Community School Collaborative

THE COMMUNITY SCHOOL COLLABORATIVE (CSC) ONCE AGAIN BROUGHT INNOVATIVE AND CAREER FOCUSED PROGRAMMING TO THE STUDENTS OF SLEEPING GIANT MIDDLE SCHOOL (SGMS) IN 2021-22. AFTER A YEAR OF MODIFIED PROGRAMMING DUE TO COVID, WE RETURNED TO A FIELD-TRIP MODEL BASED ON THE ORGANIZATIONS FOUNDATIONAL PRINCIPLES. THESE PRINCIPLES INCLUDE: INCREASING SGMS STUDENTS CONNECTION AND COMMITMENT TO SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY; EXPOSING STUDENTS TO A WIDE VARIETY OF CAREERS; EMPHASIZING STEAM; FOSTERING AND EXPANDING AWARENESS OF POST-SECONDARY EDUCATIONAL AND TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES; AND PROMOTING LIFE-LONG PHYSICAL HEALTH AS WELL AS SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING.CSC PROGRAMMING STRIVES TO ENGAGE STUDENTS IN THEIR EDUCATION, HELP THEM ENVISION A PROSPEROUS FUTURE AND START THEM ON THE PATH TO FINDING A CAREER THAT RESONATES WITH THEM IN TERMS OF INTERESTS, SKILLS AND PURPOSE. TO BETTER REFLECT THE PURPOSE OF OUR PROGRAMING, IT WAS RENAMED COUGAR CAREER DAYS (CCD). THE ENTIRE STUDENT BODY OF SGMS, APPROXIMATELY 320 CHILDREN RANGING IN AGE FROM 11 TO 14, PARTICIPATED IN COUGAR CAREER DAYS THIS YEAR. EACH GRADE LEVEL EXPERIENCED TWO DAYS OF COMMUNITY-BASED WORKSHOPS THAT INCLUDED HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES AND CAREER EXPLORATION. CAREER EXPLORATION IS DEFINED AS THE PROCESS OF RESEARCHING, EVALUATING, AND LEARNING ABOUT MODERN WORK OPPORTUNITIES AND HOW STUDENTS CAN PURSUE THE CAREERS OF THEIR CHOICE.