Students from across Custer County gathered at the Broken Bow Municipal Building Wednesday, February 4, for a full day of exploration designed to help them envision a potential path from school to career.
“Connecting the Dots” is a state-wide program led by the Nebraska Extension through 4-H. Working in conjunction with 2- and 4-year colleges and universities, as well as area industry and business interests, Extension educators help students in 9th and 10th grade learn more about post-high school education, technical training and career paths.
4-H Extension Educator Sarah Fanning, who was guiding the activities for the day, said the most important element of the exploration was to help students understand that they may have more options after school than they may yet realize.
One hundred and twenty students represented schools from Broken Bow, Callaway, Anselmo-Merna, Sandhills, and Arcadia schools at the career education seminar.
The morning began with workshops to develop resume writing and networking skills. By the afternoon, students were putting those skills to work.
Across a series of rounds, students applied for jobs or explored further educational options with real representatives from area businesses and with recruitment and admissions personnel from The University of Nebraska, Mid Plains Community College, the Nebraska National Guard and others.
Broken Bow Guidance Counselor Ed Schaaf called the program “impressive”, saying “it really adds to what we are already doing in the school. It takes what we’ve been talking about and puts it into practice.”
With so many options for possible futures to explore, area students should come away from the day with both a better understanding of their potential school and career choices, as well as how to connect the dots to get there.
