When I graduated high school, I had no direction. I had no goals, no real big dreams; and most importantly, I had no idea what I wanted to do. I had an aptitude for math and science, and my uncle was an electrical engineer. So, I thought, "why not do that?" I entered Old Dominion University as an EE major, and after 3 semesters, I quit. A significant student loan debt and 18 months later, I knew that was not my pathway. I joined the military, and in the last 18 months of my service, discovered my passion and what would be my genius. I was an instructor for my unit's leadership preparation course, and I knew my pathway.
Wouldn't it be awesome if our students had at least a taste of what they thought they wanted to do before actually committing to that pathway? At Kellam High School (@KellamHigh) in Virginia Beach City Public Schools (@vbschools), we have engaged our students in a Job Shadow Day for two years now. We intentionally target Juniors for this event, because they are on the verge of committing to a pathway. We ask them what field they are interested in, and we find a partner to match them with for a day. Of about 500 Juniors, 140 of them completed the application. A small steering committee worked tirelessly over several months to find matches, and we found 36 community partners to engage our students. Yes, 140 of our Juniors, in the field, with 36 different partners to spend about 4 hours learning about their various careers of interest. To say the day was successful would be an understatement. I have yet to read all of the feedback forms from the partners and students, but the energy from the day was amazing. I encourage you to check out the "Latest" from #JobShadow on Twitter to catch some of the action. Our Juniors went to a tattoo parlor, oyster farm, engineering-in-progress sites, court, Naval Air Station Oceana, Navy SEALs base, a photography studio, a music production studio, just to name a few. In talking with the students during our reflection luncheon, almost all were certain they have chosen the right pathway. On Job Shadow Day, a fire was lit that they would not want to nor be able to extinguish. For some, they changed their minds about their pathway - which is just as important as confirming. One student came back with a $10/hour internship job beginning soon, increasing to $13/hour when he turns 18! Currently an event, we have a vision that on the horizon, this will morph into more of an experience. For credit. The partnerships will solidify over the next few years, and as the Commonwealth of Virginia's Department of Education pushes the envelope for graduation requirements, experiences like these will count towards successful graduation. Real. Authentic. Personalized. The learning experiences our students engage in should matter. Exploring what they believe to be their passion, their genius. And doing so in a way that builds and applies the knowledge (K-12 curriculum), skills (Creativity, Critical Thinking, Collaboration, Communication, Citizenship), and dispositions (adaptability, flexibility, grit, resilience, risk taking, gratitude, service, humility, compassion) they need to be successful when they walk across our graduation stages and move their tassels from the right to the left of their caps. Hard work, teamwork, commitment, connections, and resourcefulness were all required. I was fortunate enough to work with a small steering committee who believed so deeply in the experience of Job Shadow Day, they poured hours of their time into finding matches. I am eternally grateful for their work to make this experience happen for our students: Mrs. Myers (Parent-Community Partner), Mrs. Eckert (Teacher and Community Engagement Liason), Mrs. Caruso (School Counselor), Mrs. Pierce (Administrator), and Mrs. Raftery (Division Community Engagement Liason). All engaged voluntarily; Job Shadow Day is not a duty, not a responsibility. For the team, who has a full plate already, it was a passion project. A moral imperative. What a team! They worked to find matches for the 36 partners who, without their engagement, would not have ever happened. So many to thank! Our school believes so deeply in providing personalized and authentic learning experience that we dedicate a day in the school year to providing students with this opportunity. Our goal is to engage all Juniors in this experience, because soon, it will count for high school credit. With Job Shadow Day, we are one step closer to re-imagining and re-designing the high school experience for our students.
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