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Youth Staff Training Program i Module 5: Education and Career Development Youth Staff Training Program i Module 5: Education and Career Development

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Youth Staff Training Program ii Module 5: Education and Career Development

Module 5: Education and

Career Development

Content Guide

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Youth Staff Training Program

Youth Staff Training Program iii Module 5: Education and Career Development

Youth Staff Training Program iv Module 5: Education and Career Development


Youth Staff Training Program v Module 5: Education and Career Development

Acknowledgments The Youth Staff Training Program is a series of self-study training modules that form the core of the Navy Foundation Training Program for Program Assistants working with youth in sixth – twelfth grades. The competency-based training modules equip Program Assistants with the skills and knowledge necessary to be successful working with youth and include real-life situations faced by middle school and teen youth every day. To promote training consistency across Child and Youth Programs (CYP), the module format and selected activities and content are patterned after similar series of training modules developed by Teaching Strategies Inc. used by military School-Age Care (SAC), Child Development Center (CDC), and Child Development Home (CDH) Programs. We thank Teaching Strategies, Inc. for laying the groundwork and developing a self-study training format that supports Navy staff working across child and youth program areas. We also thank the Council for Professional Recognition whose “Functional Areas” form the basis of the “core competencies” for youth staff. Many people contributed to the concept, writing, and overall development of this training program. First, we would like to thank M.-A. Lucas, Director of Army Child and Youth Services, who recognized the impact staff have on the lives of military middle-school and teen youth and identified the need for quality training in the youth program. Special thanks to Mary Ellen Pratt, Chief of Army Child Development Programs / CYS Training Programs, Army Youth Modules Project Manager, for her guidance and direction throughout the development of the modules. We also want to recognize Roxanne Spillet, President Boys and Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) and Sarah Berry-Rabun, BGCA Youth Modules Project Manager, for their collaborative support on this project. In addition, we are appreciative of the encouragement and assistance provided by Kevin Montgomery, Chief of Army Youth Programs, for the development of The Youth Staff Training Program. Project content primary authors / editors: Karen Shannon, BGCA Consultant Chris Corrado, BGCA Director of Training & Professional Development

Donna M. McGrath, Army Youth Sports & Fitness Program Manager (Project Lead) Deb Marple, Army 4-H Coordinator, 4-H/Army Youth Development Project

In addition, the following served as primary authors for specific modules: Derry G. Koralek, DGK Associates (Safe) and, from the USDA/ Army Youth Development Project - Marcia McFarland (Professionalism), Dr. Jacqueline Scott (Social and Cultural; Guidance; Families, Communities and Schools) and Dr. Angela Huebner (Guidance). Content on Character Counts! and the Six Pillars of CharacterSM

1 was provided throughout the modules by Mary Jo Williams, Character Education Specialist, 4-H/Army Youth Development Project. Other contributing authors include: from Army CYS Headquarters – Nancy Campbell, Linda Harwanko, Maria Lopez Henderson, Kevin Montgomery and Mary Ellen Pratt, and from the USDA/Army Youth Development Project – Courtney Gaskins and Marianne Reynolds. We would also like to thank Army CYS Headquarters staff Virginia Brown, Nora Clouse, Bea Curl and Ingrid Osewalt for reviewing and providing feedback on the modules. This training program will allow staff to expand their knowledge about middle school and teen youth and their interests, challenges and overall development. Through the completion of the modules, staff will also have the opportunity to build skills in programming, communicating with youth and helping youth to grow and develop into productive citizens and leaders in their communities. Copyright 2006 AMWRF. All rights reserved. Photocopying or reproduction strictly prohibited except within the Department of Defense. 1 CHARACTER COUNTS! and the Six Pillars of CharacterSM are service marks of the CHARACTER COUNTS! Coalition, a project of the Josephson Institute of Ethics, www.charactercounts.org.

http://www.charactercounts.org/


Youth Staff Training Program vi Module 5: Education and Career Development

Education and Career Development

Welcome to Module 5: Education and Career Development. Encouraging youth to set goals and make sound decisions related to education and career interests is an important role for Program Assistants. This guide will show you how to continue to develop your skills and knowledge as a youth worker to create an environment where learning is fun without being an extension of school. The Table of Contents below will give you an overview of what you’ll be covering. Throughout this Content Guide, you’ll be directed to the companion Skill Building Journal. This journal contains a module checklist for you to use to chart your progress, a pre-training assessment as well as worksheets for each of the activities in this guide. Together, the Content Guide and Skill Building Journal will help you identify opportunities for growth and put your new ideas into practice. After you move through this Content Guide and Skill Building Journal, your final step will be to complete this module’s knowledge and competency assessments. When you have finished this module, let your trainer know you are ready to schedule them. After you have successfully completed the assessments, you will be ready to begin a new module. Section Page 5.1 Introduction 1

Overview 1 Take a Closer Look 9 Self-Reflection 15

5.2 Pre-Training Assessment 17 5.3 Learning Activities 18

A. Learning Styles 19 B. High-Yield Learning Activities 21 C. Career Development and Work Options 25 D. Working with Youth in Exploring Career Options 28 Summarizing Your Progress 31

Youth Staff Training Program vii Module 5: Education and Career Development

Youth Staff Training Program viii Module 5: Education and Career Development


Youth Staff Training Program 1 Module 5: Education and Career Development

Creating an environment that provides opportunities for youth to enrich their education and explore career opportunities.

5. Education and Career Development

Program Assistants demonstrate their dedication to education and career development by: • creating an environment that provides opportunities for youth to enrich their education and explore

career opportunities; • providing opportunities for youth to enrich their educational experiences; and • assisting in implementing career development programming.

Overview While you have many duties and responsibilities as a Program Assistant, your most important role is guiding and mentoring youth. Adolescents come to you for fun, friendship and understanding, and you give them all this and more. That’s because – on top of being a friend to youth – your support and direction can give them the confidence, self-esteem and strength to make positive choices in their lives. Through their experiences in the Youth Center, youth should gain the motivation and ability to set goals. They should develop the confidence to believe that they can reach their goals and to know that they are capable of succeeding. When this happens, the Youth Center becomes more than a place to have fun. Youth leave the Youth Center with genuine hope for the future and opportunities to pursue a richer and brighter life. Along with creating a fun environment in the Youth Center that not only attracts youth but keeps them coming back, you can give adolescents opportunities to enrich their education and explore career opportunities. A Youth Center with a strong educational program doesn’t have to be a boring place. Actually, quite the opposite. Instead the Youth Center should be perceived by youth as an exciting place with lots of opportunities to learn. Your goal, then, is to create a Center that is fun and full of challenges and learning – without being an extension of the school day. This is an exciting opportunity for you as a Program Assistant. Just think about it. You can create an environment where youth want to come and get homework help, want to learn more about their interests and possible careers and know they are surrounded by staff who support and appreciate them!

