What will you do the REST OF YOUR LIFE?

Lighthouse on the golf course!

Today I was at a high school in Concord, California, Mt. Diablo High. I was requested to come talk to some teachers about the program I have for high school students that finds the students' aptitude then finds their interests and introduces them to jobs that they might be interested in. I was very impressed with one of the teachers I talked to because he really cares about the future of his students. This program was done on this campus earlier in the year by the JROTC department and no one else wanted to participate because most teachers think this only has to do with joining the military. They don't look at how their students can benefit from this unique experience. This school has "academies" that students can participate in. The one I talked to was the computer academy. There is also a health academy (for jobs in the health field) and a safety academy (for people that want to go into fire and police fields). The students start these academies when they are Freshmen, they have to make a decision what they want to do for the rest of their lives when they are 14. I know that is the way it is also done in other countries, specifically Poland is one country I know. But, this teacher realizes that a 14 year old doesn't know what is out there if they don't explore other options. What if they get into the computer academy then realize they don't like sitting in front of a key board for 8 hours a day. Or, what if they go into the health academy and realize that a lot of their job is cleaning up and others (and emptying bed pans). What my program does is give them a test to see what their skills are in, one girl that took the test found out she was in the top 5% of the country in automotive skills, and she didn't even realize that others didn't know about cars. She had only helped her dad since she was 5. After finding what they are good at compared to everyone else in the country we give them a survey to find out what kinds of things they like to do. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holland_Codes this article describes it better than I can. We then identify jobs that meet those interest codes. I wish my kids thought a little more on their futures rather than only worry about what colleges they attend. Their mother comes from the background that the school you go to is more important than the major you take. I am on a crusade to make students realize that is backwards from what they should put their emphasis on and realize they are making decisions that will affect the rest of their lives!!

Lover's Point, Pacific Grove, CA