The Business and Career Exploration Program represents a state of an art initiative and first of its kind that provides elementary school aged children with reality based life experiences of business and career options through innovative class presentations, learning projects, visitations and special corporate incentives. The program reignites the flame and dream of what our children's lives can become.
Business and Career Exploration Program for Elementary School-Age Children Curriculum Manual
A Program of the Interfaith Social Change MovementBy Steven T. Robinson Roberta L. NewmanAuthorHouse
Copyright © 2009 Steven T. Robinson and Roberta L. Newman
All right reserved.ISBN: 978-1-4389-7327-2 Contents
PART 1 - Introduction.......................................................................................................1 Background - Need, Purpose, and Goals Philosophy of the Business and Career Exploration Program Components of BCEP - What Children Do in the Program BCEP Benefits to Participants and the School District of Philadelphia Management of BCEP Evaluation of BCEP Overview of the BCEP GuidePART 2 - Roles and Responsibilities of the Project Facilitator..............................................................23 Primary Responsibilities Planning and Implementing Weekly Meetings Building Relationships with Students Communicating with Parents Collaborating and Communicating with School Personnel Collaborating with Interfaith Orienting, Supporting, and Guiding Career Cheerleaders, Career Mentors and Role Models Maintaining Records and Participating in EvaluationPART 3 - Strategies for Creating Career Portfolios with Students............................................................59 The Purpose of Career Portfolios How Students Will Use Portfolios Organizing and Storing Career Portfolios Involving Students in the Portfolio Process Establishing a Portfolio Policy Opportunities for Involving Parents and Families in Career Development Portfolios Developing Portfolio Activities and Experiences Sample Questions and Activities Linked to Standard 13.1. Career Awareness and Preparation Sample Questions and Activities Linked to Standard 13.2. Career Acquisition (Getting a Job) Sample Questions and Activities Linked to Standard 13.3. Career retention and Advancement Sample Questions and Activities Linked to Standard 13.4. EntrepreneurshipPART 4 - Strategies for Working with Celebrity Career Cheerleaders..........................................................80 Celebrity Career Cheerleaders as Program Resources Incorporating Celebrity Career Cheerleaders in the BCEP Tips and Helpful Hints for Celebrity Career CheerleadersPART 5 - Reality Based Learning: Strategies for Working with Career Mentors and Role Models.................................88 Defining Reality-based Learning Planning Schedules for Meetings with Career Mentors and Role Models Building on Experiences with Career Mentors and Role Models What Is Mentoring? Resource Packet for Career Mentors and Role Models: Guidelines and Strategies for Successful MentoringPART 6 - Minding My Own Business: Working with Students to Create a Business................................................110 Purpose and Goals Collaborating with Key Stakeholders Strategies for Introducing Children to Personal Entrepreneurship Helping Students Identify and Create a Business Idea and Develop a Business Plan Supplementary Activities to Enhance Business Development ProjectsSupplementary Resource List.................................................................................................136 Sample Interactive Games and Activities Books and Publications Featuring Interactive Games and Activities General Program Planning Resources Resources Related to Business, Career Development, Jobs, Money, and Entrepreneurship for Kids Resources Related to Mentoring Resources for Promoting Character Development and Positive Interactions with Students Miscellaneous ResourcesAPPENDIX - Pennsylvania Department of Education: Academic Standards for Career Education and Work...........................169
Chapter One
PART 1: Introduction
Background - Need, Purpose, and Goals
More than ever, today's youth need guidance, support, and encouragement from caring adults - adults who are knowledgeable, skilled role models for success who conduct themselves with integrity, intelligence, kindness, empathy, and positive purpose as they go about their daily lives. This is especially true of children and youth who come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the school district serves over 100,000 elementary school students (kindergarten through eighth grades), the majority of whom come from families whose income falls at or below the federal poverty line and are from racial and ethnic minority groups (African-American, Latino and Asian). Children from economically disadvantaged backgrounds are least likely to have close contact with a family member or neighbor who has an education above high school level who can:
1. serve as a business or professional career role model; and
2. provide information, mentoring, and encouragement necessary to enable children to appreciate the importance of, and relationship between education, choosing a career path, entering the world of work, and earning a sufficient living.
In recent years, the School District of Philadelphia (SDP) has taken steps to provide students, especially those who are disadvantaged, with increased opportunities to succeed in school and in life. For example, SDP has implemented a variety of educational reforms that have helped students make significant improvement on statewide Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) exams. Yet, despite improvements, 68% of Philadelphia Schools have failed to make adequate yearly progress (AYP) under federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) guides, and 40% of the city's schools have been placed in "School Improvement" or "Corrective Action" status due to long standing failure to make AYP. On a system-wide basis, 67% of students in Philadelphia High Schools graduated in the 2006-2007 term. Fewer than half (45%) of those who graduated enrolled in any kind of postsecondary educational institution, and only 28% attended a four year degree-granting college or university.
