| We began our career
mentoring program as a way to deal with motivational problems
interfering with the academic achievement of teens. Relevance
was the missing ingredient in their school work for many of them. If
they saw no purpose to what they were studying, it was difficult to
stay motivated to work hard at it—even if their aptitudes and
skill levels presented no problems.
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Emily on a job
shadowing visit
with Carrie the Veterinarian
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When are we ever
going to use this stuff? is a common question, one with a huge
impact on how enthusiastically young people will throw themselves into
their studies. It can be dealt with partially by teachers, who can
include more applied problems and project-based instruction. But it can
also be approached by helping students develop their own career goals.
A teen who has focused on designing space habitats for NASA as a
career goal, for example, will be motivated to take and to succeed at
the required math and science courses.
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Emily meets
a customer while
visiting an animal hospital
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Our solicitation of
career exploration resources (tours, presentations, and job shadowing) and sponsorship of career clubs and fairs were aimed at encouraging career
exploration, but we felt something more personal was needed.
High school mentoring coordinator Karyl Shand pioneered self-discovery
workshops for teens; the first was a slumber party for girls at Ann
Arbor's teen center, The Neutral Zone. Others were
advertised and held at
Pioneer High's Career Center with great help from its director,
Joyce Williams.
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Anna and
her Kiwanian
career mentor, Gene
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To allow for even more individualized attention,
she and Reach Out! sponsor Jeannine LaSovage developed a
six-week career mentoring program matching volunteers from the Downtown Ann Arbor Kiwanis Club with
teens. The first time, this required a lot of training and support for
mentors, especially those who had never before used a computer! More
than two years later, we have a few faithful mentors who take on new
teens every year, as well as some brave newcomers. They personify
mentoring, often going way beyond the parameters of the program
design to provide the guidance and shadowing experiences they think
their teens need. Kiwanians have also been generous with ongoing
financial support for this and other programs. We have truly become
partners with them in serving area youth.
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Slauson Middle
School teacher Doris Sprentall,
principal Mark Ravlin (at rear),
and
Builders Katie, Elizabeth, and Kiesa
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Besides working with
Pioneer High students, Kiwanians have embraced the members of the
Builders Club they sponsor at
Slauson Middle School. This club, like others, was created both to
serve youth through encouraging their growth and maturation, and to
serve the greater community through their activities. While service
has been a terrific way to engender responsibility and a focus on
others in these young people, those who have had career mentors have
experienced even more growth toward their adult selves.
They have been
empowered to think about their futures as actors who will determine
their own course. They have been given the knowledge required to do
realistic career planning. For example, one Builder learned what kind
of education is required for her desired career as a veterinarian,
how she might become a Vet Technician if that seems too daunting, and
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Mentor Si,
teacher Doris, and Builders
Emily, Bonnie, Marly, and Kiesa
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where in the state training could be obtained for both career paths.
The Vet with whom she shadowed offered to take her on in a summer job
to experience more of the work's variety.
As adults, we tend to overestimate how much young people know about
the specifics of a career: the pay level, the training required, the
working conditions, and so forth. It is not enough to dream about
a future—they need information to chart a realistic course toward
that future!
Want to replicate this program? See The
Mentoring Process to find out how!
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