When you are planning programs and activities, always think about how you can have them be fun and provide an education-enriched environment. There are several things you can do to accomplish this: Encourage youth to share ideas, suggestions and solutions, and respect their viewpoints. Example: Ask youth to help prepare a group club income/expense budget for a special event. Listen to youth’s ideas and concepts and implement them when possible. Example: Facilitate a focus group and ask youth to share their thoughts about

specific programs designated for their age group.

5.1 Introduction

Overview


Offer a wide-range of books, magazines, videos and newspapers that reflect topics of interest to youth. Example: In each area of the Youth Center, make sure reading materials are available to youth. For example, in the gym area make sure there are appropriate sports magazines available. In the Youth Tech Lab, offer computer books or magazines. Talk with youth about what they are learning and encourage them to articulate what they see. Example: Hold a discussion regarding current events. Ask them to describe what they see and read in the news. Discuss how that relates to what they are learning in school. Provide youth plenty of time, space and opportunities to talk with each other and the staff. Example: Provide time for one-on-one conversations with youth to discuss their education and career goals. Encourage youth to examine their reactions, asking them how they really feel about a situation. Example: Rent a movie that gives a message. Hold a discussion after the movie. Ask them how they felt about what happened. You can also talk about both good and bad character traits portrayed in various roles. Provide examples and opportunities for youth to consider alternative responses and opposing viewpoints. Example: Hold a debate with youth. Select topics such as drugs, crime and teen pregnancy. Help youth understand the implications their decisions have on them and their futures. Example: Play a teambuilding/survivor game with youth. For example, ask youth to imagine being stranded on an island. What items would they want to bring? Ask them to prioritize the items. Debrief the activity by having youth share their answers. Discuss how their decisions affect the outcomes. Apply the activity to the decision-making process in their lives.

Recognize and apply knowledge of learning styles in youth while working with them and developing programming. Example: When working with the Homework Center staff, help support learning by having posters, CDs and opportunities to use computers to explore topics.

An educationally stimulating environment is a solid step in the right direction for your work with youth. But what kinds of specific opportunities will give youth a chance to enrich their educational experiences even more? There are many ways you can support educational enrichment in your day-to-day interactions with youth. Take positive communication, for example. Your ability to communicate well with youth and encourage them to set and achieve realistic goals will help them set deadlines for completing homework. It will also help youth understand the importance of doing well in school in order to achieve their goals. When youth know you support them learning and achieving, they are more likely to feel like they can succeed. There’s a great process you can use to help youth called the “experiential learning process.”

Overview


Experiential Learning Process1

Providing opportunities for youth to enrich their educational experiences.

Whenever you can help youth to “learn by doing,” you give them the opportunity to think about and practice important life skills. These include goal setting and decision making. This “learn by doing” approach is also called the “experiential learning process.” It allows adolescents to experience something with minimal guidance from an adult. Instead of giving youth the answer, you present them with a question, problem, activity or situation. This encourages them to make sense of the experience for themselves.

“Learning by doing” is called “experiential learning” because it is based on learning from experiences. Here’s how it works.

1. Experience. Youth experience an activity by doing it. Except for basic instructions on organization, safety or time requirements, youth do the activity before being told or shown how.

2. Share. Youth share results, reactions and observations publicly. Youth describe the results of

the experience and their reactions to it.

3. Process. Youth process the experience. They do this by discussing, analyzing and reflecting on the experience. Youth relate the experience to the life skills being taught.

4. Generalize. Youth generalize to connect the experience to real-world examples. Youth connect

the life skill discussion to the larger world.

5. Apply. Youth apply what was learned to a similar or different situation. They practice using the new life skill experiences in other parts of their lives.

In this process, the focus is on the youth’s experience, not your direction of it. Still, you can provide guidance by asking questions that will help youth think about what they’ve learned and how to connect the experience to other situations. In some instances, you might ask youth to share the results of their process. In others, you might ask them to connect what they did to a real life situation. Here is an example of how you might use the process or parts of the process: Experience: Ask youth to create a timeline of the goals that need to be completed for a particular career they are interested in. Share: Youth show the timeline they created. Process: Youth discuss the goals that need to be set and the decisions that must be made to achieve the timeline. Generalize: Youth talk about how their current goals in school, such as getting good grades, relate to the timeline. Apply: Ask youth what other areas of their life require good decision-making or goal-setting skills.

1 Adapted from the 4-H Science Discovery Series, Volume 2, Rutgers Cooperative Extension, 2001-2003.

Overview


Knowing that youth learn well this way is a great advantage to you as a Program Assistant. You can create all sorts of experiences that will benefit youth! Homework help What else can you do as a Program Assistant to provide opportunities for youth to enrich their educational experiences? Look no further than the Homework Center. The Homework Center is a great place where your assistance can help youth be successful in school. Both younger and older members can benefit. Here are some tips for you to use:

For younger youth:

− Encourage adolescents to participate in the Homework Center. Get them in the door! − Encourage regular attendance of homework help sessions. − Be sure youth bring their tools and resources (paper, pencils, textbooks, workbooks, etc.). − Make sure youth bring their homework assignments. − Make sure youth complete their homework. − Remind youth to turn their homework in when it is due.

For older youth:

− Older youth should have a separate time or space to complete their homework. − High school students will need academic assistance during homework period. − Older youth need greater independence and more time to study than younger youth. − Tutors require greater academic skills to assist older youth adequately. − Older youth will need a greater number of resources (books, magazines, technology) to

support their academic needs. If you’re not sure how to help with some of the homework, contact the School Liaison Officer (SLO). After all, they are your direct link to school and to what is being assigned. For example, if several youth are having problems completing homework in a specific class, the SLO can contact the school for help with the assignment. If the SLO position is vacant, think about other staff that could serve as resources. Youth Center staff and staff in the local schools are contacts that could help with homework issues and other school-related concerns. Of course, homework help is just one part of programming in the Youth Center. All activities you conduct or assist with should have an educational component, and all of them should show that learning can be fun! Staff and youth relationships If educational programming is to be successful, youth must be learning in every area of the Youth Center. All staff should be ready to take advantage of every potential learning experience. This can be as simple as talking with youth about their school day. For example, you might discover they loved a particular book they read for their class. This is an opportunity to encourage the youth to explore other work by the book’s author. Perhaps you encourage the youth to go online and learn more about the author’s life. Are they interested in writing as a profession? What you do with the information you learn becomes a “teachable moment.” These are informal opportunities to guide youth with information or experiences they will learn from.

Overview


Along with being on the lookout for teachable moments, you should try to create a culture where academic success is valued and expected. To do this, trust, a safe environment and high expectations must be in place.

Trust. Trust is a major issue. After all, discussing academic success may mean dealing with academic failure. This can make youth feel vulnerable. Young people must trust you with the initial exposure of their academic weakness. Staff members should not allow young people to be criticized for their academic goals and achievements. This type of criticism causes many youth to resist participating in academic opportunities at the Youth Center. Some youth may “play dumb,” make jokes or cause distractions to show other youth their opposition to learning. How do you counteract these behaviors? Model interest in education and praise each youth’s participation and success in educational activities.

