Weather Report: Cloudy, foggy, thunderstorms. Mosaic students shared these weather metaphors to represent their perspective on college and life after high school on Tuesday morning, April 25th. Students had many questions, “How much does it cost?”, “How long will the program take?”, “What are the benefits of going to college?”.
In order to clear the fog, Mosaic students were able to visit different places to get a glimpse into what their future opportunities might bring. Our 6th grade students visited the Water Utility plant, our 7th grade students visited Lakeshore Technical College, and our 8th graders visited UW Sheboygan. Each trip had a different purpose - providing students a well rounded view of their future planning options. One of our 8th grade students wrote, “I think the purpose of this trip was to get kids thinking about the future, getting them ready for college if they chose to go. That’s why they talk about tuition fees, the amount of years you can attend, credits, and did small experiments with us. It was to get a bit of knowledge upon what college will look like.”
After returning from the trips, students shared different takeaways that they gained from experiencing the college or workplace. Our 6th graders were able to identify the high importance of clean water within our community, and what the role of the Water Utility plant is in providing the clean water. In addition, they left wanting to find out more about the difference between ground and surface water as well as more about what happens to the water before it is put back into Lake Michigan. In regards to future planning, the sixth graders identified the three different jobs within the Water Utility plant, maintenance, lab, and operations, all which required different amounts of expertise and educational preparation.
Many of the 7th graders were intrigued by the Wind Energy program at LTC as it directly connected to their unit of study on alternative energy sources in Science class last year. Students gained a deeper understanding of the responsibilities of a wind turbine technician and got to experience some of the safety aspects, as shown in the pictures below. Students were also able to learn about the Culinary, Security, and Welding programs offered at LTC.
At UW Sheboygan, students received answers to their questions about financing for college and how attending a 2-year program can save you money and set you up for success within a 4-year university. In addition, they were able to see the student culture aspect of college, and how they can be an active member of a university community.
These trips are a vital component in the future planning portion of our advisory program, engaging students in experiences that help them identify options for their futures so they can leave us with the skills to be successful post-secondary education.
