BY KARISSA MILLER
A new North Carolina law requires students attending public schools to decide on a career track in eighth grade, beginning this school year.
All students must complete a career development plan prior to being promoted to the ninth grade. The plan must be revised in 10th grade for a student to be promoted to 11th grade.
Through the collaborative efforts of Iredell-Statesville Schools’ Career and Technical Education Department members and school counselors, 1,600 eighth-graders participated in a districtwide field trip known as “Eighth Grade on the Move” on Tuesday and Wednesday at the Statesville Civic Center.
The goal is to make sure that each student understands and completes the legislative mandate. The event was sponsored by the CTE Department and Doosan Bobcat.
“Eighth Grade on the Move is similar to Careers on Wheels, but it’s an opportunity for our students to explore options that they don’t know. We want to give them a head start and learn about all the high school options, all the pathways we offer and the ones we offer at CATS (Career Academy & Technical School),” explained CTE Director Tim Woody.
Organizers designed the field trip to be fun and engaging in hopes of encouraging the students to think about careers and their future in a meaningful way, Woody said. Hands-on activities, such as Z Space, 3D Anatomy table, Virtual Reality headsets and drones, allowed participants to explore STEM-based careers up close.
Community partners, including Mitchell Community College, Doosan Bobcat, CATS, and local high schools, set up tables for students to visit and explore.
Dallas Kirk, a student from The Brawley School, said his favorite activity was the VR headset, which offered a chance to learn about medical careers and knee surgery.
Another student, Brooklyn Arzonico, said she found the activity stations helpful.
“You got to explore different career pathways that I didn’t know a lot about. I have learned about what is offered in high school and some career options,” she said.
Woody emphasized that the goal is to set all students up for post-secondary success by “guiding them, not placing them in courses.”
Career Development Coordinator Juli Tipton said the eighth grade on wheels event is an initiative that the district started last year. I-SS is ahead of the legislation in terms of assisting middle and elementary students in thinking about what their future might look like, she added.
“If they choose a career pathway in eighth grade, they can maximize their opportunities in high school between CTE credentials and Career College Promise Dual Enrollment or even participate in Work-Based Learning opportunities,” Tipton explained.
“Ultimately, we want every high school student to know what they are doing after high school, whether that be employment, enrollment, enlistment or become an entrepreneur,” she added.
Students rotated through four sessions over two days at the Civic Center They have different rooms set up for orientation to high school registration, career pathways, high school options, such as early college, International Baccalaureate and CATS.
Tipton also said that the district uses the career development platform MajorClarity to help ensure that plans are completed based on each student’s aptitudes, skills and interests.
She also hopes that their efforts will help build the employment pipeline in Iredell County so that students can have access to many careers in the area.
In conjunction was this event, the district held a parent night at the Civic Center to provide parents with information about the new legislation and options available to students.
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