Safe environment. Program Assistants also help provide a safe environment where any student

can seek academic assistance. Many adolescents become experts at hiding their academic shortfalls. If you are not actively looking for these problems, you may be surprised by the number of youth in your Youth Center who are having problems with reading, mathematics, and other subject matter. How do you identify these youth? Work with your School Liaison Officer. They are a key contact to help identify youth who may need help.

When academic problems are discovered, many young people don’t want their weaknesses exposed. Embarrassment may come in the form of anger or tears. This is normal. Don’t it let it stop you from discussing their problems in a safe and positive way. After all, these youth are the lucky ones; now they have the opportunity to improve.

High expectations. You should set high expectations for youth and reinforce the notion that each of them has the potential to succeed. Tell youth that you expect them to attend school each day, behave while they are there, be on time to class, and earn good grades. Tell them you expect them to graduate from high school, complete some form of post-secondary education or training, and be a life-long learner. Reinforce that they can do these things because they are bright, intelligent and capable people with special talents and a contribution to make to their community. You can initiate a self-fulfilling prophecy of academic success with words of encouragement and expectation. BGCA’s academic goal setting program, Goals for Graduation, provide lots of activities to help youth develop skills for success. The 4-H Leadership project also has great activities that give youth the opportunity to practice decision-making and goal-setting skills.

In addition, it is important to model the Six Pillars of CharacterSM.

2 Leading by example in what you say and do is critical. Especially important is how you say and show respect and responsibility. Responsibility means doing what you are supposed to do, persevering, always doing your best, using self-control, thinking before you act and being accountable for your choices. This is particularly important as you help young people think about homework. Emphasize that always doing their best or pursuing excellence is an important element of responsibility. Treating young people with respect, giving them responsibilities and expecting respect and responsibility in return is an important part of their education and certainly will be critical to their future plans.

2 CHARACTER COUNTS! and the Six Pillars of CharacterSM are service marks of the CHARACTER COUNTS! Coalition, a project of the Josephson Institute of Ethics, www.charactercounts.org.

http://www.charactercounts.org/

Overview


Career development

Assisting in implementing career development programming.

Career exploration is a major interest of many middle and high school youth. To build upon that interest, staff need to help youth link their hobbies and education to possible future careers. As they develop their cognitive and critical thinking skills, they can build a connection between the courses they are taking in school, their extra-curricular activities and their other interests to future career options. You can help build this important connection. For example, activities like career days help youth to become acquainted with professions that they might not have thought of

before. Career days also help young people make a concrete connection between their course work and a successful career. Role-playing job interviews is also helpful. It allows youth to practice career skills. BGCA’s CareerLaunchTM Website provides lots of guidance in this area. Here are some ways Program Assistants can support career development programming:

Help to organize career days. Example: “I took flyers for the Youth Center Career Night over to the school. I specifically gave flyers to the teachers whose subjects relate to our presenters’ career fields, Mr. Johnson, the biology teacher, is especially looking forward to meeting the local zoo biologist. The leadership group members are also promoting this event with their friends.”

Encourage youth to complete an inventory of career/work interests. Example: “I’m glad you took the online career assessment, Patty (17). I’m happy I could help. I knew you enjoyed technology. It’s great to hear that you might like to pursue a career in that field.” Encourage and help youth find job shadowing or apprenticeship opportunities in their area of interest. Example: “You’ll be able to shadow a manager in a clothing store at the mall. She’ll be helpful to you in understanding more about the retail business and fashion. You’ll learn about ordering merchandise, managing people, sales and marketing strategies. I think you’ll enjoy this opportunity, Calvin (16).” Help youth utilize job readiness resource materials. Example: “I’m really glad we got these career magazines. The youth are really interested in them. They’re having conversations with each other about careers that they might not have even thought about. I got rid of the old career books we had. We want youth to know how important this information is by having the most current resources available.” Be knowledgeable about current information on colleges, universities and SAT testing. Example: “Brenda (15), I think it’s great you’re interested in the business world. Let’s do a search on the Internet. We can look at some universities and colleges with good business programs. I know some great sites where you can search by your area of interest.” Assist youth with information on how to have a successful job interview. Example: “I’m happy you went through the CareerLaunchTM program, Bill (16). Want me to ask you questions so you can practice the interviewing skills you learned? I’d be glad to.” Provide assistance in selecting and preparing for post-high school education and careers. Example: “I’m glad you met with Mr. Don, Eric (17). He knows a lot about the essays needed for college applications.”

Overview


Maintain books and magazines that are age, gender and culturally appropriate. Example: “I noticed that we have some very old books that were donated to the Youth Center. I know this was a nice gesture, but the books don’t reflect our population. They seem really outdated. I think it’s time to review our inventory. We should discard materials that aren’t relevant to our youth.” Know about the summer hire program. Example: “Kelly (17), I heard you’re looking for a summer job. I noticed what a great job you’ve been doing with the younger members. They look up to you. I think you’ve got a knack for working with kids. Let me tell you more about the Youth Center’s summer hire program.”

As a Program Assistant, it’s important that you have current knowledge about resources that will help youth with educational goals. Do you know where to find up-to-date resources in the Youth Center? Part of your role is also to guide youth toward meaningful experiences that will help them with career development. Life skills and the link to career development Your impact on youth job or career choices is powerful. Skills such as goal setting, managing time and networking can all be modeled by you. You can reinforce these skills through the kinds of activities planned in your Center’s youth programming. Here are some skills to model and encourage youth to practice. These will help them with career development:

Set goals. This helps give adolescents a clear idea of what they want and how they can get it. Example: “At today’s meeting, we’re going to develop a one-year action plan for the Keystone Club. Let’s begin by including all the community service programs planned. We’ll track our success on the Keystone chart in the Youth Center. We’ve already completed one project. We should feel good about achieving this goal.” Keep focused. Encourage youth to stay focused and achieve their goals. Continue to emphasize how their current work in school affects career goals and how staying focused on achieving will help them in the long and short term. Example: “I know you don’t particularly like calculus class at school. Think about what’ll happen, though, if you take more time to learn and study. How will that help you in your grade point average and help you to get into a university or college? Let’s come up with a plan that’ll help you with your homework so you can excel in this class.” Plan. Encourage youth to complete inventories of career/work interests. This helps them begin planning their strategies for attaining the job or career that interests them. Example: “I think that’s good that you are narrowing down your interests to an acting career. You’re very talented! I also think you should look into your interest in dance. Let’s develop a plan that’ll help you get into this field and create some goals for yourself.” Work hard. By providing assistance in selecting and preparing for post-high school education and careers, you can help youth make the connection between success in school and future choices. Example: “You really spent a lot of time on the science program for school. I was very impressed with the outcome. You’re so focused on your work, and that kind of focus really pays off! How do you think your hard work will help you in your career later in life?”

