Mesa Public Schools pilots new social media class, remodels schools to prep students for careers

Mesa Public Schools will pilot a new social media content creation course this fall. It’s part of an effort to teach more real-world skills in the classroom.

The district is moving several of its high schools to a college and career academy model, due in part to feedback from students who say they need to see the relevance of what they’re learning.

Jennifer Echols is director of teaching and learning for the district.

“They’ll really be learning through the lens of a very broad career theme," Echols said. "Like we’ll have a business and entrepreneurship academy at several of our high schools and that social media content creation is a nice compliment.”

She said the new elective course will touch on social media’s role in the world and how it’s used, whether that’s for entertainment, marketing, journalism or activism.

“[They will learn about] the different technology tools that you need to create content for social media," Echols said. "There will be some information about generating revenue and some analytics, how are you analyzing the data?”

The course will also help students identify their niche on the internet and teach them about safety. It will start at Red Mountain and Mountain View high schools, but could be expanded if it’s successful.

The district has tapped existing instructors to teach the course. Students will also get visits from local businesses who will talk about how they use social media to generate new customers, etc.