September 14, 2020

Career Navigator News is a biweely newsletter from your Career Navigator, Katie Hendrickson.
School has officially started for all five of the districts that make up the eastern area! 

Start dates were:
Dover-Eyota: August 31
Lake City: September 8
Plainview-Elgin-Millville: September 8
St. Charles: August 24
Wabasha-Kellogg: September 8
Have a great year!
Current Situation: Working Remotely

Some of you were present for my interview with SSC (held via Zoom) this summer - thank you for your time and support! Since I began in mid-July, I have been working remotely and biding my time until I can schedule face-to-face visits in my five school areas.
But, as you know, just because the work is remote, it certainly doesn't stop. My first few weeks were spent in training in-house, then I moved on to meeting my school partners via Zoom. I've been fortunate to have "met" with many of you during these early weeks, and it's still a priority of mine to meet with those of you whom I haven't yet met.
During our visits, I've been able to:
  • get a basic understanding for what CTE activities/current programs are present in each district
  • do some preliminary visioning of how I can help move these activities forward
  • introduce our FutureForward™ online tool
  • begin planning my weekly schedule of each school and community
As the start date for school resuming got closer, I shifted my focus from meeting with school personnel to meeting community partners and learning about what they do and how we might work together to benefit you!
If you would like to schedule time with me for a quick 1:1 meeting, click here for a link to my September calendar.
Late update: Friday I had my first meeting in a school! Thanks for hosting me, St. Charles HS! Looking forward to more in person (and safely masked) visits with my other four schools soon!

Planning for the Rest of the Year: Next Steps 

My next steps include the following: 
  • Presenting the FutureForward™ tool
  • Learning who *your* business partners are; identifying new partners
  • Strategic planning with leaders, guidance counselors, CTE teachers so I can help move your vision forward
Other SE Minnesota districts who have been meeting with Career Navigators during the previous school year are working on strategic planning and a soft launch of FutureForward™. We'll catch up to them before long!

Expect me to reach out later this week to begin scheduling appointments for the end of September.
Experiential Learning Tool:
FutureForward™  

If there is anything you don't want to miss in this newsletter - it is this! 
FutureForward™ is a web-based platform that connects local employers to educators and students for experiential, hands-on, and virtual learning. This tool will be especially helpful to teachers in providing their students with opportunities for career awareness, exploration, and preparation in these days of decreased in-person activities.
In fact, for the upcoming Manufacturing Week (October 5-9), FutureForward™ is the vehicle that students and teachers will use to participate.
Due to restrictions relating to Covid-19, it isn't possible for in-person visits to manufacturing sites, but students will get the opportunity to view these sites from recorded tours and interviews with many local and regional employers that highlight what they do, what coursework is relevant in high school, career options and pathways available, and suggested next steps.
FutureForward™ supports distance and hybrid learning for career connected learning opportunities for this school year.
Moving forward, teachers can use the tool to find a myriad of opportunities for students to interact with business partners, such as:
  • job shadows
  • classroom lesson plans
  • classroom speakers
  • virtual speakers
  • mock interviews
  • mentorships
  • internships
  • and more
In order to gain access to the Manufacturing Week material - look for emails from your Perkins partners sent last Friday! I'll be following up with each of you to find out who is going to participate so I can grant access to FutureForward™ and give some training on the platform.
Resources to Share
CareerSafe
CareerSafe Online is a suite of OSHA-10 certification programs that can be completed online and results in student certification.

Virtual Pre-Apprenticeship Free Courses
The International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 49 has teamed up with Minnesota Virtual Academy (MNVA) - Houston Public Schools to offer online courses for any high school student enrolled in a Minnesota school (grades 9-12). These courses include Construction Exploration; Basic Grade and Construction Math; Construction Equipment Fundamentals; and Basic Maintenance of Mobile Equipment. These courses are eligible for college credit through North Hennepin Community College, and will transfer anywhere in the Minnesota State system. In addition to the courses, students who participate in this apprenticeship readiness pathway will have opportunities to visit the IUOE Local 49 Training Center in Hinckley, MN for hands-on activities and career exploration.

CTE Mission: CUBESat - October 16 deadline
This is an opportunity to build technical skills for careers in space. The US Department of Education invites schools to bring space missions to students by designing and building CubeSat prototypes. No previous experience needed!

STEM Forward Virtual Fall Educator Forum - November 4
Join us for an amazing peer-to-peer learning opportunity that highlights STEM lessons and activities taking place in our classrooms and in hybrid/distance learning environments in southeast Minnesota that you can replicate immediately! This fall's Educator Forum will be taking place virtually via Zoom, on Wednesday, November 4, 2020, from 4:30 to 8:00 PM. There is no charge for STEM Forward members to participate in this event. Click here to register!

Training on Poverty - watch for more information coming from Perkins for this opportunity for educators.
Contact Your Career Navigator: 
Katie Hendrickson

As school settles into a comfortable pace, I plan to visit each campus weekly. In the meantime, I encourage you to reach out anytime with questions, project ideas, or requests to meet.
Cell: 507-421-8777
Email: khendrickson@ssc.coop 
Make an appointment by clicking this link.
Facebook
Please know that if you opt out of these communications, you will no longer receive any emails form SSC.
Click the links below
for session details
and to register!  
October 5-9
Manufacturing Week  
November 3
CTE Works! Summit
November 4
STEM Forward Educator Forum
(See more info in "Resources")
Southeast Service Cooperative
www.ssc.coop
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