Kurt Squire Professor at UC Irvine and Mike Beal with over a decade of experience in game-based learning at MIT and University of Wisconsin.

The demand for Power Skills and knowledge of mental models is no longer a debate—it's a necessity. We must look beyond SEL and explore the vast landscapes of skills and knowledge that await. The imperative is clear: our students must be equipped to face an AI-powered world head-on, and this necessitates a transformation in educational practices.

It’s time to take your students to the next level, and give them a head start on the future.