Overview


Keep a positive attitude. The environment you help create in the Youth Center should encourage youth to succeed and feel good about themselves. Example: “Tonya (12) and Jason (14) did a great job posting pictures of the visit to the senior citizen center. It made everyone feel like going back to visit.” Do not get discouraged. Let the youth you work with know that sometimes there are disappointments and that they can handle them in stride, knowing they are only temporary setbacks. Example: “Tammy (16), I know how badly you wanted to win the dance competition this weekend. I know you must feel sad. But third place is good! You worked hard and your enjoyment of dance really showed! I even overhead some kids say they wished they could dance like you.” Network. Job shadowing, career fairs and similar activities all help youth to interact with positive, successful people. Example: “Rita, I saw you talking to the forest ranger at the career fair. He was a great guy, wasn’t he? You looked pretty excited about the information he gave you. Do you think you would be interested in that kind of career?” Manage time. Show youth how using a calendar or daily planner enables them to use their time wisely. Example: “Let’s take a look at when we can plan this event. We need enough time to complete the program. Let’s see. I have everything written in my daily planner. I know when the other Youth Center events will be held and how much time we’ll need to coordinate the next event.” Continue your personal growth. Encourage youth to expand their knowledge and skills by talking about your career goals in the Youth Center. Example: “I think I would really like to eventually be a Youth Center Director. Having a career plan is really important to me. I’ll talk to my supervisor and trainer and find out what goals I need to accomplish.”

In this module you will learn more about your own learning style and that of the youth you work with. You will learn how programming impacts learning. You will see how to help youth make the connection between doing well in school and making decisions and goals related to possible careers. You will also find educational and career development activities and resources you can use when working with youth.

Take a Closer Look


Take a Closer Look Now you have a broad overview of the importance of reinforcing education and career development with youth. On the following pages, you’ll find situations you might encounter on the job. As you read the situations, think about how the Program Assistant is promoting education and career development with young people. Also think about what staff is doing to support their own professional growth in this area and how they are encouraging good character. Have you found yourself in similar situations? After you read each example, you will be directed to your Skill Building Journal to answer questions. Example 1 Creating an environment that provides opportunities for youth to enrich their education and explore career opportunities.

1. Encourage youth to share ideas, suggestions and solutions, and respect their viewpoints.

2. Listen to youth’s ideas and concepts and implement them when possible.

3. Offer a wide-range of books, magazines, videos and newspapers that reflect topics of interest to youth.

4. Talk with youth about what they are observing and learning and encourage them to articulate what they see.

5. Provide youth plenty of time, space and opportunities to talk with each other and with the staff.

6. Encourage youth to examine their reactions (i.e., ask them how they really feel about what is being said or done).

7. Provide opportunities for youth to consider alternative responses and opposing viewpoints.

8. Help youth understand the implications their decisions have on them and their futures.

9. Recognize learning styles and how to apply them to adolescent learning.

Ms. Laverne has noticed that Shirley (11) has become interested in learning more about animals while in the Youth Technology Lab. Shirley has good grades. She enjoys going to the Youth Technology Lab because of all the fun, diverse and interesting learning activities the program has to offer. Ms. Laverne sits down next to Shirley. She says, “Hi, Shirley. What are you researching?” “Hi, Ms. Laverne. I'm looking up information about small animals in the forest. 'The raccoon is intelligent and determined. It seems at times as if he can find his way into any closed container, or out of any cage,' ” Shirley reads, adding, “I think he's cute, too!” “Yes, he sure is,” says Ms. Laverne with a smile. “And look at this one!” Shirley says with excitement, reading on. “This is a red fox, ‘the smallest member of the dog family, which also includes wolves, coyotes and jackals. Foxes are found throughout the Americas, Eurasia, and Africa, inhabiting mostly forest, chaparral, and desert regions. Most of the 10 species can adapt to diverse climates and habitats.’ ” “Shirley looks up at Ms. Laverne

Take a Closer Look


and says, “Don’t you think the red fox is cool? I do. Look at this picture!” Ms. Laverne nods in agreement as she looks over Shirley’s shoulder at the picture. “Have you ever been to a forest, Shirley?” “Sure haven’t,” Shirley says. “I'd like to, though. Would I see raccoons, foxes, snakes and deer?” Ms. Laverne laughs, and says, “Well, I'm not sure if you would find all those animals on one trip, but you might see some.” She thinks a moment and says, “Shirley, we have a middle school camping trip next month to one of the local forests. Would you be interested in going?” “That would be great!” Shirley responds with enthusiasm. “When? Where? Who’s going?” “Slow down,” Ms. Laverne responds. “I'll give you all the information. Your parents will need to sign a permission slip and submit it by next week.” “That shouldn’t be a problem. I think they’ll let me go,” Shirley says. “I'll give you the permission slip and information before you leave today. Meanwhile, you might want to read more about forest animals, so you have some idea of what you might see. You can also search the Internet to learn more. And, for the trip, don’t forget to bring the animal information sheets with the photos to help you identify animals you see." “Great idea, Ms Laverne! I’ll see you before I leave to get my permission slip. And thanks for telling me about the camping trip!”

Go to the Skill Building Journal and answer the questions for Example 1 in Section 5.1, Take a Closer Look. When you are finished, return to this guide and continue on with Example 2.

What’s next?

Take a Closer Look


Example 2 Providing opportunities for youth to enrich their educational experiences.

10. Use the experiential learning style process in activities to encourage youth to learn and apply

information to new situations.

11. Ask youth to evaluate information for a given purpose.

12. Ask youth to communicate information to others.

13. Support youth’s efforts to learn.

14. Help youth develop the ability to choose among several alternatives in making decisions.

15. Encourage youth to solve problems through developing the ability to clearly identify a problem and a plan of action for resolving the problem.

16. Provide youth with opportunities to develop planning and organizational skills.

17. Encourage youth to develop and set realistic goals.

18. Teach youth to use resources (money, time, materials, space, and people) wisely.

19. Provide homework assistance, adequate school supplies and reference books as needed.

20. Encourage youth to attend the Homework Center.

21. Know about resources available for homework help.

22. Know of current school studies and how to help with homework.

23. Maintain an ongoing relationship with the School Liaison Officer.

Mr. Romero notices that Julius (13) is feeling frustrated while doing his homework in the Homework Center. He is fidgeting and looking around, biting on his pencil and rubbing his forehead. “Hi, Julius. Is everything okay?” Mr. Romero asks. Julius sighs and rubs his forehead again. “I guess,” he says. “What are you working on?” asks Mr. Romero. “My geography assignment for school. But I can’t seem to get into it.” “Really? Why not?” Mr. Romero asks. “I don’t know. Guess I'm tired of sitting. I was sitting all day in school. Now I’m having a hard time remembering all this stuff.” “What would help you feel better about completing your homework?” Mr. Romero asks, sitting down next to Julius.

