Thank you, School Counselors!
Every student needs a school counselor who is a skilled advocate, a trusted mentor, and a knowledgeable resource. Counselors champion each student's academic, career, and social and emotional well-being, fostering a safe and supportive learning environment. They empower students to explore their strengths, identify their goals, and develop a plan for success, whether that path leads to college, career, or community engagement. A truly effective school counselor collaborates with parents, teachers, and administrators to provide comprehensive support, ensuring that every student has the opportunity to reach their full potential and thrive.
Thank you, school counselors, for your partnership with MAISD in supporting students' career exploration and success.
This month, we're focusing on MCDM's Target 2: Academic Connections. Our goal is to integrate academic content to the Michigan career clusters and embed across curriculum.
Since March is Reading month (March 2 is Read Across America Day) and March 14 is Pi Day, let's connect academic content in both English Language Arts and Mathematics classes this month with the career activities listed below! Please share these activities with your ELA and Math teachers!
English Language Arts & Your Future Success!
Celebrate Reading Month by showing this 2 minute video in your ELA classes to help students discover the variety of career options that can stem from English language arts. By seeing an in-depth example of how the subject can lead to a paralegal career, as well as connect to real-life skills like communicating with others, students are encouraged to keep an open mind about all the paths available to them.
After watching the video, have students read and discuss:
- Why is studying English language arts relevant to my future?
- Why is it important to keep a record of my career exploration?
- Am I interested in a career related to English language arts?
- How can the language skills I learn in class prepare me for different careers?
- Throughout the month of March, have students login to Xello, search for a specific career of interest to them (or a career related to ELA), and read the job description, core tasks, working conditions, earnings, education & training, and related college majors (if necessary).
Depending on the learning objectives you need to meet or the time you have with students, the English language arts subject area teaching resources will help you support exploration and conversations around English language arts-related careers, post-secondary options, and skills relevant to their future success.
Math is important to students lives beyond school!
Share this 'Math & Your Future Success' 3 minute video with students to learn about the different paths studying math can lead, regardless of how they feel about the subject. Whether it’s becoming a robotics engineer or successfully doubling a recipe at home, students will discover how math is important to their lives beyond school.
After watching the video, use these inquiry prompts to discuss with your students:
- Why is studying math relevant to my future?
- Why is it important to keep a record of my career exploration?
- Am I interested in a career related to math?
- What can I learn from interpreting and graphing saved and suggested careers data?
Depending on the learning objectives you need to meet or the time you have with students, the math subject area teaching resources will help you support exploration and conversations around math-related careers, post-secondary options, and skills relevant to their future success.
Mona Shores Middle School celebrates CTE month!
- 8th Grade CTC Visits - May 27 - June 5. Register here! Questions? Email David at dkirksey@muskegonisd.org
MCC Fab Lab offers opportunities to get creative and explore STEAM career pathways. Introduce your students to technology that allows them to use creativity and design skills.
Speedy Sail Cars- Use your engineering skills to build a sail car and then design a sail that will make your car go the fastest or farthest. All participants get to take their completed sail car home with them!
- March 6th 9am-10:30am
- March 6th 11am-12:30pm
Robotics in Manufacturing- Come to the Fab Lab and learn about how robotics is used in manufacturing and build your own robotic masterpiece!
- April 3rd 9am-10:30am
- April 3rd 11am-12:30pm
- 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.
Career AG-xploration - was an annual event the first Saturday in May at the Muskegon Farmers Market for K-12 students & families to explore activities and careers in Agribusiness.
STEAM Along the Lakeshore - was an annual event the first Saturday in May at Hackley Park for K-12 students families to explore STEAM activities.
This year both events are joining together for one big free event for families to explore activities and learn more about careers in STEAM & Agribusiness. Agribusiness careers are actually STEAM careers - so this made sense.
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 early April.
Lakeshore JA Girls Dream Fair - March 20 - 7th/8th girls STEM career exploration - Grand Haven
Aviation Camp - TBD - details coming soon!
CTC Career Camp - TBD - details coming soon!
MCC Sturrus Center STEM Camp - TBD - details coming soon!
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.
Looking for ways to improve Xello Family connections with conversations around careers?
- Use this lesson as a classroom assignment.
Send this 1 minute 30 second video to parents/guardians explaining Xello for Families!
Continue to encourage 6th grade students to complete their four Xello core lessons:
- Time Management
- Decision Making
- Interests
- School Subjects at Work
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!
Thank you for your dedication to helping students and families succeed through KickStart to Career!
Xello completion dashboard reports are being sent to schools each month. Continue to encourage your students to complete their 4 core lessons throughout the year! Bonus: have students make future plans and set personal goals under the Plans tab on their dashboard!
Xello’s Lessons support the Michigan Career Development Model (MCDM) and ensure your students meet the requirements of Michigan's Educational Development Plans (EDP) and Talent Portfolios.
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!