of “Engaging students in educational excellence for lifelong success.” Noting a focus on preparing students for the future, Superintendent, Dr. Tracy Lorey, shares,“I believe that our priorities for the students in our community are really to prepare them through their educational career, to be ready to be enrolled in a university or post-secondary learning opportunity of their choice, to be gainfully employed in a business or industry in our community or state, or to enlist in one of the Armed Services.Through their educational experiences, we ready them, and they have a good sense of what their post-secondary goals and aspirations are going to be.” CAREER EXPLORATION AND GUIDANCE The district’s comprehensive career exploration programs extend from kindergarten to grade 12, following a progressive path from awareness to exploration, preparation, and training. Leveraging the Naviance college and career readiness software, middle and high school students evaluate their skills and strengths across 16 national career clusters. The curriculum introduces 32 career concentrators from 8th to 12th grade, guiding students through the stages of exploration to training. “We offer guidance from 8th to 9th grade on those decisions and choosing an elective in the CTE area that makes sense,” Dana Kunz, Greater Jasper Career Counselor for Grades 6 through 12 expands.“As they move into 11th and 12th grade, we focus on the word training, and what that looks like in a future path in one of those 3E’s of enrollment, enlistment, or employment.” The district also hosts large-scale career events, featuring over 100 industry partners, giving students the chance to explore the various options available to them.“The intentionality about howwe are engaging our students in career awareness exploration, and the intentionality of what is happening educationally through those activities, and then the programs and coursework that we have available, is great,” asserts Dr. Lorey. “Our local industry partners are key in ensuring that kids get a real-life experience, and they’re more than 313 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 5, ISSUE 03 GREATER JASPER CONSOL IDATED SCHOOLS
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