Take a Closer Look


“I'd really like to get up and move," Julius replies. "I feel like I sit 100 hours a day. I know I'd feel better if I got up for awhile, but I want to finish this assignment before I leave the center today.” “What if you go in the gym for half an hour, then come back and complete the assignment? Would that help you?” “Sure. I think I’ll do that, and then come back and try to get this done," says Julius. "But I'm also having a hard time just reading about these countries. I don’t think I can remember all this stuff.” “Maybe you'd remember if we looked at some maps and pictures. We can also try the Internet,” says Mr. Romero. “Well, that sounds more interesting than just reading. Will you help me when I get back?” asks Julius. "I’ll leave your homework here and see you in 30 minutes.” Julius comes back a half-hour later, looking less stressed and a bit more enthusiastic about completing his assignment. “Hi, Mr. Romero! I’m back. That was a great suggestion. Can we look at some maps and go on the Internet now to look for the countries I need to study?” They take out some map books. Julius studies the books and takes some notes. Then they go on the Internet and look for more information. Julius takes more notes about the countries he’s studying. Mr. Romero leaves so Julius can complete his assignment. An hour later, Julius closes his books and put his papers into his backpack. “You all done?” Mr. Romero asks. “Yep! Thanks for the suggestions. I felt so much better getting up for awhile. When I got back, I found that I liked looking at the maps and pictures while taking notes. It’s better than just reading. I don’t think I can remember all that stuff just by reading it.” “Terrific!" says Mr. Romero. "I'm glad you were able to complete your assignment. I’ll be here tomorrow if you need me for anything. And remember to use more pictures and take lots of notes if you have a hard time remembering. People learn all different ways.” “Thanks again!” Julius says, as he leaves the Homework Center. “Going to get in a soccer game now. See ya later.”

What’s next? Go to the Skill Building Journal and answer the questions for Example 2 in Section 5.1, Take a Closer Look. When you are finished, return to this guide and continue on with Example 3.

Take a Closer Look Example 3 Assisting in implementing career development programming.

24. Help to organize career days.

25. Encourage youth to complete an inventory of career/work interests.

26. Encourage and help youth find job shadowing or apprenticeship opportunities in areas of interest.

27. Help youth utilize job readiness resource materials.

28. Know about current information on colleges, universities and SAT testing.

29. Assist youth with information on how to have a successful job interview.

30. Provide assistance in selecting and preparing for post-high school education and careers.

31. Maintain books and magazines that are age, gender and culturally appropriate.

32. Know about the summer hire program.

Today a career fair has been planned at the Youth Center to help encourage youth to explore possible career options. Aida (17), Seth (16) and Stacey (15) arrive at the Youth Center after school. “Oh, man. It’s one those career fairs today," says Aida, rolling her eyes. "I just wanted to shoot hoops.” “Ah, come on, Aida. Let’s go. It might be kind of cool,” replies Stacey. “What do you think Seth?” “I’m cool. I’ll go. Let’s check it out,” replies Seth. The three spend time talking to representatives from various professions. They get information about colleges and specialty trade schools. Afterwards, they stop by the snack bar and plan to return to the fair. “I liked the information about journalism," says Aida. "The person from the newspaper was really interesting. I love writing. I think it would be fun covering stories.” “I still don’t know what I want to do," says Seth. "I love cars and I can’t wait until I can drive. My dad lets me work on his car with him. I like anything that has to do with cars. But I’m still not sure if that’s what I really want to do. How about you, Stacey?” “Beats me. I liked talking with those people, but I’m still not sure what I want to do when I get to college,” Stacey replies. “I do know I want to be rich though!” She laughs. “Maybe I’ll own my own company one day!” Ms. Vivian comes by to get some snacks and say hello. “How’s the career fair so far?” she asks. “Good,” replies Stacey. Aida and Seth agree. ”Are you getting some ideas about a career?” asks Ms. Vivian.


Take a Closer Look


“Yeah, a bunch. But I’m still not sure what career I want,” replies Stacey. “I talked to a guy at the fair who told me what I need to do to become an auto mechanic, but I’m still not real sure,” says Seth. “The mechanic I talked to said they have a shadowing program with the Youth Center. I might check that out.” “I can set that up for you,” replies Ms. Vivian. “We have quite a few shadowing programs to help Youth Center members explore careers.” “I think I want to study journalism in college," Aida says. "I’ve always been a good writer. I think it would be an exciting career.” “Why don’t you all come and visit me after the career fair? You can do an online career interest assessment to find out if those careers are a good fit,” says Ms. Vivian. “The tests give you an idea of what the possibilities are. We can also find more information about trade schools, universities and colleges." After the career fair they go to the Youth Technology Lab and get online to do their career assessments. They all sit down to read their results and share the information they learned with each other. “Wow! I was right. It says here that a writing career would be good for me!” says Aida. “Hey, check this out! I was right, too. Says here that being rich would be good for me!” Stacey laughs. “Just kidding. But it does say that a field in teaching or instructing is compatible with my interests and personality.” “Mine says that I could be working with my hands," says Seth. "Mechanics work with their hands. Cool.” The three of them chat about their results and other career options. Ms. Vivian tells them she will follow up and get more information for them about shadowing programs, summer jobs, trade schools and colleges.

Go to the Skill Building Journal and answer the questions for Example 3 in Section 5.1, Take a Closer Look. When you are finished, return to this guide and continue on with Self-Reflection.

What’s next?

Self-Reflection


Self-Reflection

Looking Back at Your Goals3 A goal is defined as “something that an individual wants to accomplish or achieve.” Typically, an individual may set a goal for the following reasons:

To compete with others by accomplishing something;

To compete with self by steadily doing something better;

To achieve a unique accomplishment – something that has never been done before; and

To maintain long-term involvement – plan for accomplishment. An academic goal is directed towards improving scholastically or developing educational competence. Supporting and encouraging youth to succeed in life involves helping them to move from talking about doing something to actually doing it. The process of setting and achieving goals helps youth begin and maintain a positive course of action. To be effective, goals must be:

Desirable – the youth wants to do it;

Believable – the youth setting the goal believes it can be done;

Conceivable – the youth can put their goals into words;

Measurable – the youth can set time limits and specific accomplishments;

Achievable – it can be done;

Without “either/or”;

Controllable – no one can prevent the youth from achieving the goal; and

Facilitating growth – youth will experience growth. All goals for youth should help facilitate growth. Whatever goal is chosen should help youth learn and expand their knowledge and skills. Setting goals with these guidelines will help youth successfully accomplish their goals. Think of all the goals you’ve had to accomplish to be where you are today. Your own ability to set and meet goals is valuable in your work with youth. Your own life is filled with rich experiences you can draw from on a daily basis when helping youth set their goals.

3 Adapted from Project Learn Resource Guide and Goals for Graduation, Boys & Girls of America.

Self-Reflection


What’s next? Go to the Skill Building Journal and answer the questions for Self-Reflection in Section 5.1. When you are finished, return to this guide and continue on with the Pre-Training Assessment.


Before you can move forward in any area of life, you need to know where you stand. How could you begin to increase your ability to help youth with educational and career goals without a clear sense of what you need to work on? To give you that sense of where you are now, a pre-training assessment will help you look at how you currently work with youth and co-workers. This assessment will measure the knowledge and skill areas that you will be studying, and it will help you pinpoint areas for improvement. Ultimately this assessment, and other checklists in the Skill Building Journal, will help you develop a plan for your own skill development. Don’t worry – this assessment is not a test. It will not be graded or judged. Rather, it is a tool for you, an opportunity to identify knowledge and skill areas that you may want to improve. As you answer the questions, be thoughtful and honest with yourself. That’s the only way you can get a true picture of your needs and create a useful plan of action for your professional growth.

