What is School to Work?
2005 Valdosta Area Technical Career Guidebook
Game of Real Life
CHOICES
If I Had a Hammer
National Groundhog Job Shadowing Day
Career Development Modules and GCIS

What is School-to-Work?
In 1998, the state of Georgia received a four-year, $36.2 million federal School-to-Work Opportunities grant from the US Departments of Education and Labor. More than 85 percent of the School-to-Work funding in Georgia was distributed to local and regional partnerships. Georgia School-to-Work is designed to contribute to the creation of a comprehensive system that integrates education improvement, workforce development, and economic development through active collaboration of business/industry, pre-K through postsecondary education, and other community stakeholders.

In many cases throughout the state including the Valdosta area, the implementation of local School-to-Work grant strategies is/was coordinated by the same collaborative consortiums that guide the local Tech Prep programs. The Valdosta Area Tech Prep/School-to-Work Partnership serves Berrien, Brooks, Cook, Echols, Lanier, and Lowndes Counties as well as the Valdosta City School Systems.

Through School-to-Work funding our local partnership implemented activities that focused on the following:

• Integration of academic and applied education
• Increased career awareness activities for every grade level
• Increased opportunities for all students
• Increased educator/employer collaborations
• Increased work-based learning opportunities for students
• Expansion of career guidance and mentoring
• Increased professional development for educators
• Increased opportunities to inform parents
• Strengthening a seamless system of education and career development

Valdosta Area Technical Career Guidebook
During the 2004-2005 school year, the Valdosta Area Tech Prep/School to Work Partnership was awarded a one year School to Work “Transition” grant. This grant was focused on providing all area school counselors, administrators, and educators local job and technical college information through development of a “Technical Career” guidebook. This manual and information was successfully disseminated and presented through Spring workshops held at all seven high schools in the Valdosta Technical College service area.

To download a copy of the new manual containing local job and technical college information click on Valdosta Area Technical Career Guidebook.

What is the “Game of Real Life”?
Five years ago, in an effort to better prepare young people for employment in South Georgia, several area business employers developed a concept to give a classroom presentation entitled the “Game of Real Life” to ninth and tenth grade students regarding the importance of good work ethics and basic skills in the hiring process. The presentation is implemented through local volunteer business leaders and has been presented to area high school students and faculty.

Beginning in 2003, the “Game of Real Life” program has now been presented to over 6,500 students in South Georgia and is offered each school year to all high school ninth and tenth graders in the Valdosta Technical College service area.

Some of the Area Volunteer GORL Presenters:

• Georgia Power
• SAFT
• Colquitt Electric Membership Corp
• Langdale Industries, Inc.
• South Georgia Medical Center
• Southeastern Freight Lines, Inc.
• SEARS
• LOWE’S Distribution Center
• Wetherington Farms
• Valdosta Daily Times
• Heritage Community Bank
• Propex Fibers, Inc - Nashville Mills
• Alapaha Bank
• J.H. Harvey’s Co.
• Adel Memorial Hospital
• Valdosta/Lowndes Chamber of Commerce
• Valdosta State University
• Valdosta Technical College

To view the Game of Real Life quarterly newspaper click on
“The CONNECTOR”

For more information on “The Game of Real Life”, contact Bill Tillman, Valdosta Area Tech Prep Coordinator at (229) 219-1379 or .

What is “CHOICES”?
CHOICES is an interactive classroom seminar that challenges middle grade students to take control of their lives through good personal and academic decisions. CHOICES is led by volunteer business and community presenters and helps students understand that by making good decisions now, they will give themselves more options later for choosing a fulfilling career.

CHOICES was originally introduced to the Valdosta Area School-to-Work Partnership back around January 2000 and has since been purchased and successfully implemented each year through local funding for most of the school systems. CHOICES is coordinated through local area program managers who train the volunteer presenters and schedule classroom presentations with the school systems.

For more information, contact your local area CHOICES program manager, Bill Tillman, Valdosta Area Tech Prep Coordinator or check out the CHOICES website at www.choicesedgroup.org

What is “If I Had a Hammer”?
“If I Had a Hammer” integrates the learning of academic subject matter with a fun, hands-on activity through the integration of a construction team activity and a classroom curriculum. Fifth grade students work as a group to assemble an 8x11 foot house in less than two hours. The finished product – a free-standing house complete with windows, door, and a front porch – is the result of teamwork, communication and real-life application of math and science concepts. Students also build self-esteem and experience the powerful sense of accomplishment that comes through hard work.

In October 2002, a two-year site license for the “If I Had a Hammer” program was purchased for the Valdosta area through a School-to-Work Demonstration grant. The “Hammer” house building activity is mainly hosted at Valdosta State University College of Education and is implemented through a grant funded part-time facilitator. Over 2,000 area fifth grade students have participated during the two years of grant funded implementation of the Hammer program with tremendous support from numerous business and community partners such as the Home Builders Association of South Georgia, Lowndes/Valdosta Habitat for Humanity, Home Depot, Lowndes County Fire and Sheriff departments, SEARS, and others.

As of Fall 2004, Valdosta State University’s College of Education assumed the role of program fiscal agent and maintains the site license and has continued to be the program host site for area fifth grade classes. For more local program information on “If I Had a Hammer” click on the VSU College of Education website at education.valdosta.edu or contact Maggie Roberts, VSU College of Education at 333-5925, or Bill Tillman, Valdosta Area Tech Prep Coordinator at (229) 219-1379, or for program information from its creator, Perry Wilson, check out the “If I Had a Hammer” website at www.IfIHadAHammer.com.

What is “National Groundhog Job Shadowing Day”?

Each year in America, millions of students and tens of thousands of businesses come together through job shadowing opportunities to share the lessons learned in the world of work. For this valued reason, the Valdosta Area Tech Prep/School-to-Work Partnership encourages all local schools and businesses to participate in the National Groundhog Job Shadow Day every February.

Although we promote and celebrate on Groundhog Day each year, job shadowing should be an opportunity offered all school year to our young people for their career development. Just a few short hours are all it may take to open a window into the world of work for our future workforce. Shadowing can begin to provide our students with the knowledge and skills they will need to achieve their dreams.

For more information on the National Groundhog Job Shadowing Day or for a free employer job shadowing host guidebook, contact Bill Tillman, Valdosta Area Tech Prep Coordinator at (229) 219-1379 or check out the National Groundhog Job Shadowing Day website at www.jobshadow.org.

What are Career Development Modules and GCIS?

From 1999-2004, the Valdosta Area Tech Prep/School-to-Work Partnership provided area high schools with Career Decision Modules (CDM’s) for each student and a School-to-Work part-time liaison to help facilitate use of these interest-inventory type evaluation instruments. These Career Decision Modules are useful tools for school guidance counselors and teachers to evaluate what their student’s career interests and abilities are in relation to setting individual career goals.

In addition to CDM’s, the School-to-Work part-time liaison demonstrated and trained students on the Georgia Career Information System (GCIS) provided by the Georgia Career Information Center.

To explore the Georgia Career Information System (GCIS), go to www.gcic.peachnet.edu. [Go to this site and click on the Georgia Career Information System (GCIS). For the Valdosta Tech Prep Area, you will need to type in the username “techprep” and the password “gcis420” to enter GCIS].

For more information on GCIS, please contact your guidance counselor or mail Bill Tillman, Valdosta Area Tech Prep Coordinator at .