MCDM's Target 6: Career Planning
Say hello to Xello! Through self-knowledge, exploration, and planning, students discover their unique pathways. Xello offers four targeted lessons per grade, enabling students to plan their futures and set personal goals. Xello...
Aligns with the MCDM's required targets
Is provided by the Muskegon Area Promise for all schools in the MAISD, K-12
Monthly dashboard reports provide your school with insights into student Xello usage, including lesson completion (completed or in progress), goal and plan setting, and assessment completion (Learning Style Inventory, Career MatchMaker).
Interested in increasing your school's dashboard percentage report? Have students make a plan and set a goal in Xello!
Use the Goals & Plans in Xello lessons to help your students make a future plan and set a personal goal. Students can also access these lessons in their assignments tab when logged into Xello.
Holton's 6th graders foster Michigan Career Development Model's Target 4: Family Engagement
Holton's sixth graders fostered meaningful family engagement by leveraging Xello's Family Connections to explore careers. Students initiated this process by researching a career of interest and conducting insightful interviews with their parents/guardians. These conversations explored job responsibilities, educational requirements, and the rewards and challenges of their professions. Students also encouraged their parents/guardians to link their current career skills to their school learning. Finally, students guided their parents to connect with Xello Family, facilitating ongoing discussions about their research and future career aspirations. Pictured are 6th graders sharing about their lesson experience.
Whitehall Middle School 6th grade Xello Takeaways!
Through engaging Xello lessons, Whitehall Middle School 6th graders have gained valuable insights into decision-making, interests, school subjects at work, and time management. They've learned to navigate important choices with confidence, uncover career options aligned with their interests, see how their favorite school subjects shape future opportunities, and develop effective time management techniques. Reflecting on their learning, students shared what they learned:
"There are lots of jobs that you can connect with and you can set up goals for yourself."
"I liked that it is all about yourself."
"I love all the different career options there are, rather than just the ones you know of off the top of your head."
"I loved how fun it was."
"It is harder than I thought to balance need-to's and want-to's."
"It is really important to know what interests you have so you get a job you like."
"I learned that Art is used in so many ways, and fashion uses Math and Computers."
"I liked how it was really easy to find things and how it tells you what the job is when you don't know."
"I learned that time management is important for a work life balance."
"I liked thinking about what I might do in the future."
"I learned to keep track of time and that hard decisions can be easy."
"I liked that I could study the jobs I want to do when I'm older."
"I learned that you can have many more jobs related to a lawyer."
"Time management is important. Without it, everything is a big cluster."
"I learned how science can be with sports."
"I loved Xello!"
Ready, Set, Finance: Financial Literacy Month Challenge
Elevate your finance curriculum with gamified education! And tie it into Career Exploration by teaching about the Finance career cluster while students are having fun learning about budgeting!
Intuit offers a free, nationwide program which encourages middle schools and high schools to spend one hour learning about budgeting during Financial Literacy Month. This challenge includes:
- An interactive budgeting activity from Intuit for Education.
- An online game to test your budgeting skills.
- A debrief to reflect on your learnings.
Hear what teachers and students say here. See how it works here! Challenge starts 4/1/25 and runs through the month of April. Sign up here!
Or, have your students play MSU Extension 4-H Smart Money Missions Goosechase Game!
Join an exciting and interactive scavenger hunt game designed for youth to learn essential money management skills while having fun. Powered by the GooseChase app, this game combines financial literacy with engaging challenges that test budgeting, saving, spending, and investing know-how. Players complete creative missions, answer trivia, and solve puzzles, all while earning points to climb the leaderboard. Click here for more information and to get registered.
Don't forget to teach students that Finance is one of Michigan's 17 career clusters! There are many different careers in Finance, including, Accounting, Banking Services, Insurance, Business Finance, Securities and Investments. Show this 2 minute video to help your students learn how Business plays an important role in many areas of their lives and future careers.
Resend Xello Family Invites!
Keep families engaged in their student's career exploration journey! Remember to send Xello Family invites from your Xello dashboard every three weeks, as the email links do expire. Encourage parents and guardians to check their email for the Xello invitation and log in to connect to their student's Xello Family account.
Continue to encourage 6th grade students to complete their four Xello core lessons. When students complete their four Xello lessons and connect to Xello Family, they receive a $5 reward in their KickStart to Career (KtC) account from the Community Foundation! Monthly reports are coming your way soon!
Thank you for your dedication to helping students and families succeed through KickStart to Career!
Bring your 8th graders to visit the CTC!
- 8th Grade CTC Visits - May 27 - June 5. Register here!
- Questions? Email David at dkirksey@muskegonisd.org
Career AG-xploration & STEAM Along the Lakeshore are Joining!