5.2 Pre-Training Assessment

What’s next? Go to the Skill Building Journal and complete the Pre-Training Assessment in Section 5.2. When you are finished, return to this guide and continue on with the Learning Activities.


Section Page

A. Learning Styles 19 B. High-Yield Learning Activities 21 C. Career Development and Work Options 25

D. Working with Youth in Exploring Career Options 28

Summarizing Your Progress 31

5.3 Learning Activities

Learning Activity A


A. Learning Styles

In this activity, you will learn to: • use your knowledge of learning styles to plan learning activities for youth.

Even though you are out of school, you still continue to learn. Everyone acquires new knowledge, skills and/or attitudes nearly every day. Learning is essential for survival in a changing society. As things change, people need to learn new knowledge; skills and attitudes that help them cope with the change. Think about what you do when you have to learn something new. Whether it’s a new computer program or an unfamiliar recipe, you probably approach each new task similarly. Over time you have developed a pattern of behavior that you use for new learning. While every learning task might not be approached in exactly the same way, you have developed a set of learning behaviors with which you are most comfortable. This pattern of behavior is called a learning style. Learning styles are the characteristic ways one collects, organizes and changes information into useful knowledge. They are also the ways people feel and act in learning situations. Learning styles influence the setting in which people like to learn, the kinds of things they want to learn about, the ways they best acquire learning and how they approach a learning situation. Youth have learning styles as well. Like adults, they learn by observing, trying things out, listening and asking questions. Understanding their unique learning styles will help you plan activities that will give them opportunities for growth. There are lots of different ways to learn. Just think about driving to a destination. Some people can easily read a map. Others always get lost with a map, but if you verbally tell them how to get somewhere, they’ll get there with no problem. Another example is fixing a car. Some people can read a manual and fix the problem. Others need to be told, step-by-step, how to fix a problem. Still others can just use their hands and tinker until the car is fixed. What is so neat is that whatever the learning style, the end result is the same – people get to their destination and the car is fixed. This principle is important for working with youth. As a Program Assistant you need to support the fact that each youth may have a different style of learning and that one is not better than the other. All styles lead to knowledge and learning. By understanding this, you can help young people appreciate being lifelong learners. People who are planning learning experiences for others, whether they are youth or adults, need to be aware of the different ways that people like to learn. Then they should apply this knowledge to encourage learning. There are three broad categories of learning styles: visual, auditory and tactile4.

Visual learners respond well to charts, maps, filmstrips, notes and flashcards. They often write things out for visual review. They learn well through reading.

4 Adapted from Enhancing Your Youth Programs Through Effective Use of Technology, USDA/Army School-Age and Teen Project, pp. 26-28.

Learning Activity

Learning Activity A


Auditory learners respond well to sounds, tapes and CDs. Auditory learners may need to recite things out loud. It helps auditory learners to talk about what they are learning.

Tactile learners learn by using their hands to understand concepts. They may need to write or

trace things, build models of concepts, or use a computer keyboard to help them retain information.

As a Program Assistant, when you are working with youth in any of the Four Service Areas, your knowledge about a youth’s particular style of learning will help you better serve that youth. When you pay attention to their learning style, you can design activities in ways that utilize that style. You learn about a youth’s learning style through observation and good communication skills. When you have paid enough attention to the adolescents, you will recognize how they learn best. When you understand the best way to explore ideas with youth, you can help them feel safe to think creatively. Why are learning styles so important? You might be surprised to learn that by recognizing there are different learning styles, you are giving youth the confidence to learn. If you weren’t aware of different learning styles, you might discourage a youth from learning or continuing to try. For example, take a youth who learns basketball skills more easily through hearing how to play. If you only taught by drawing or showing a poster of how to play, that particular youth may become frustrated and have a difficult time learning. The same goes for helping with homework. Say a youth learns best through visual means, but you keep telling them how to begin answering a math problem. The learning will not happen as well as if you had paid attention to the learning style of that youth and wrote out the problem.

Go to the Skill Building Journal and complete the worksheets for Activity A in Section 5.3. When you are finished, return to this guide and continue on with Activity B.

What’s next?

Learning Activity B


B. High-Yield Learning Activities5

In this activity, you will learn to:

• assess your Youth Program’s current learning activities; • encourage more youth to participate in activities; and

• keep youth motivated.

According to research conducted by Dr. Reginald Clark, the developer of High-Yield Learning Activities (HYLA), academic success is linked to the ways students spend their time both in and out of school. Dr. Clark found that low-achieving students spend the majority of their non-school hours involved in activities that do not benefit them in the classroom. High-achieving students, on the other hand, participate in a variety of activities that reinforce the academic skills taught in school. These students are constantly learning and building upon the skills they have learned in school. With this in mind, activities in the Youth Center should support youth’s success in school. How can you support academic success in the out-of-school hours? With High-Yield Learning Activities! High-Yield Learning Activities provide youth with opportunities to practice reading, writing, verbal communication, problem solving and decision making. These activities are “fun” opportunities for youth to take the thinking skills they learn at school and apply them to life. By incorporating High-Yield Learning Activities in a Youth Center’s program, youth can become high-achieving students. Dr. Clark’s research suggests that HYLA should be scheduled 25-30 hours per week. This timeframe also includes the time youth spend with their parents, not just in the Youth Center. There are six categories of HYLA that should be part of programming. Here are the categories, with sample activities that support each one.

Discussions with knowledgeable adults - youth discussion sessions - Youth Council meetings - 4-H Club meetings

Reading activities

- silent reading - reading aloud - reading games

Writing activities

- pen pals - journal writing - newspaper clubs

5 Adapted from the Project Learn Resource Guide, Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

Learning Activity

Learning Activity B


Math and science activities - BGCA Ultimate Journey - Dragonfly Quest - 4-H Rocketry project - 4-H science curriculum Health or nutrition activities that focus on the science of the body

Service learning

- 4-H community service projects - BGCA Keystone/Torch Club - Promise Passport

Games using thinking skills

- Strategy Games - Word and Puzzle Games - Knowledge or Trivia Games

It is important for all staff to “buy in” or support these activities for them to be most effective. Not sure how to show your support? The following list gives examples of supportive behavior. It also includes sample activities and ongoing programming ideas.

Discussions with knowledgeable adults Behavior: Staff believes that conversations with young people are an important part of their job. Activity: Staff brings in professionals to talk about their careers. Program: Implement a Smart Moves program and have regular conversations with young people about making positive decisions about smoking, drinking and other health issues. Or run a weekly current events discussion group with young people.

Reading activities

Behavior: Staff believes that reading for information as well as for pleasure is important for young people. Staff models these behaviors when possible. Activity: Youth are encouraged to look up answers to questions (in encyclopedias, on the Internet or at the public library). Program: Have a weekly book club or read-a-thon.

