2023 Senior Soft Skills Challenge
February 3rd, 2023
Overview
The Indiana County Chamber of Commerce, ARIN IU28, and Indiana Area SD have partnered together to create a Senior Soft Skills Challenge for all high school seniors in Armstrong and Indiana counties.
Traditionally, we ask businesses to come to schools to talk to students about employability skills. This puts a human resources strain on businesses, and frankly, doesn’t excite high school students. The Senior Soft Skills Challenge takes students to the businesses and gives them a chance to demonstrate mastery of soft skills in a practical setting.
This activity will provide high school seniors an opportunity to demonstrate core skills such as work ethic, manners, team work, financial literacy, communication, problem solving, and understanding the world of work during various team-based challenges.
Challenges
The structure of this event, the design of the challenges, and the scorecard evaluation are all based on PA Career State Standards 13.3.11 A-E Career Retention and Advancement. Students will evaluate personal attitudes and work habits that support career retention and advancement, evaluate team member roles to describe and illustrate active listening techniques, evaluate conflict resolution skills as they relate to the workplace, develop a personal budget, and evaluate time management strategies.
Challenges will take place at local businesses on Philadelphia Street in Downtown Indiana and will be scored by professionals representing a variety of industries. Challenge examples include:
Details
Lunch will not be provided; however students may purchase lunch from nearby restaurants. The George E. Hood Municipal Building (80 N 8th St, Indiana, PA 15701) will be available for students who wish to pack their lunch. Districts are responsible for sending their own chaperones; however, as part of demonstrating time management skills, student teams will be expected to navigate to their scheduled destination unassisted to complete the challenges. Chaperones can position themselves strategically at or between stations. Number of chaperones will depend on the number of students the school is sending. Chaperones can station themselves at the The George E. Hood Municipal Building (80 N 8th St, Indiana, PA 15701). Please make sure you send the names and contact information for chaperones ahead of your scheduled date, along with a list of names, divided into teams. Busses can park at the Kovalchick Convention and Athletic Complex between drop off and pick up to avoid the traffic and limited parking options for buses in Downtown Indiana. Indiana Borough Police have been notified of the dates of the event and are aware that students will be participating in challenges. Drop off will be at 8:30 am at the Indiana Theater. Following a whole group welcome, students will follow a predetermined schedule until pick up at 1:30 pm, also at the Indiana Theater.
What Do Districts Need to Do?
1. Click here to view and confirm your district's scheduled date.
2. Communicate with ARIN IU28 (Stacie Isenberg) to discuss the number of students participating, transportation, schedule, and other details of your selected date.
3. Coordinate district transportation, permission slips, etc. Organize participating students into 14 teams and share your list with ARIN IU28 (Stacie Isenberg) prior to your selected date.
4. After the event, submit an invoice for transportation costs to ARIN IU28.