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To provide career exploration and career development activities through an organized, systematic framework designed to aid students, including in the middle grades, in making informed plans and decisions about future education and career opportunities and programs of study.

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Mission

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History & Evolution

Program began in 2020-2021 SY as virtual zoom sessions

Evolved into Saturday STEAM Career Academy

Summer STEAM Career Academy Camps- 1-3 week summer camps

The Program’s Scope

Serve as a recruitment tool for middle school students of special populations

Help middle school students make more informed choices on our CTE program offerings

Expose middle school students to engage in hands on activities

Designed to expose middle school students to career pathways at an early age

The CTE Middle School Career Exploration Program took place as one Saturday a month, for 4.5 hours, for 8 months, during the 2020-2021 school year.

The first half was virtual and the second half of the school year (spring) was hands-on with limited seating.

Since then the program has ran as in-person 1-2 Saturdays a month during the school year and as one-week summer camps per topic.

The objectives have been to:

Serve as a recruitment tool for middle school students of special populations. To help the district target middle school students who are members of special populations (Multilingual Language Learners (MLL), Special Needs, Non-Traditional Participants) striving for equity of educational opportunities

and being culturally responsive to promote each student’s academic

success and well-being. Ensuring that each student has equitable access among the middle school students of Essex County.

We're doing this by helping middle school students of Essex County make more informed choices on our CTE program offerings

Through exposure to careers at the middle school level

Overall, the goal has been to improve the size, the scope and the quality of CTE programs offered in the district

The STEAM Career Academy has helped us provide career exploration coursework and activities to these middle school students before enrolling in a CTE program.

Which has improved the awareness among the middle school students about their development of academic and technical skills attainment

We've done all of this for FREE to every middle school student in Essex County for the last 3 years.

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Saturday STEAM Career Academy Sessions

-9:00-12:30 workshop sessions, with break & snack

-Students take one workshop a day

-Program designed around teacher availability

-Allow time for parent and student tours

-HS Students as mentors/facilitators

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Advertising, Recruitment,

& Program Delivery

STEAM Career Academy Website

Email Blasts

Social Media

Mall and Mail Advertisements

EventBrite

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Animal Science

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Summer STEAM Career Academy Sessions

1- 3 week sessions

9:00-12:30

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MOCK TRIALS CAMP

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IMPACT OF MENTORSHIP ON HS STUDENTS

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Some of the comments from our middle school students participants from our summer camps.

Students Comments

“Doing the curls was my favorite because I loved the outcome and turn out of my work”

“My favorite activity was taking off the wheels because it was something I wanted to learn”

“I liked learning how to edit pictures of something or someone and learning how to remove a background from an image to make it into a sticker“

What was your favorite activity or project during the CTE summer camp? Why?

“I really liked the actual mock trial. It was fun and I was able to go out of my comfort zone”

“Oil change bc we did hands on thing”

“My favorite activity was recording the beats I made using the keyboard. It was fun because it let me pour my thoughts and ideas into the music”

“My favorite projects was coloring the dolls hair”

What was your favorite activity or project during the CTE summer camp? Why?

“I loved the program over all“

“Mr. Boyle was great and knows so much! I’m so happy I was part of his program”

“It was very nice to meet the teachers”

“This was very fun and challenged me a bit!”

“Teacher is funny and entertaining”

“Class was fun and Chef made us feel like we were on a show!”

“I loved the program“

Comments or Suggestions:

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Student Feedback

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Parents Comments

Professionalism
Hands-on, interest-driven options
Valuable life experience
My daughter learned a lot and the teacher was patient
The variety of classes and the baking class was a lot of fun
Kids learned how to use regular computer software to make stickers and edit pictures
My daughter learned something new that she's interested in
To learn some skills useful for living
The teachers attention and care of the students
My son, has varied interest in trades and tech careers. He is a hands-on learner and this was a wonderful way for him to experience this and have the experience of visiting that's awesome school and campus. It allows him to find value in education and coming to class

Please share what you liked most about the STEAM career academy summer camp.

It should be longer
The only area that I could say could improve, would just be to add more courses and different topics. Otherwise, it's excellent
The program of one week is too short to learn about the automobile. My son likes the car and he want to learn more skills and knowledge of the car
Even more class options would be fantastic

In your opinion, what aspects of the STEAM career academy summer camp need improvement?

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Parent Comments

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Teacher Comments

Widely varied skill and interest levels
Some students have a hard time listening and sitting down
Some immaturity issues
There can be a mixed group of students and it is hard to gauge overall maturity and academic level until you're already teaching

What challenges, if any, have you encountered while teaching CTE to middle school students?

I feel it is very organized and enjoyable to teach the STEAM students
teaching more local students (East Orange, Orange…)
Considering hosting a parent day/night where parents attend the CTE class. Parents can have a simulated experience and understand the investment
I really enjoy being a teacher there. It's a great recruitment tool for the schools and an excellent way to reach an audience who may not otherwise be interested in the school

Additional Comments:

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Overall, how would you rate your experience with the STEAM Career Academy?

Would you recommend the STEAM Career Academy to a colleague to participate as an instructor?

Teacher Comments

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ROI

Applicant Data:

Of the applicants who participated in the STEAM Career Academy:

Did your participation in the STEAM Career Academy Impact your decision to apply to our district?

2022

101/129 = 78%

2023

110/128 = 85%

2024

56/61 = 91%

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Next Steps

Expand HS student participation as CTE Ambassadors-WBL in action
Enhance advertisement and promotion of program
Utilize Business students to call parents to confirm attendance
Provide more accommodations for EL, SN, students with disabilities
Parent and Me classes 🙂
More structured tours of the schools while students attend classes
Track longitudinal impact of program on applicants and subsequent graduates

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THANK YOU!

Dr. Cathleen DelaPaz

Director of Career and Technical Education Academies

Essex County Schools of Technology

Newark, NJ

cdelapaz@essextech.org

Instagram: essexcountyschoolsoftechnology

http://www.essextech.org

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