10 Jun Update on 2020/21 Build Skills for Life Initiative
Update on 2020/21 Build Skills for Life Initiative
Our students are adapting in real-time to a world that’s constantly changing. The Foundation is committed to programs to help ensure that they have the skills they need to be productive and engaged citizens – Building Skills For Life.
As we get ready to close out this school year, I’m writing today to get you up to speed on some of our efforts.
A successful student is one who is well-prepared for life beyond graduation. Foundation initiatives aim to help students as they transition into early adulthood. Whether they go on to post-secondary education, the military, a trade apprenticeship, or other employment, the success of our students is crucial to the success of our community!
Career Day
Career Day 2021, which happened virtually on March 17th, drew an impressive number of students attending live. Mary Drews and Sandy Hayes, Northshore School Foundation volunteers, led planning for this event. Sandy Hayes also serves as a Northshore School District board member.
Albert Einstein always used to say, “Imagination is more important than knowledge” and that statement cannot be truer when looking at jobs of the future. Technology, robotics, medical advancements, artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and sustainability are continually advancing, being driven by imagination and the desire to improve our lives.
It is hard to predict exactly what the future will hold.
“We want our students to understand that no career path is ever a straight line and within any career, there are lots of different avenues they can follow. We had 120 speakers sharing their career journeys with more than 4,000 middle school students,” said Mary Drews, who chairs the Foundation’s Skills for Life Committee. “Students had an opportunity to explore an array of different careers and gain the understanding that most career journeys are not straight. It’s those turns that lead us to find our true calling.”
In one Career Day session, Jamal Fanaian and Gary Hough, both engineers, talked about their very different careers in gaming and in aerospace. You can view that session here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1wil5ydNPE
The full Career Day video playlist can be viewed on the Foundation’s YouTube channel. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDGJzVWVcIP3PHfEBtc8Cq3Nle5pojgh7
Launch Day
In the transition from high school into early adulthood, we want students to not just survive but thrive. This is an area where the Foundation can give some practical help, through our Launch Day program. In our day-to-day lives, it can be hard for families to stop and engage students in skills that seem so commonplace to parents. Mailing a letter, changing a tire, cleaning a bathroom, balancing a bank account, or deciding when to call a doctor are just a few examples of topics addressed during Launch Day.
The life skills we are sharing are not necessarily things they would learn in school but will benefit from them throughout their lives and will hopefully encourage further exploration. Our goal is to develop a practical resource.
Sessions from spring 2020 are all still available on the Foundation’s YouTube channel. With wide-ranging, practical topics from avoiding identity theft to maintaining your car, planning meals, and even digital safety and reputation, these are skills that are useful not just to high school students, but many of us well into adulthood!
For example, in the “How to avoid identity theft” video, Elizabeth Curry explains that high school students are particularly vulnerable since they don’t have extensive credit histories.
If you’d like to be part of the work to create Launch Day or Career Day for the coming year, please contact Alexis Krogh. It takes many volunteers and a lot of coordination to create these programs, so we’d welcome and appreciate your involvement.
You can view the whole series by visiting here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDGJzVWVcIP1nmvFeTYfhyEV11-VA3sIf
Youth Advisory Board
We were thrilled to have kicked off the Foundation’s Youth Advisory Board this year with students representing Bothell, Inglemoor, North Creek, and Woodinville High Schools.
This group – creative, practical, and solution-oriented – brings needed perspective to conversations not just about what’s happening now, but important questions and expectations for the coming year. The group is helping the Foundation integrate student voice into our leadership and we are excited.
Our first batch of juniors has moved off the board. We are grateful for the service of Lexi, Sky, Saydia, and Maya and excited to welcome in the next group of representatives.
If you know of an awesome incoming Sophomore or Junior who might like to get involved please share this link https://forms.office.com/r/Gq1iKeZTX4 with them. Applications will be accepted through 9/30/21.
Northshore Teen Jobs- Facebook group
This summer we are testing a pilot program with the intention of connecting local businesses that are hiring people ages 15 1/2 through 21, with Northshore students and grads. We just kicked it off this week. Please share with students and local employers and help our community keep working. Visit our new page here: https://www.facebook.com/NSDFTeenJobs
We’ll keep sharing news about Skills for Life initiatives on social media and in future emails. If you have any questions about what you hear or are interested in supporting the work – please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Wishing you a vibrant future,
Carmin Dalziel, Executive Director
Northshore Schools Foundation
P.S. All of this work is funded by donations. If you’d like to contribute, we’d be so appreciative. Donate at this link to have your donation designated to this initiative: https://northshoreschoolsfoundation.kindful.com/?campaign=272024
And a Special Thanks to our Build Skills for Life Sponsor Pac Med!
P.P.S. We are trying to build our YouTube Audience. When we build our followingwe will have access to more functions. Please consider following us at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClGsUEqvVLqL8TfzO18TAYw
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