K-12 Youth
Fox Valley Workforce Development Board's (FVWDB) K-12 Youth Program strives to position area Youth with 21st century career skills and the opportunity to gain valuable work experience. It's an investment in the Fox Valley's future that we take seriously. FVWDB is committed to assist our youth in attaining the skills necessary to gain and retain employment; enabling area businesses to compete successfully within a 21st century environment.
We start at the Elementary years and continue through secondary and post secondary education. We work with local businesses, organizations, and schools to establish partnerships and resource training for vital life skills preparation for our youth and community.
Elementary
We introduce the concepts of careers at the Elementary level through a series of interactive activities, books and resource kits. Students are exposed to possible careers and workforce needs at an early age, so that they can start career exploration and apply it to classroom curriculum. We provide:
Career Coloring activity / Coloring Book
Career Auctions - a classroom activity where students receive money, select an education level & "buy" jobs in an auction (5th and 6th grade students)
Career Carnival - A Wheel of Fortune type game for grades 3-5
Group Career Activities - call for more information
Elementary Resource Kit - a suitcase full of career activities to be borrowed and used by the School Counselor in the classroom
Simple Career Exploration on WISCareers if available
Middle School
In the middle school years, we start discussing career opportunities in greater depth.
We conduct Career Auctions - a classroom activity where students receive money, select an education level & "buy" jobs in an auction
WISCareers (assessments, career search, e-portfolios, etc.) if available
20,000 Choices - a game based on the Millionaire game show
Career Payday - a financial literacy program where students "pay their bills" with their "income"
A Video and Activity Lending Library - DVD's and materials that can be checked out and used at school. Contact us for the catalog.
8th grade Career Fairs - Where students can speak with professionals about their careers!
High School
We view this as the final school opportunity to transform students into successful and confident careerists. It is our goal that upon graduation, if so desiring, each student will graduate ready to effectively contribute to our workforce. It is also our goal to help position students for further (post-secondary) education opportunities. Students at this age make critical career decisions, and we strive to present them with as much understanding as possible, so that they will make decisions that will benefit them and our community for a lifetime.
All of the above-referenced Middle School activities are again reinforced during these years in addition to the following topics/programs:
Interview presentations to help prepare students for their first interview
Mock Interviews - our Youth Services staff can come to your school to help the students practice how to interview
Applications / Resumes / Cover Letters - What should be included and how it should be written so the prospective employer will read it
The Reality Store
This is a partnership working at its best in the development of our youth! Almost a hundred Individuals from local businesses and organizations volunteer to staff this event, and we are so pleased to see the direct benefit that the program has for our students!
The Reality Store helps students learn about financial literacy. It lets them choose a career and make life decisions, like buying a car, purchasing or renting a home, paying student loans, etc. The Reality Store gives our students an idea of what it is like to make every day choices and be able to make their ends meet.
The goals of the Reality Store are to help your students learn: basic finance skills, goal setting, career planning, decision making, and the importance of getting what they need first, and getting what they want second. After attending the Reality Store, students may be more motivated to stay in school, earn their high school diplomas, and to continue on to post-secondary education. At the Reality Store, students choose a career and are assigned a salary, then they visit 17 booths to purchase life's necessities, and have the option to buy some "extras"—but they cannot spend more than their salary. Valuable life lessons are learned at the store in a safe environment!
WISCareers - Career assessments and exploration. Students find their "Career Code." Explore Career Clusters, School Searches, WCA Test Interpretation and Portfolio development
Various Career Exploration Activities - call for more information
Contact
Jill Valdez at jvaldez@fvwdb.com - Winnebago, Fond du Lac, and Green Lake Counties
Kathy Rank krank@fvwdb.com - Waushara, Waupaca and Calumet Counties
Patty Milka patty@career-connection.com - Outagamie County
Or, for more information, please contact Youth Services via:
Phone: (920) 720-5600
Email: info@fvwdb.com