Catherine Basl is a College Success Foundation and AmeriCorps volunteer working full-time for us this year. She’s been focusing on college and career awareness, helping with the College Bound applications, working on goal-setting in classrooms, consulting with teachers, and coordinating our first career fair in a decade. Here’s her report on where things are at the moment.
As Washington Middle School’s AmeriCorps College and Career Coach this year I have had over two hundred conversations with students about jobs and post-secondary education—and many discussions about what it means to be educated or have a career. I am excited to continue exploring future possibilities with Washington students this spring.
Career Fair!
Washington Middle School students began exploring career opportunities through a February career interest survey. In mid March students received the Washington Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board’s Where Are You Going? guide). (Also check out the Bureau of Labor Statistics for Students website.) As a class, students reviewed the guide’s career interest surveys and career cluster descriptions of occupations. Then, on March 22nd Washington students heard from forty-seven community members including engineers, scientific writers, journalists, and the director of the Seattle Center. Speakers presented on their jobs, career experience, and…
education. Many also explained what a day in the life of their work entailed whether saving lives as an EMT or analyzing samples as a Washington State Toxicologist.
Summer Jobs and Volunteer Opportunities
This month I began presenting summer job opportunities for eighth grade students at lunch. Jobs include the Ecology Youth Corps summer program and Parks Department positions for teens. I will also recommend summer volunteer programs as an excellent way to build leadership skills that translate back into the classroom.
I also recruit eligible students for the Washington State College Bound Scholarship—the deadline for all Washington State eighth grade students is June 30, 2011. Washington Middle School has three hundred and thirty-five eligible students. More information about the College Bound Scholarship can be found on the Higher Education Coordination Board’s HEC Board.