Meet Jessica Wokas
My education career began in 2007 starting with teaching sixth grade English to Gen Z’ers making their mark in the world. It took me only moments in the classroom to realize that older ways of teaching were not what this generation wanted and needed. Since then, I have taught all grades and levels of Secondary English as well as electives including Creative Writing and Film as Literature, both in the classroom and virtually. In each course, I applied pedagogy and teaching strategies that best fit this generation’s needs.
After earning my Master’s in Curriculum and Instruction from Saint Xavier University, I moved to Maryland and furthered my passion to support students through various leadership roles including as the High School Chair for the Council for Teaching in Learning for Montgomery County Education Association (MCEA) and as a Literacy Content Specialist in Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS, Maryland). Stepping outside of the classroom, I fulfilled my love of curriculum design as an Instructional Designer for the University of Maryland’s Robert E. Smith School of Business as I worked with faculty to develop the program, AI in Healthcare. It was this project that helped me appreciate the potential generative AI has to offer.
As an Instructional Advisor with Hanover Research, I created an array of toolkits and other client deliverables on best practices and policies in education as well as building many online modules for educators on pertinent K-12 topics. Though I thoroughly enjoyed my work outside of the classroom, I noticed one thing missing–the hustle and bustle of the school and directly working with students. In 2023, I came back to MCPS to serve as an Academic Opportunity Specialist and increase access to enriched and accelerated opportunities for historically underrepresented student groups.
No matter my title or role, my passion has always been understanding the younger generations and identifying the ways in which they learn best. This passion is what drove me to create Generation Empower LLC and be an advocate for generations of students who have the potential to truly change the world.
Our Mission
To inform educators and leaders of generational learning traits resulting in a mindset shift for educators and leaders to reshape the education experiences in ways for our current students to thrive as learners.
Our Vision
To empower today’s learners to become tomorrow’s leaders.
Our Values
- Every student can thrive as a learner given the best teaching practices and support they need, specifically based on their generational traits as learners.
- Every educator and educational leader can thrive when supporting students given the knowledge they need to understand current and future generations of learners.
Generation Empower emphasizes the strengths the current generations bring to the classroom. Using an asset-based approach and looking at the future through a macro lens, we identify why students must learn differently in the classroom to best meet their learning needs, not only to be successful today but also to empower them for tomorrow.
We explain to educators the characteristics and learning styles of these generations, connecting this information to current teaching strategies and pedagogies for classroom implementation. By utilizing this asset-based approach, schools, districts, and organizations can amplify their current strategies and curricula with specific research-based best practices aimed around supporting the needs of learners today and tomorrow.
We also support current learners by showcasing to students the skills and passions unique to their generation, highlighting how these are assets to their future.
By reaching educators, education leaders, and students, Generation Empower aims to empower future generations and ensure they receive the necessary learning today to thrive as our leaders of tomorrow.
Our services page highlights the many ways in which we can support your organization.