‘Pathways from High School to Career’ Resource Library
The purpose of this grant is to provide students with access to materials about post high school options for continued education. The goal is to start a reference collection of books dedicated to the many educational paths students from Pathways High School may take, whether this is an apprenticeship, certificate, two or four year college degree. The books I am requesting are written within the last 5 years (2010-2015) and are clear and concise. The majority of the books on the list are 80-200 pages. This will be a reference collection for students to use in the library or can be checked out to a teacher’s classroom.
College and career ready, these are the buzzwords on every educator’s lips and a major part of the Common Core Standards. When I surveyed the English classes this is also forefront in the minds of my students at Pathways High School.
I started my job as the media specialist at Pathways after school had already begun. I have been an educator for 18 years. This is my first year teaching in Ann Arbor where I grew up and went to elementary, middle and high school. The first time I walked into the media center at Stone School I was underwhelmed. There are limited resources, and very few books in circulation. In September I partnered with one of the English teachers Rian Burke, to bring his students to the library and see if together we could spark some interest in checking out materials. I also wanted to know what topics are important to the students, and find out if there is anything I could do to improve the materials available.
What I heard directly from the students really hit home. Every single one was struggling with what to do when they leave high school. Washtenaw Community College courses are open to Juniors and Seniors, but as a whole the students were at a loss as to which direction to take. This means that our students are hearing us. As educators we want them to be college and career ready, and they are stepping up to the plate. But Pathways is missing an essential piece. Where do they find out what path to take? So I asked the students what careers and degrees they are interested in, and I listened.
A seed of an idea took root in my mind. What if I could take a section of the library and turn it into a place where students could come and browse possible futures. What if I could find materials to correspond with the classes, degrees and certificates that are available through WCC and Eastern Michigan University. I have taken two steps to make this happen. I opened up the library at lunch when I am in the building for students to come in, eat, and use the materials. The second step is to request funds from the Foundation to make the reference section possible.
If funded, when will the project begin and end?
The project will begin as soon as I receive funding and will be ongoing. I have a budget of $1,000 per year, which is not enough to get a collection started, but is enough to continue to add to the collection from this year forward.
What are the benefits of this proposal for students?
Building a career reference center in the library will benefit the students in many ways. Students expressed a clear need for answers to what jobs they could expect to find with different degrees. For example, one student was interested in earning a welding certificate, but he wasn’t sure what type of job that might land him. Another student said she was interested in nursing or something else in the health field because she heard it was a good career, but she was not sure what type of work that would qualify her to do. One boy in Mr. Burke’s class told me he wants to be a mechanic, so I asked him what type and he had not really anticipated how specialized the field has become. As a librarian I am driven to answer questions. I cannot imagine a more satisfying way to enable students to help themselves, than by arming them with the information to make an informed choice about their future.
This is an ongoing project and future funds will be part of the library budget of $1,000 per year.
The purpose of this grant is to provide students with access to materials about post high school options for continued education. The goal is to start a reference collection of books dedicated to the many educational paths students from Pathways High School may take, whether this is an apprenticeship, certificate, two or four year college degree. The books I am requesting are written within the last 5 years (2010-2015) and are clear and concise. The majority of the books on the list are 80-200 pages. This will be a reference collection for students to use in the library or can be checked out to a teacher’s classroom.
College and career ready, these are the buzzwords on every educator’s lips and a major part of the Common Core Standards. When I surveyed the English classes this is also forefront in the minds of my students at Pathways High School.
I started my job as the media specialist at Pathways after school had already begun. I have been an educator for 18 years. This is my first year teaching in Ann Arbor where I grew up and went to elementary, middle and high school. The first time I walked into the media center at Stone School I was underwhelmed. There are limited resources, and very few books in circulation. In September I partnered with one of the English teachers Rian Burke, to bring his students to the library and see if together we could spark some interest in checking out materials. I also wanted to know what topics are important to the students, and find out if there is anything I could do to improve the materials available.
What I heard directly from the students really hit home. Every single one was struggling with what to do when they leave high school. Washtenaw Community College courses are open to Juniors and Seniors, but as a whole the students were at a loss as to which direction to take. This means that our students are hearing us. As educators we want them to be college and career ready, and they are stepping up to the plate. But Pathways is missing an essential piece. Where do they find out what path to take? So I asked the students what careers and degrees they are interested in, and I listened.
A seed of an idea took root in my mind. What if I could take a section of the library and turn it into a place where students could come and browse possible futures. What if I could find materials to correspond with the classes, degrees and certificates that are available through WCC and Eastern Michigan University. I have taken two steps to make this happen. I opened up the library at lunch when I am in the building for students to come in, eat, and use the materials. The second step is to request funds from the Foundation to make the reference section possible.
If funded, when will the project begin and end?
The project will begin as soon as I receive funding and will be ongoing. I have a budget of $1,000 per year, which is not enough to get a collection started, but is enough to continue to add to the collection from this year forward.
What are the benefits of this proposal for students?
Building a career reference center in the library will benefit the students in many ways. Students expressed a clear need for answers to what jobs they could expect to find with different degrees. For example, one student was interested in earning a welding certificate, but he wasn’t sure what type of job that might land him. Another student said she was interested in nursing or something else in the health field because she heard it was a good career, but she was not sure what type of work that would qualify her to do. One boy in Mr. Burke’s class told me he wants to be a mechanic, so I asked him what type and he had not really anticipated how specialized the field has become. As a librarian I am driven to answer questions. I cannot imagine a more satisfying way to enable students to help themselves, than by arming them with the information to make an informed choice about their future.
This is an ongoing project and future funds will be part of the library budget of $1,000 per year.