Just checked out a website that was shared in a recent Kent ISD Professional Development publication: www.cybraryman.com. It’s got information for everybody. He has over 20,000 relevant links (and disclaimer in case some links have disappeared). Worth looking into!

Kent ISD is looking for students willing to share their ideas about ideal learning experiences and how to bring them into the classrooms.  Put your thoughts on video and you could will an iPad or video camera as well as a $250 gift card for your classroom.  The contest is open to any student in a Kent ISD high school.  Deadline for the 2-minute video is June 1, 2011.  For all rules and more information, visit:  http://www.kentisd.org/parents_community/studentvoicevideocontest/

So we’ve had some rain this week and you’re tired of being inside?  Get out and do some career exploration.  Do a Job Shadow…ask for a Workplace Tour!  And then report back to us at http://www.workpaths.com/contact.php.  Have fun while exploring a future career.

The Kids Food Basket is a volunteer-driven organization that provides sack dinners to kids throughout the Greater Grand Rapids area.  Volunteers are always needed to pack lunches and decorate the paper sacks.  The organization encourages groups of all ages.  A wonderful activity for a group of students wanting to do a service learning project during spring break or perhaps a family activity during spring break.

Visit their website for more details:  www.kidsfoodbasket.org

Michigan DECA is looking for business professionals and community members to help evaluate marketing and customer relations skills of high school students at their annual Career Development Conference on Friday, March 18 or Saturday, March 19.

Competition will take place at the Amway Grand Hotel in downtown Grand Rapids.  Please go to www.mideca.org/judge to sign up or for more information.

Wikipedia defines job shadow as a program for high school students to find out what it is like to be in a specific profession. This helps the student to choose the college program (higher education/training) and subsequently the profession that they would like to choose.

Job shadow opportunities are available in Grand Rapids and all across Kent County.  Go to our home page, www.workpaths.com, and click on the “search here” area.  Select your career pathway.  Pull down on the “all experiences” and select job shadows.  Then hit “search” and you have your list of participating employers willing to offer a job shadow.

Happy Shadowing

Early in March, High School Juniors across Kent County take the Michigan Merit Exam consisting of three components.  One of those components is the WorkKeys job skills assessments in reading, mathematics and “locating information.”

The WorkKeys assessment tool measures “real world” skills that are critical to job success.  These skills are valuable for any occupation and at any level of education.  Many area employers use WorkKeys as a tool in hiring.

Wonder how you would score on a WorkKeys test?  You can purchase practice test for $5.00 on line at www.act.org/workkeys/practice.

On Thursday, March 3, juniors across the county will be taking the Michigan Merit Exam (MME).  What will the other classes do that day?  How about a trip to the Grand Rapids Public Museum?  The Museum, in partnership with the Career Focused Education Program of Kent ISD, will host a medical science and health services career exploration event that day, March 3^rd, from 9:00 am until 2:00 pm.  On Saturday, March 5^th, the session will focus more on the general public.  In addition, you can choose to see the current exhibit, Bodies Revealed, during your time at the museum.

As an employer, do you ask prospective employees for their National Career Readiness Certificate (NCRC)?  We, Kent County, led the state in bringing the NCRC to Michigan.  In 2008, the state adopted the certificate to better prepare students for the world of work.  Michigan high school juniors taking the Michigan Merit Exam (MME) are also taking the test for the NCRC.  The attainment of a certificate verifies to employers that an individual has essential core employability skills in Applied Mathematics, Locating Information and Reading for Information.  Three highly important skills to the majority of jobs in the workplace.

So, are you asking to see a NCRC?