Cohoes Middle School students recently immersed themselves in a week of learning about various career paths thanks to representatives from the United States Marines and the NYS Labor Department Youth Bureau.
During PE classes, students in grades sixth through eighth put aside scooter hockey and handball to learn military drills and survival training led by the United States Marines. Students had fun working in pairs and enjoyed an overview of the military by Sergeant Michael Alexis. They asked many questions, curious about how long Sgt. Alexis has been in the military (eight years), if he has ever been deployed overseas (no) and how long he plans on remaining in the military (he loves it and isn’t planning on leaving anytime soon).
The following day, eighth graders met with representatives from the Youth Bureau of the NYS Department of Labor and learned about the Career Zone website. This site is a free, virtual career exploration and planning system for young New Yorkers, offering career videos for over 900 jobs, with information about employment, wages and skills
Students were amazed at how “real” the virtual reality headsets were. They experienced what it was like to restore power to a neighborhood, treat a dog with an ear infection, assist with knee surgery, help an ER patient and help prepare a plane for take off.
Representatives from the Connect Center visited during lunch periods to share information about their upcoming spring events, such as Mentoring Mondays, Culinary and Baking, Lego League, Computer Building and more.
Finally, the week wrapped with students taking career surveys on Naviance, a computer-based program that helps students discover their strengths, interests and learning styles.
“It’s important to start students at an early age and expose them to the many options that lie before them,” said Career Education Coordinator Jennifer Heeney.
