ACT DISCOVER Connects Students with Career Preparation

All 8th grade students at Samuel Jackman Middle School explored careers through the ACT DISCOVER internet-based program during the week of February 5. Crystal Graves, the Student Services Model Project (SSMP) Coordinator, set up the workshop to run through science classes. Over two days, each class spent a total of two hours to complete the program. With the teachers’ assistance, the students began to make connections between occupations and the preparation needed. They worked backwards in tracking the occupation from the college major to specific high school courses required in order to reach their occupation of interest. Once the students realized the level of preparation needed to enter into a specific field, they either changed their minds about the future career or began frantically writing down all the steps they needed to take.

The biggest eye opener for students was becoming aware of the connection between education and jobs. They learned about the amount of preparation and work experience needed to enter their field of interest and make the amount of money each wanted.

From the counselors’ perspective, ACT DISCOVER opens the door for conversations with students about their future, not just about their transition to high school. Lisa Flores, one of three school counselors, remarked, “Counselors can use the DISCOVER printout to learn about students’ career interests when they come for high school class planning.” The students can also print out their career/interest profile at home and discuss this with their families.

▲Counselor Lisa Flores uses DISCOVER results to help with high school planning.

Crystal has several helpful hints to set up the individual passwords for the DISCOVER program. Use 3 x 5 index cards with the individual password received from ACT written in the last space on each card.
During the 1st session, the students print their first and last name and user ID on the card. The cards are collected, and the information is logged onto a spread sheet as a back up. After the 2nd session, the students can take the cards home to continue their exploration.
Students are told that each counselor will receive a copy of this spreadsheet with every student’s user ID and password so that if anyone loses that card, the counselor will still have the information.
Crystal commented, “The program is extremely easy to navigate.
Once the students get going, they really enjoy it.”

For additional information about ACT DISCOVER, contact Frederick
Mickle at (916) 631-9200 or Crystal Graves by email at
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Joann Zgonc - Publication Coordinator
Bernadette Ramirez - Executive Assistant
Tarik Assagai - ACS Digital Media

Regional Coordinators

Sandy Carpenter-Stevenson	Vance Mills
Shirley A. Cunningham	Gina Rodriguez
Frank Holmes	Robert Van Zant
Donald Mar	Joann Zgonc

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