At the dawn of the 21st century, Philadelphia is experiencing a dropout crisis of devastating proportions. To learn more about this crisis, Dr. Ruth C. Neild and Dr. Robert Balfranz of Johns Hopkins University conducted a comprehensive study during 2005-2006 to probe the depth and seriousness of this crisis. The study focused on three sets of questions:
1. How many students in grades 6 through 12 drop out of Philadelphia's public schools in a single year? What are the key characteristics of these students, including their age, grade, race/ethnicity, gender, type of school attended, and neighborhood of residence?
2. What percentage of 9th graders graduates within four years, five years, or six years of starting high school? What has been the trend in these cohort graduation rates over the past 5 years? What are the trends in cohort graduation rates for males and females and for students of different racial/ethnic backgrounds?
3. Which student characteristics, knowable or potentially knowable by school personnel and agency staff, can identify students as being at high risk of dropping out of high school?
Before sharing the study's findings, the authors stress the seriousness of the dropout crisis with this warning excerpted from the Executive Summary: "A young person in the United States who embarks on adulthood without a high school diploma faces a grim economic future: an annual income that is likely to be insufficient to support a family; a greater likelihood of long stretches of unemployment, and restricted opportunities for occupational advancement. Cites with large percentages of youth who lack high school diplomas suffer as well: they can take advantage of fewer economic development opportunities, garner less tax revenue, and experience higher social service costs, more crime, less civic participation, and high levels of concentrated and inter-generational poverty. A city of the 21st Century cannot prosper when large number of its young people lack the basic academic credential."
The study revealed that the dropout crisis has its roots early on in a student's school years. Presented below are some of the major findings of the study, revealing dropout tendencies beginning as early as 6th grade:
"During the 2003-2004 school year, approximately 6% of the students in grades 6 - 12 in the city's public schools (including charter schools) dropped out of school. An additional 4% of students in grades 6 - 12 were technically enrolled but were absent from school more than half the time; we call these students 'near-dropouts." In all, over 13,000 students became dropout or near dropouts during 2003-2004.
Almost two-thirds of the students who dropped out of school in 2003-2004 were in grade 10 or lower; about one-third were in grade 9 or lower.....Despite being considerably younger than the legal school-leaving age, more than 500 students in grades 6-8 were officially listed as having dropped out of school.
During 2003-2004, 20% of the Latino students at the city's publicly supported high schools were either dropouts or near-dropouts, as were 18% of African American students, 15% of White students, and 12% of Asian students. Males were more likely to be dropouts or near dropouts than females. Despite differences in severity, high school dropout in Philadelphia is a serious problem in each of the above racial/ethnic groups, and it is a problem for both males and females."
The study probed further to determine some of the predictors of dropping out. It is stunning to note study findings that identify predictors that are linked to the probability for dropping out as early as eighth grade. These predictors are described in the following study findings:
Two 8th grade factors gave students at least a 75% probability of dropping out of school: 1) attending school less that 80% of the time in 8th grade (that is, missing at least 5 weeks of school), and 2) receiving a failing grade in mathematics and/or English during 8th grade. Of those 8th graders who attended school less than 80% of the time, 78% became high school dropouts. Of those 8th graders who failed mathematics and/or English, 77% dropped out of high school. Importantly, gender, race, age, and test scores did not have the strong predictive power of attendance and course failure.
About half of the dropouts in the city's public schools can be identified in 8th grade, prior to their entrance to high school. Eighty percent of the students who dropped out of school were either at-risk 8th graders or at-risk 9th graders.
The above statistics and study findings show a strong need to engage children in exciting learning opportunities that will promote academic success and commitment during the elementary and middle school years. The Business and Career Exploration Program (BCEP) developed by The Interfaith Social Change Movement is designed to provide learning opportunities that will help elementary and middle school students develop a commitment to continuing their education through high school and plan for a bright future. Throughout the program, students participate in a broad range of learning activities and experiences designed to enhance their math and English language skills. Building on these skills, the innovative Business and Career Education Program is dedicated to beginning the process of exposing every elementary school student ages 7 - 13, to the business and professional world, and equip them with the information, nurturing, encouragement, and inspiration necessary for them to discover their life's calling and pursue it.
Interfaith (a non-profit organization based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) believes that adult members of the greater Philadelphia community possess expertise, knowledge, skills, and talents that can be used to enhance SDP's efforts to help children build a foundation for success during the elementary school years. Its members include a group of ministers, business owners, educators, and community leaders. All members and affiliates of Interfaith are committed and motivated by their faith to make a profound, positive difference in the lives of others. Interfaith is dedicated to bringing about an understanding that we are all neighbors in the struggle to resolve adverse conditions, and to helping today's and future generations realize and develop their full God given potential as productive members of society. Interfaith is committed to empowering the disadvantaged to view their spiritual, academic and social enrichment as critical to their development and as the catalyst to effect both family and community change. Through its activities, Interfaith is committed to eradicating the immoral and physiological devastation of racism, unemployment, homelessness, and poverty.
