Instructions:
- Based on the students you serve, identify and briefly explain 2 career readiness or career exploration activities you could implement within your school.
- Then respond to one classmate’s post.
You will make a total of two posts. But feel free to respond to as many as you like!
I am working with high school students who are planning to study abroad and will apply for scholarship programs, here are some career readiness and exploration activities for high school students to prepare them for university and scholarship opportunities, the first one is on my scope of work but the other one where organized by other section and we coordinate or support only on part of our scholarship guidance and awareness:
1. Career Workshops: Host workshops that introduce students to various careers and educational pathways. Bring in professionals to talk about their careers and the skills and education required.
2. Organize college fairs: where universities and colleges set up booths to provide information on programs, admission requirements, and scholarships, and we as scholarship providers also will have a booth to provide students with scholarship requirements and processes.
I am dedicated to serving high school students in one of the Bloom charter schools, catering to grades 9 and 10. As of now, our program extends only up to grade 10. Allow me to share two of my structured career development lessons.
1. Self-Exploration: This activity, titled “Who Am I,” embarks students on a self-journey. Through thoughtfully crafted questions, students engage in a profound self-discovery process, delving into their personal strengths, values, and aspirations. This exercise nurtures self-awareness, guiding students to gain a deeper understanding of themselves, identify areas for personal growth, and establish meaningful goals. The ultimate aim is to encourage students to seamlessly integrate their self-awareness and aspirations into their personal and academic journeys, reinforcing the enduring significance of self-discovery in their growth and development.
2. Career Assessment and Awareness through Discussion: Our second activity, “Exploring Your Future,” is a cornerstone of our comprehensive career preparation program. Here, students embark on a holistic journey of self-discovery and strategic planning. To catalyze their path to success, students commence with a career interest assessment, a pivotal step that helps them unearth their passions and interests. Armed with newfound clarity, they transition into the creation of meticulous job descriptions for their envisioned future careers, meticulously outlining daily tasks and responsibilities. They also delve into the practicality of financial acumen as they present budgets, carefully delineating potential income and expenses in their chosen career paths. To ensure that they are not only prepared but to thrive in their professional pursuits, we guide them through the development of a skills plan complete with a well-structured timeline. This empowers these ambitious individuals to maximize their potential and pursue their dreams with confidence.
Reply:
Career workshops and college fairs are practical and highly beneficial activities, especially for students in grades 11 and 12, where they often make critical career decisions and plans. I intend to introduce similar programs for my senior high school students in the upcoming academic year.
It is really vital to focus on the two structures you mentioned. Self-exploration will help the students to understand themselves more through knowing their personal strengths and personal growth. Career assessment and awareness important for self-discovery and strategic planning for career future
In my opinion; Self-exploration is a really wonderful tool to teach kids from an early age and being able to reflect is something they will carry with them even in their personal lives as they build their emotional intelligence. It’s not easy work- not for the counsellors or even for the students themselves so I think it’s great that you encourage this at school level, Kate.
And then following that up with having them look outside themselves and understand how they can impact the world beyond them in your “Exploring your Future’ program will help them develop big-picture thinking as a competency.
I serve students in grade 6, the primer focus on exploration. In this age concentrating intensely on increasing Self -understanding by exploring professional life for the students, without helping them to take specific professional options, through boost community volunteer work, and enhance preparation to participate in the professional preparation program. Also, allow students to use decision- making skills to merge individual data with their knowledge of the workplace and plan a high school course of study to meet their goals.
respond to one classmate’s (Kate) post
I like both of structured career development lessons and career plans shared by Kate they look well-structured and beneficial for students’ personal and professional development, this combination of self-awareness and practical career preparation can be very effective in helping students make informed and confident decisions about their future paths.
Since I don’t work in a school, and the students that I work with are post-secondary school students I would say that activities such as career fairs and internships would be beneficial in my world.
Internships are a wonderful way for a student to build not only technical skills for a specific career or function, but more than that it teaches some relevant soft skills which will help students later when they enter the world of work.
Career fairs are more informational and sometimes you find simulation events that take place at these events, which is also a great way for students to get exposure to the different types of roles out there today. There are less traditional roles that have come up in recent years, and there are weird-and-wonderful combinations of skills sets people can use to add value in career journey.
career fairs are a good tools to discover a verity of job roles
career activities are essential for school students to be able to make decisions about their future career paths. for my students we made career comic strips, this allows the students to discover a verity of jobs by making a comic strips.
by implementing these activities within the school, students will be better equipped to make informed career choices and be prepared for their future endeavors in the workforce.
1- Career Exploration Workshops:
Activity Description:
Bring in guest speakers from different career fields to share their experiences and insights.
Objectives:
Introduce students to a diverse range of career options.
Provide real-world perspectives on different professions.
2- Career Exploration Fair:
Activity Description:
Host a career exploration fair within the school premises, where students can interact with professionals, industry representatives, and higher education institutions. Create booths or stations for different careers, allowing students to ask questions, participate in activities, and gather informational materials.
Objectives:
Provide a hands-on and interactive experience for students to explore various careers.
Foster networking opportunities between students and professionals.
Highlight the educational pathways and skills required for different careers.