Teachers, administrators, and guidance counselors strive every day to connect with students and provide them with the best opportunities to succeed. Schools all over Long Island are looking for creative ways to make a difference in the life of a student yearning to find what might be their path after school ends. Hearing success stories from former students and local business representatives can open a door and change the life of a student. A relatively new 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, Career Day Inc., is working with schools on Long Island to help make this happen.
The mission of Career Day Inc. is to:
- Bring a one-day program that can change the lives of high school students as they begin to plan their futures.
- Introduce young people to the varied paths individuals travel to reach their goals.
- Emphasize the importance of setting goals and using education to help achieve aspirations.
- Provide a forum for every student to feel valued and respected.
The program provides an outstanding, unique experience by connecting high school students directly with professionals from a myriad of industries in small classroom settings. The students learn first-hand from the professionals and ask questions directly to them. Freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors receive life advice from all types of professions including carpenters, real estate agents, doctors, fashion executives, and accountants, which can help students learn about professions which they either may know very little about, or that they may not realize they have a specific interest in. Imagine the ability to hear from a documentary film producer, a museum curator, and an architect in the same day.
Learning about what it takes to be successful in profession allows students to see the value in what they are learning in the classroom. When students speak to a successful novelist or journalist, they will know the importance of English and literature classes. When they understand that plumbers and electricians need high level math skills, they will know the importance of geometry, trigonometry, and algebra. And, when they understand that museum curators and biomedical technicians need to know the properties of chemistry, they will know the importance of their science classes.
By working in partnership with a variety of professionals and school staff, Career Day Inc.’s program creates an atmosphere of acceptance and career opportunity for all students at every academic level. And, Career Day is a registered Nassau BOCES Arts in Education Exploratory Enrichment program!
Beth Bucheister
Executive Director
This article was also featured in our newsletter Lesson Plan Vol. 21