For many students, their future dreams are built upon the knowledge they have of careers. At Cajon Valley Union School District, the goal is to broaden that knowledge so that every student knows that their unique skills and abilities are worthwhile and that there is a place for them in the world. Through Cajon Valley’s World of Work initiative, students are exposed to hundreds of career opportunities and paths. The World of Work program helps teachers to integrate tools into everyday instruction that can help students find interests and build skills to help them become successful adults.
One facet of the World of Work program is Meet-a-Pro. Meet-a-Pro connects classrooms with working professionals in a variety of fields. Ed Hidalgo, Cajon Valley’s Chief Innovation and Engagement Officer, points out that students aren’t able to aspire to a career if they don’t know it exists. He said with the help of Meet-a-Pro, “students get excited, they see what’s possible. Even if it’s only 20 minutes away, a student can see there’s someone like (them) out in the world of work.”
These virtual field trips give students a look into what a professional does during the day, what their office may look like, and how the business they work for is run. The most exciting part is that one virtual field trip can give thousands of students access to the knowledge gained during the tour. These Meet-a-Pro experiences are so important because early exposure to interesting careers cna lay a path for student success and goal-making at school at in their future career. One Meet-a-Pro tour with KPBS Reporter Megan Burks showed 1,200 Cajon Valley students the exciting field of journalism and reporting.
School budgets are important, and unfortunately the typical yellow-bus field trip is often a place where budgets are cut. Megan Burks reported that it costs around $300 to bus one classroom of students on a field trip, which does not include any other field trip costs. To gain access to Nepris, the technology that provides these Meet-a-Pro virtual tours, districts spend between $3000 and $5000 annually for unlimited access to professionals in hundreds of fields. The cost efficiency in this program means that ultimately, Cajon Valley will achieve their goal of preparing their students for the future.
To watch an overview of Cajon Valley’s World of Work Meet-a-Pro program as reported by Megan Burks, go to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moAo8b9WIQQ&t=109s
Media Contact
Company Name: Cajon Valley Union School District
Contact Person: Howard Shen
Email: Send Email
Phone: 619.588.3000
Address:750 E Main St
City: EL CAJON
State: CA
Country: United States
Website: https://www.cajonvalley.net/