CAREER UPDATES
POLLY MATTESON - PATHWAYS CONSULTANT/CAREER ADVISOR
The NE RPDC is committed to supporting K-12 Teachers, School Counselors, and Administrators in improving student learning and postsecondary readiness.
Please share this newsletter with your middle and high school counselors, administrators, and Career Exploration teachers in your building/district.
Welcome to January 2022!
TOPICS:
1. What services I can offer your school district.
2. UPCOMING EVENTS
3. Missouri Connections Trainings
4. Career Trek Trainings
5. Missouri Postsecondary Advising
6. STEM Technology Resources
What Can Your Career Advisor Do For You?
Does your school have a plan that ensures that all students are “success ready” when they graduate? If not, I would like to work with you to develop a plan to make that happen for all students in your district.
Career Advisors in the nine regions of the state provide Missouri Connections trainings and work with counselors and teachers to provide STEAM events, as well as assist with career exploration, Missouri Connections, and ICAP development. If you have questions about these or other career-related topics, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
UPCOMING EVENTS -- More details below!
- January 12, 2022 Virtual NEMO COUNSELOR CHAT - 10-11 a.m.
- February 9, 2022 NORTHEAST H.S. COUNSELOR SYMPOSIUM 10-2:45
- February 25, 2022 HEALTH CAREER DAY
- February 26, 2022 AHEC HEALTH EDUCATORS CONFERENCE w/Stipend
Health Career Day -- Friday, February 25, 2022
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a critical shortage of health care professionals across the state. In order to help increase the talent pipeline for years to come, we are hosting this dynamic, one-day statewide virtual event showcasing key career pathways in the health care industry.
This event is being developed in partnership by the Missouri Hospital Association, the Missouri Chamber Foundation and the Missouri Dept. of Elementary and Secondary Education. Both K-12 and higher education students and school groups can register free of charge, to see various occupational pathways, learn about the future of health care and virtually engage directly with professionals from some of the best health care centers around the state.
How will Health Career Day work?
- We will host a dynamic, engaging 4 hour live stream event showcasing the hottest careers in health care.
- 8 unique health care providers will have 20 mins to provide insights into these in-demand career fields — Surgical Technician, Critical Care Nursing, Respiratory Therapists, Imaging Specialist and much more.
- Special guests including national spokespersons, state officials and frontline health care workers.
- The program will engage students at all levels via live polling and curriculum to educate and inspire the next generation of healers.
What does the event provide for schools and students?
- Opportunity to provide real world learning insights into today’s health care world and career pathways available to students — accessible whether in the classroom or watching from home.
- Ability for classes and individual students to Zoom into the event and interact with chief medical officers, professional nursing staff, and other key professionals.
- Access to supporting resources and curriculum that dive deeper into today’s health care world.
- Join with classrooms from around the state on our inaugural event.
- Make a day out of it — have your students wear medical PPE, scrubs, lab coats and get into the world of work!
- Recordings all the sessions will be available online for schools to access on demand year long.
- It is 100% free, and easy to access.
Visit your No. 1 resource for Missouri health careers to take a quiz to find a health care career that’s right for you. Resources, including free career guides/brochures, are available for job seekers, students, educators, and volunteers.
Health Educators Professional Development Conference
Missouri Connections Additional Training Dates, January - June 2022
All Missouri Connections trainings are offered remotely this year and are all FREE.
There are several different topics for the sessions, and each will last about 90 minutes. Here are the areas of focus for the training sessions:
CIS360 Individual Career and Academic Plan (ICAP) 8th - 12th Grade Level Components
CIS360 Individual Career and Academic Plan (ICAP) Student Course Planner
Introduction to Missouri Connections for Schools Using Clever
- Introduction to Missouri Connections for Schools Not Using Clever
- Site Administration - Advanced Features
Portfolio Management for Schools Not Using Clever
You can access the training schedule and links to registration though the link below:
State-wide Missouri Connections Training Schedule
Introducing Career Trek - an Elementary Career Awareness Resource
General Information:
CareerTrek 2.0/3.0 is the exciting new update to Missouri Connections elementary career awareness resource. It is still a highly interactive platform with a visual formal and audio/text instructions where students can connect careers with interests and skills and engage in brief career overviews. What’s new:
- An update to the 3 previously existing activities/modules
- 3 NEW activities/modules
- Portfolio-based access that allows students to save their information – AND those portfolios can be transferred to the Junior and High School Version of Missouri Connections
- The Career Creator tool that allows students to create and draw their own career after completing each activity module
- CCI Quick Pic – an elementary version of the popular Career Cluster Inventory
- Site Administration accounts that allow educators to access student portfolios and run reports
- Curriculum/activities to assist educators in the implementation of the platform in the classroom
Note: We are still accepting applications for schools/districts to join the CareerTrek 2.0/3.0 pilot program happening this spring. If you are interested, please contact Missouri Connections at: moconnections@nwmissouri.edu or 660-562-1046.
CareerTrek 2.0/3.0 is for Clever schools only at this point. Clever is a service that makes it easier for schools to use education technology products. It brings all school applications into one secure portal with a single sign on. No need to reset passwords or look up usernames. If you're not sure if your school has Clever, check with your school's tech support team.
CareerTrek 1.0 will still be available for those schools who want to use it, but don't have Clever.
Missouri Postsecondary Advising Initiative Selected Schools
CONGRATULATIONS to the 40 rural schools selected to participate in the Missouri Postsecondary Advising Initiative during the 2021-22 school year. A list of participating schools can be found here.
In fall 2021, DESE launched the Missouri Postsecondary Advising Initiative in partnership with philanthropic organization rootEd Alliance. The three-year initiative, which is funded by federal COVID relief dollars, aims to ensure all high school students, particularly those in rural communities, have a college and career advisor exclusively focused on helping them achieve success following graduation.
Schools were selected based on school and community need, COVID impact in the community, and geography. An additional 71 schools that applied but were not selected in the first round will begin the program in 2022-23. Another application round will occur in spring 2022 to fill remaining program slots for 2022-23.
STEM TECHNOLOGY to CHECK-OUT
Several interactive STEM items are available to be checked out by teachers to use in their classrooms. This is a great and fun way to support and reinforce learning.
To check out items, click on the following Google Request Form: https://forms.gle/33fTXyLAvS4kzeWBA
1. Ozobots -- Great start to coding with several on-line tutorials and lesson plans available
2. Sphero SPRK - Designed to inspire curiosity, creativity, and invention through connected play and coding,
3. Merge Cubes -- Teach science with digital, hands-on teaching aids and interactive simulations designed for use in the classroom.
4. Virtuail-Tee -- Takes Science to a new dimension enabling you to learn about the human body...on a human body.
5. VR/AR Goggles -- Take 360° virtual field trips and experience learning.
Polly Matteson -- Pathways and Career Consultant
Northeast Regional Professional Development Center
Truman State University
Kirksville, MO