Career AG-xploration - for K-12 students & families to explore activities and careers in Agribusiness.
STEAM Along the Lakeshore - for K-12 students & families to explore STEAM activities.
This year both events are joining together for one big event for families to explore activities and learn more about careers in STEAM & Agribusiness.
Event: STEAM ALONG THE LAKESHORE
- Date: Saturday, May 3, 2025
- Time: 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
- Location: Hackley Park, 350 W Webster Ave., Muskegon, Michigan 49440
This is a free event for K-12 students and their families. Flyers will be sent out to schools in April.
MCC Sturrus Center Fab Lab/STEM Lab Field Trips
Robotics in Manufacturing- Bring students to the Fab Lab and learn about how robotics is used in manufacturing. Students will build their own robotic masterpiece!
- May 8th 9am-10:30am
- May 8th 11am- 12:30pm
Cost- $150 (Up to 26 students)- Invoices will be sent upon completion of your visit.
To Register- Click on the above links to get registered for the program.
Howmet Bus Grant Opportunity- Howmet Aerospace has generously provided Muskegon STEAM learning institutes with grant money for bussing.
***Please also consider pairing your visit to the MCC Fab Lab with another Downtown Muskegon learning destination.
Science, Technology, & Engineering Preview Summer (STEPS) Camp
STEPS Camp is a one-week day camp that is held at Grand Valley State University's Pew Campus. The camp runs Monday to Wednesday from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m, On Thursday, the fun goes late for "Fly Night"—a special evening where loved ones join for dinner, a graduation ceremony, and to watch campers fly their very own planes!
At camp, kids dive into hands-on learning and exciting challenges. They’ll build and fly an airplane, explore CAD programming and 3D printing, go on off-site field trips, and take part in friendly competitions. Plus, all materials, snacks, lunch, and cool surprises are included!
Dates:
Week 1: June 9-12, 2025
Week 2: June 16-19, 2025
Registration Deadline: March 31, 2025
Don't miss out—register for the lottery today!
Interested in Construction Camp for 6-8th grade?
At the West Michigan Construction Institute’s Construction Summer Camp, students will gain hands-on experience with technology and construction directly from construction leaders.
Have any students interested in doing hands-on construction activities? Developing new skills? Going to summer camp for free? If so, apply here for the scholarship! ​​ Applications are now open until April 21 and more details about the camp’s day-to-day activities will be provided by WMCI soon.
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Camp sessions this year are located at 801 Century Ave SW, Grand Rapids, MI 49503 and will take place from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the following dates:
June 17-18
June 24-25
July 15-16
4-H Exploration Days @ Michigan State University
This MSU pre-college program is designed to:
- Increase responsibility, confidence, independence, accountability, problem-solving, decision-making and time management skills.
- Increase communication, team work, citizenship, and leadership skills.
- Foster ability to meet new people and make new friends from different places and backgrounds.
- Develop and expand career and personal interests.
- Increase college exploration and access to the Michigan State University campus and its resources.
- Develop social and academic skills needed for a successful transition to college and life as an adult.
- Give youth opportunities to try things that aren’t available in their county.
- June 18 - 20, 2025. For more information and registration, click here.
Advanced Manufacturing Camp
Advanced Manufacturing Camp (AMC) is a four-day hands-on immersive STEM experience for students entering 6th and 7th (this fall). Students will participate in sessions facilitated by GVSU staff, students, and industry professionals from around West Michigan.
Sessions will include hands-on activities in CAD, 3-D Printing, Design Thinking, and Automation that will provide a glimpse into the future of the largest industry sector in Michigan. Campers will also have the opportunity to participate in off-site industry tours.
Dates: June 23-26, 2025
Registration Deadline: May 16, 2025
Register Today!
This summer, students will experience the Grand Rapids Public Museum like never before during Camp Curious! Pre-K through high school campers will explore the wonders of history, science, culture, and more through a variety of one and multi-day camp options. Campers will enjoy an immersive and unique camp experience with artifact explorations, hands-on experiences, behind-the- scenes adventures, exciting experiments, and creative crafts.
Pricing varies, starting as low as $40 for single-day camps, with discounts available for family and grandparent members.
See the list of camps and register here.
Please reach out to campcurious@grpm.org with any questions.
Have questions? Need resources? Please reach out! I am here to support you and your team!
Tricia Schuitema
Career Exploration Specialist, Grades 6-8
Muskegon Area ISD - Muskegon Area CTC
231.767.3628
Schedule a time to meet with me here!
Please forward this newsletter to teachers and staff in your buildings so fellow educators can "subscribe" to get monthly career exploration newsletter updates!