3DE Program

Overview

What is 3DE? 3DE re-engineers education to create engaging learning environments that reflect the world in which we live and will empower students with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to unlock greater economic opportunity. This instructional model breaks free from the traditional classroom structure to bring real-world connectivity into the everyday academic experience. 3DE adapts the case method for high school learners to achieve its competency development learning objectives.

Distinguishing features of our approach include:

• AUTHENTIC BUSINESS CASES: A case refers to a real situation that requires problem-solving and analysis to recommend a solution.
  
  
• INCOMPLETE INFORMATION: Cases intentionally feature ambiguous problems for which no clear or immediately obvious solution exists.
  
  
• COLLABORATIVE COHORTS: Cases require students to cooperate, research, and develop solutions. Teachers work in teams to plan and integrate the case into their lessons and coursework, providing connectivity between the classroom curriculum and the demands of the current economy. Cohorts drive connections and build a sense of belonging.
  
  
• PROTAGONIST VIEWPOINT: Cases actively place students in the shoes of a strategic decision-maker, exposing them to career pathways and industries.
  
  
• FACILITATED DEBATES: Case discussions facilitate group inquiry and encourage students to anticipate opposing viewpoints and defend ideas with evidence.

Students are taught in a manner that increases engagement, strengthens comprehension, builds critical thinking, and accelerates academic performance. The result is a high school experience that reflects the dynamic pace of activity and interconnectedness of life beyond the classroom walls.

As upperclassmen, 3DE students take the experience gained from their freshmen and sophomore years a step further. Juniors start their own pop-up businesses. Seniors apply learning in a real-world setting through a culminating experience called work-based learning, where they earn high school credit while working with a company on a project over the course of a semester.

Students in 3DE earn a high school diploma and accomplish the following:

• Explore a wide range of premier companies, careers, and industries;
• Visit colleges and universities;
• Develop critical soft skills needed for success, no matter what career they pursue;
• Build professional resumes and networks; and
• Develop meaningful, personal, and professional connections they will never forget - 3DE is a family!

Requirements to Enroll and Complete Program:
Enrollment is limited to students who are enrolled in our 3DE schools. Please contact the counseling department at each respective high school for more information. 

There are no costs associated with participation in 3DE. 

Check out the 3DE Flyer

Please Note: The Business Marketing program, in partnership with 3DE by Junior Achievement, is currently exclusive to Potomac and Surrattsville High Schools. It is planned to expand to Central and Fairmont Heights High Schools starting in the 2025-2026 school year.