Writing activities

Behavior: Staff believes that writing to convey information or to express oneself is important for young people. They model these behaviors when possible. Activity: Encourage youth to write letters to government officials or troops overseas. Program: Start a poetry club or rap club.

Math and science activities

Behavior: Staff believes that math and science activities help young people understand the world around them. They encourage young people to use math and science and to see meaningful links to their own lives. Activity: Have someone from a bank talk to young people about saving money. They can also explain the math of interest calculation and show young people how their money can add up. Program: Start a 4-H Rocketry project, 4-H Aerospace project or a club to build model cars. Have a cooking class that focuses on the science involved in cooking food and the importance of nutrition. Provide financial management sessions using the 4-H Financial Champions project

Learning Activity B


Service learning activities Behavior: Staff understands that community service helps young people understand themselves and the people and world around them. Staff also creates opportunities for community service. Activity: Organize or participate in a river clean-up or walk for hunger, etc. Program: Older youth can serve as tutors for younger members at the Center. Have youth design a buddy program with a local senior center.

Games using thinking skills

Behavior: Staff sees the importance of downtime where young people have fun playing games. They also encourage young people to participate in games that support academic and life skills. Activity: Organize trivia games. Program: Start a chess club.

High-yield learning activities specifically for teens Younger youth are often more interested in Youth Center activities. They may have fewer after school options than older youth. Encouraging older youth to participate in Youth Center activities can sometimes be challenging. They are often already involved in lots of extracurricular activities. To target the interest of older Youth Center members, schedule programs that include:

Art Music and performing arts Career exploration College strategies Computers/technology

These types of programs impact success in school. But how do you begin to provide them? If you need help with specific program offerings in these areas, look to the partnerships the military has developed with organizations such as Boys & Girls Clubs of America and 4-H. For example, Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s programs that support these areas include:

National Fine Arts Exhibit National Photography Contest ImageMakers: National Photography Program Career Explorers Club JOB READY!

4-H is another great resource. 4-H projects that utilize these interests include:

Performing Arts Project Visual Arts Project Ecology Project Financial Management Project Other service projects

These projects offer local, state and regional opportunities in 4-H. Finally, college tours, summer college experiences, college visits during Keystone Conferences and other field trips are ways to satisfy youth’s interest in college exploration.

Learning Activity B


For teens, it is equally important to use technology as a source for high yield learning activities (HYLA). Many of the previously mentioned programs have computer components. A few additional ideas for teens include:

Researching family histories for residents in nursing homes. Producing brochures and programs for area churches or service clubs. Training teens to be certified to maintain the computer system at the Center. Training teens to become the Center’s webmasters.

Ways to encourage youth to participate Scheduling meaningful activities is the first step. It won’t do any good if no one participates, though. As a Program Assistant, you need to know how to attract youth to participate in programming. Then you need to keep them coming back for more. How can you do this? As discussed in the programming module, surveying youth needs and interests is important. This way you can offer programs that are educational and of interest to youth. Recognition is also important in keeping youth motivated. Recognition can be as simple as posting the name of each youth who completes an activity on a bulletin board or web page. Or it can be personally praising a youth for his or her participation and achievement. Recognition can be intrinsic or extrinsic. Intrinsic recognition is instilling a sense of self-worth and accomplishment through non-monetary rewards. For example, giving youth one-on-one praise about a job well done is an example of intrinsic recognition or reward. By that behavior, you are rewarding youth in a way that helps them feel good about themselves and motivates them to accomplish even more. Some youth are more motivated by intrinsic than extrinsic rewards. Examples of intrinsic rewards include:

having youth receive applause from their peers; announcing accomplishments over the Youth Center’s public address system; personally praising youth for their participation and achievement; having youth demonstrate a skill for another youth; and telling parents about the youth’s progress, skill mastery or participation.

Extrinsic, or physical, rewards include items such as T-shirts, buttons, key chains and food coupons. These are popular with youth and are inexpensive. Personalized certificates are also a great way to recognize a youth’s achievement. You’ll find that just as learning styles vary, so does the kind of recognition that a youth prefers. Some glow with a “pat on the back” and verbal praise. Others prefer a certificate or a T-shirt. It’s important to know what kind of recognition is most valuable to individual youth. This will help ensure that the Youth Center is a place they look forward to visiting because they feel important and noticed.

Go to the Skill Building Journal and complete the worksheets for Activity B in Section 5.3. When you are finished, return to this guide and continue on with Activity C.

What’s next?

Learning Activity C


C. Career Development and Work Options6


• identify the competencies and skills necessary for high performance; and • identify programs and activities that will help youth with career development

and work option needs.

Career development and job readiness is an ongoing process. It begins long before young people get their first job. Ideally, it involves a whole series of learning and educational experiences. These experiences begin in childhood and continue through adulthood. This means that what happens at home, in school and the Youth Center can lay a strong foundation for the future. Many young people worry about being ready for a career or job. Employers are also concerned about young people being untrained and unprepared for the world of work. Meanwhile, changes in technology and jobs make it hard for parents and other adults in a youth’s life to help prepare youth for careers and jobs. After all, the workforce is often very different from what they experienced as a youth. SCANS7 Report: achieving necessary skills These concerns prompted the publication “What Work Requires of Schools: A SCANS Report for America 2000.”8 SCANS stands for Secretary’s Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills. Compiled by representatives of education, business and industry, labor unions and government, this report focuses on the changes that have taken place in the world of work. It highlights the competencies and foundation skills needed by young people to be successful in the workplace. Their findings give us a basis for helping youth achieve. Here is an overview of the report’s findings:

Workplace competencies necessary for high performance:

− Ability to manage resources; identifies, organizes, plans and allocates resources. − Ability to work amicably with others; participates as a team member, teaches others, negotiates

and leads. − Ability to acquire and use information; evaluates data, organizes files, communicates and uses

computer to process information. − Ability to master complex systems; understands complex interrelationships. − Ability to work with a variety of technologies; works and applies technologies to a variety of tasks.

6 Adapted from Boys and Girls Clubs of America Career Prep program and 4-H WOW! – Wild Over Work program. 7 Washington, DC; U.S. Department of Labor, 1991. 8 Washington, DC; U.S. Department of Labor, 1991.

