Teaching would be the easiest profession of all, if students weren’t involved. It’s because schools strive for conformity and every student is different.

We set standards for learning, issue grades and demand consistency from our educators, but the truth is that no two students are alike and every student takes an individual path to knowledge.

Good teachers understand this reality. They strive to tailor the lesson to each student’s learning style and strengths.

And now there’s a new path to learning, thanks to an Education and Business Initiative by the United Way of Butler County.

Under the initiative, Butler, Butler Vocational-Technical, South Butler, Karns City, Slippery Rock and Mars schools are establishing hands-on projects between classrooms and businesses, with teacher training sessions taking place this past week and full project implementation in the spring.

Pariticipating companies include Oberg, XTO Energy, Penn United Technologies, West Penn Power, Adagio Health and Future Point of Sales.

According to Kierston Hobaugh, director of results and performance at United Way, student perfomance standards won’t change, but the learning style does.

“They’ll still be doing their regular learning, but it would be a project-based learning style, instead of a textbook style,” she said. The stress will be on STEM initiatives — Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.

In a structured on-the-job setting, students will learn how to incorporate the various soft skills, such as teamwork, communication and leadership. The project will act as a job shadowing opportunity, while incorporating educational points from their classes.

“They’re going to have to make a presentation back to the company, using public speaking skills, presentation preparation, all of those other skills that you need in the workplace, but aren’t necessarily singled out to be taught in the schools,” Hobaugh said.

Some students will connect with the opportunity to make a real presentation to real business professionals about real careers available in their home town. The experience in a professional setting is bound to spark the interests of young people contemplating their future.

Catalyst Connection of Pittsburgh, an economic development group that’s helping to train the participating teachers, is stressing the practical application of abstract knowledge.

“Project-based learning is all about hands-on, engaged, real life, relevant learning in the classroom,” says Scott Dietz, a work force initiatives manager with Catalyst Connection. “So we give them some of the best practices and knowledge about that.”

The program is a sound investment of United Way resources — a pure “teach someone to fish” initiative capable of reaching and enriching potential community leaders. It merits the community’s support.