How to Connect with Students
URGENT: An opportunity now to talk about what you do
The School District is seeking speakers for their virtual Academic Career Planning (ACP) on December 21. Most speakers currently are not local! They want people who are relatable - who have walked a different path to get to their successful career. Contact Britta below.
|
"We have a number of different ways that businesses or groups, whether it's local nonprofits, or military or others come in and access our kids." -- Tony DePaolo, Logan High Associate Principal
- Set up a table during lunchtime on what you do
kids can stop by and ask questions about what you do, get information, build connections, and you can get your contact information to them
-
Connect with Matt Gordy (La Crosse Promise) whose goal is to connect students to careers. Examples he can help with:
- Lunch & Learn to talk about your profession and business
- Job shadows
- Create a Club. Ex. Rotary's Interact Club (service-focused) or the Educator's Rising Club (to promote pursuing teaching). The students have time on Wednesdays and Thursdays to meet with their club, at least monthly. Required: a staff advisor + outside co-partner
- Program Engagement. Work with the Archicitechture, Construction and Engineering (ACE) or Health Science Academy where students learn hands-on about a career.
- Summer Job Openings: Call their office. They will do what they can to get the jobs in front of students.
- TIP: Ask a teacher - particularly one who teaches close to what you do - to connect with students. Ex. Restaurants = Family & Consumer Education teacher
- Smaller time-commitments or donations: Be a guest speaker in a class, partner for an event they host, donate an item for their program that provides incentives for kids to learn, or suggest working with students in some way. Ranger Renaissance recognizes academic achievement and had a sampling of different foods one year.
Ex. Ruth Kapanke with the Loggers goes to Northwoods Elementary to help promote reading with “getting around the bases” with prizes at each base and tickets.
|
Presenters
with the School District:
Anthony DePaolo
Associate Principal
Logan High School
adepaolo@lacrossesd.org
608.789.3201
Britta Rotering
Supervisor of Career & Technical Education, School District of La Crosse
broterin@lacrossesd.org
608.789.8948
Another Contact
Matt Gordy
Futures Center
Logan High School
Matt assists students find a career and complete the steps to get there -- ex. applying for school, federal aid applications (FAFSA), organize tours, etc.
mgordy@lacrossepromise.org
608.789.7034
|
Go Beyond Name Recognition,
Build a Future Employee with On-the-Job Students
"One of our goals is to bring more [career certificate trainings] to our high school programs ... so students are trained at a higher level or in a specific pathway if they choose at the time they graduate .... The other piece that we're missing is work-based learning." -- Britta Rotering
Examples of certificates offered include AutoCAD, SafeServe (food), nursing assistant, EMT.
Rotering is new to the district after building a growing apprenticeship program elsewhere. There are more than 65 opportunities for students to work in businesses during class time. Required: one person in the business to work with the student + one on-site visit by the school.
They currently have 10 students waiting to work in businesses who can work portions of their school day.
“This is an opportunity to grow your own," Rotering said. “Get a student who's interested in the pathway, who's taken our courses, who's looking for a next step."
She said ideally, the student stays in their position in your company and advances within it.”
Rotering points to Ashley Furniture's successful model last year with 13 apprenticeships in IT, finance, human resources, engineering, international business, and more.