Learning Activity

Learning Activity C


Foundation skills necessary for high performance:

− Basic skills; reads, writes, performs arithmetic and mathematical operations, listens and speaks. − Thinking skills; thinks creatively, makes decisions, solves problems, visualizes, knows how to

learn and reason. − Personal qualities; displays responsibility, self-esteem, sociability, self-management, integrity and

honesty. But what does it mean to you as a Program Assistant? With this information you are better prepared to develop the kind of programs and activities that will have the greatest impact on youth’s success in the world of work. A model for SCANS programming Many communities have translated SCANS into action. One model used in this effort is known as the Workforce Preparation Model9. Crafted by educators, employers, young people and community leaders, the Workforce Preparation Model can be used to create workforce preparation programs for all age groups. This versatile and flexible model addresses the developmental phases of youth, incorporates key support figures (mentors, coaches, family members), and thrives upon partnerships among community agencies and organizations. Here are the phases of the Workforce Preparation Model and the learning opportunities each phase offers in more detail:

9

Learning Activity C


Pre-School: Work as play – learning, through role play, that introduces wide-ranging and nontraditional workplace experiences. Early Development: Field trips to explore different careers and a framework for adult to process that experience with the kids. Awareness: Limited work experiences with pre-site modules and on-site journaling as part of the process. Guided Exploration: Longer time periods at a work site shadowing an adult while developing specific skills. Assistantship: Youth assist adults with teaching, mentoring and coaching in the earlier developmental phases. Work-Based Learning: Youth employment – a project integrating work and learning experiences. This work experience is structured, supervised, compensated and evaluated. Post-Secondary Education: Formal academic learning combined with professional/technical work experience in a co-op or internship setting. Adult Leadership: Adults as coaches and mentors help youth in workforce preparation and take skills they've learned during the coaching/mentoring relationship back to the workplace. Each phase represents a stage of career development. The youth at your Youth Center are all in one or more of these phases. Most 11-12 year olds will be in the Awareness and Guided Exploration phases. Many 13-15 year olds will fall into the Guided Exploration and Assistantship phases. The Assistantship and Work-Based Learning phases will be experienced by most 16-18 year olds. What determines the phase a youth is in at a given age? The youth’s maturity level and interest in combination with caring adults involved in their lives. This means that you as a Program Assistant can impact the phases of youth. Knowing what phase a youth is currently ready for also will help you to determine appropriate activities for career development. As you assist with programs and activities in your Youth Center, what kinds of activities will help youth be job ready? How does SCANS impact career goals? How do youth broaden foundation skills and how are they reinforced in the Youth Center? If you consider developmentally where youth are, you can determine the kind of programming that will have the greatest impact on the youth you serve. 9 Workforce Preparation Program Guide, 4-H/Honda Mentoring Program, 1993.

Go to the Skill Building Journal and complete the worksheets for Activity C in Section 5.3. When you are finished, return to this guide and continue on with Activity D.

What’s next?

Learning Activity D


D. Working with Youth in Exploring Career Options


• identify and utilize local resources and opportunities that introduce youth to career options.

In the last activity, you learned about the Workforce Preparation Model. This model outlines the developmental phases youth go through. As the model shows, youth are exposed to various careers throughout their lives. From parents and teachers to Youth Center staff, youth are close to a variety of working adults. They also receive exposure to careers through field trips, television, the Internet and other media. These experiences may not focus on potential careers, but they reveal a variety of jobs and career options. So there’s no doubt about it. By the time they are adolescents, youth have been exposed to many career options. However, brief exposures do not always give youth a complete picture. They may not understand what responsibilities are included in a job. They may not know what the qualifications are. They may have no idea if the job even fits their interests and abilities. Opportunities to explore careers Clearly, youth need chances to explore careers in depth. The Youth Center is a great place for them to do so! Schools provide some career exploration tests and activities, but there are still many opportunities for youth to explore career development in more depth. First, you can help youth identify their interests and skills. Then you can encourage them to participate in job shadowing or other guided exploration experiences. These are important ways to enhance youth’s interests, whether they are in computer technology, medicine or ecology. There are many resources to help you guide youth in career exploration. For example, the first step is identifying interests. The CareerLaunchTM website10 has everything you need. At the site, youth can take a personal interest assessment to identify their skills and interests. Once they have done so, you can help match them with career experiences. Where do you begin? Start by brainstorming a list of potential opportunities on- and off-installation. Look for opportunities where youth can spend “on-the-job time” with adults. As you create this list, always keep youth safety in mind. Plan programs with three or four youth supervised by a staff member.

10 BGCA CareerLaunchTM website: www.careerlaunch.net.

Learning Activity

Learning Activity D


Job shadowing The possibilities for job shadowing are endless. For example, you might have three or four youth that like to DJ at the Youth Center dances. Perhaps they would be interested in music and radio for a career. For these youth, arrange visits to local radio stations during after school and evening hours. Instead of just a field trip, the youth would actually get to interview and work with the radio DJs and other staff. Parents are another good source for job shadowing. Other organizations on the post may also have job shadowing opportunities. The Resource section also has a list of tips on how to maximize field trip learning. Additional opportunities Another way to help youth understand what responsibilities are included in various jobs is to have a volunteer from that field work with the youth at the Center. For example, say you have a group of youth who are interested in acting or other theater/movie careers. Adults from a local community theater group (on or off installation) or a school drama teacher might be willing to help. These adults could teach youth about the different jobs, how they relate to each other and each job’s role in the production of a play or movie. Similarly, local cable station staff could work with youth in developing a “commercial” for the Youth Center or a longer program highlighting a community service project. Regardless of the profession or professional highlighted, be sure to always discuss the education needed for the career. In that way youth can make the connection between school and career. An additional experience in working with adults in teaching, coaching or mentoring other youth is also important for youth at this age. In fact, some youth may be interested in volunteering at the Youth Center in order to explore a career in working with youth. What can older youth do for younger youth? They can tutor in different subject areas. Youth volunteers can also help with reading. Job shadowing or other guided exploration experiences take some planning and preparation. Here too, though, you have resources that can help. One way to get started with career exploration programming is to review the activities in “Unit 2: Career Exploration” of the BGCA’s CareerLaunchTM booklet Career Exploration Quick Reference Guide. Be sure to also try out the related assessments and activities on the CareerLaunchTM web site which are listed for each activity. Think about how you could use these activities with the young people in your program. Do some research at www.careerlaunch.net. CareerLaunchTM also offers tips on how to prepare youth for career exploration experiences and launch a path to career success. It also gives youth the opportunity to prepare a resume and learn how to dress for an interview. Youth learn that an interview is a chance for them to learn about a job or organization, not just for an employer to learn about them. In addition to BGCA’s CareerLaunchTM, another resource for middle school youth is 4-H’s Workforce Readiness Project, Get In the Act! Take 1, available through the 4-H Source Book or at www.4-Hmall.org. These are just a few ways you can add a career development component to your programs. No matter what resources you use, youth are sure to benefit from the in-depth exposure to new careers. Seeing the link between careers and education is extremely helpful as well.

Learning Activity D


Summarizing Your Progress You have now completed the learning activities for this module. Whether you are an experienced Youth Program Assistant or a new one, you have probably gained new information and developed new skills for promoting education and career development with youth. Summarizing your progress will give you a chance to analyze what you have learned. A summary sheet has been provided in the Skill Building Journal to help you do this. Your final step in this module is to complete the knowledge and competency assessments. Let your trainer know when you are ready to schedule them. After you have successfully completed both assessments, you will be ready to start a new module. Congratulations on your progress so far.

Go to the Skill Building Journal and complete the worksheets for Activity D in Section 5.3. When you are finished, return to this guide and continue on with Summarizing Your Progress.

What’s next?

Summarizing Your Progress


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