SEELEY LAKE – The Seeley Lake Elementary eighth grade students were included in the Seeley-Swan High School’s spring Discovery Day. The Career Fair held March 7 was a perfect project for the Jobs for Montana Graduates career development category.
SLE Library Media Specialist Michele Holmes has been doing JMG for the past two years with the eighth graders. It falls under the national program Jobs for America Graduates run through the Department of Labor and Industry. SLE is one of eight middle schools in the country that participates in the program.
JMG fits into the eighth grade curriculum since it addresses barriers to success.
“Eighth graders don’t have a lot of job skills so that is considered a barrier to success. The whole goal is starting in junior high and by the time they reach senior year, they have removed some of those barriers through this program,” said Holmes. “Career and readiness and making things relevant.”
The JMG program has four categories: social activities, career development, leadership and volunteerism. The eighth graders are assigned to committees to plan two projects that fit within the categories.
For career development, Holmes has invited guests in to speak about their career choice and share the pros and cons with the students. The committee for career development played a role in planning the Career Fair being the voice for the younger students.
Another component of the JMG program that Holmes feels teaches money management and job skills is the job program she has built into the class.
The students apply for jobs with Holmes and are paid for their work. These jobs include tasks around the school like putting up the flag in the morning and taking it down at night and helping vacuum and clean the classrooms and hallways in the primary grades and working with the SLE Outside and STEAM club activities.
Students are encouraged to earn extra money. Holmes pays them extra money for their involvement in extra curricular school activities and volunteering in the community.
From their earnings the students pay taxes and either rent or purchase their desk space. There is a monthly auction where students can purchase donated items.
Holmes said JMG allows her to help the students work on “soft skills” that are hard to teach including reliability, punctuality and communication.
Holmes was excited to work with the community and to bring SLE and SSHS together in a visible, hands-on collaboration at the Career Fair.
“The day turned out to be the very positive interaction between all of the students of varying ages,” wrote Holmes in an email. “Particularly we noticed that eighth graders were made to feel very welcome by the older students.”
A few other upcoming projects for the class will be volunteering with the Seeley Lake Lions Club to help clean up the Lions Club Park before the annual Treasure Hunt March 31 and continuing to grow their t-shirt business.
Reader Comments(0)