The primary goals of Interfaith are listed below:
1. Create a collaboration with the School District of Philadelphia and business professionals to establish the first of its kind, presentational career exploration program for at risk children between the ages of 7 and 13 years of age. (To achieve this goal, Interfaith designed the Business and Career Exploration Program (BCEP) for elementary school students. BCEP began operating as a pilot project in six schools in January, 2009.)
2. Promote greater participation and interaction among the community and individuals of faith to become examples of God's word and truly make a difference within society as urban disciples.
3. Ensure accountability of our informational venues by removing negative content and empowering young people to take advantage of opportunities, realize their potential, and develop the skills that will enable them to become productive, contributing members of society.
4. Establish a mandated legal initiative for parents, or other adults fulfilling a parental role, to be accountable for supporting and responsibly promoting the educational excellence and safety of their children.
BCEP is designed to serve as a vehicle for furthering and accomplishing these goals and partnering with the SDP to increase each child's opportunities to succeed in school and in life. Over time, this innovative program is intended to involve and engage students in grades 2 though 8 in each of Philadelphia's 117 elementary schools.
Philosophy of the Business and Career Exploration Program (BCEP)
Interfaith believes that connecting children regularly with people who have achieved success in business, the professions, and creative and performing arts, will help SDP enhance children's development in the following ways:
dramatically increase their desire and enthusiasm for learning; increase their test scores in both reading and math on the PSSA and other standardized tests;
discover their own talents, abilities, and interests (gifts);
realize how important their gifts are to themselves individually and as members of their community, city, state, and nation;
learn how they can develop, strengthen and transform their gifts into successful career and business pathways for their own benefit and that of their community, city, state, and nation; and,
broaden their general knowledge about our nation's economic system - how it works and how they can take advantage of the opportunities it provides for their success and prosperity.
Interfaith also believes that, equipped with practical knowledge and skills provided by this program, students will embrace and develop the following core values and life skills:
honesty and integrity
conflict resolution skills using negotiation and compromise
self discipline
collaborative learning skills
good citizenship
Armed with these values and skills, students will be better prepared for more complex work they will encounter in high school and, ultimately, in the world of work.
To promote a spirit of self-realization and dedication to excellence in each participating student, Steven T. Robinson, Founder and Director of The Interfaith Social Change Movement, created the following Pledge of Excellence to be posted during BCEP sessions and shared with all participating students. Students are encouraged to read the pledge and to design creative posters for their program that display the pledge. The Pledge of Excellence appears on the next page.
Business and Career Exploration Program Pledge of Excellence
I pledge, as a child born for greatness and to do all things, to allow the world to see the unlimited potential that I bring.
I pledge to stand in the pursuit of my goals no matter how far, And if I fail to touch the sky, I know in my soul I will be hanging from a star.
I pledge not to fall into the traps of temptation, ignorance and greed. But to learn all I can and open the doors of success using my brain as the key.
I pledge not to allow anyone to turn me around with their destructive calls, Even if it means in order to reach my goals I have to run, walk, or crawl.
I pledge all that I am toward becoming a facilitator of progress - marching to the sounds of my own heart and never losing focus.
I pledge to always reach back and help others who remain in the shadows of silence. For as I travel, we travel knowing the true meaning of community and excellence.
Steven T. Robinson Founder and Director The Interfaith Social Change Movement
Components of BCEP - What Children Do in the Program
This program engages children in a wide variety of activities designed to help them learn about the world of work; connect with positive adult role models from the business community, the professions, and the arts; and understand how to start and operate their own business. Weekly meetings with Project Facilitators and peers incorporate the following activities:
Group and Individual Projects and Experiences exploring a wide range of resources from the world of work; identifying personal goals; collecting and creating original ideas for personal career and business development; participating in interactive games, role playing, discussions, and other activities focusing on business and career exploration.
Presentations by Positive Adult Role Models representing business, the arts, and the professions.
Special Events featuring business and career topics and celebrating successful projects.
Field Trips to Business and Other Community Sites focusing on business and career related activities.
Opportunities to Start and Operate a Business centering on developing a plan for creating a product and selling it.
These activities are integrated with four major program Components: 1) Career Portfolios, 2) Celebrity Career Cheerleaders, 3) Reality-based Learning, and 4) Minding My Own Business. Following is a brief overview of each component. More information and specific strategies related to each component appear in subsequent sections of this guide.
COMPONENT 1: CAREER PORTFOLIOS
During weekly meetings with Project Facilitators, students participate in activities and experiences that are designed to engage them in creating individual Career Portfolios. Portfolios are developed slowly over time as students learn more about the business world and uncover their own business and career interests and abilities through varied program activities. As Abraham Lincoln once said: "The great thing about the future is that it happens one day at a time." Each day in the BCEP provides students with new experiences that help them discover a wide range of business and career opportunities and practices. As they explore different career paths and business models, students are encouraged to think about the future and how they might apply their own talents and interests to the world of business. Students use their Career Portfolios to document and reflect on their growing business interests and personal goals.
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