Supply List
• Script in Binder
• Laptop
• Extension Cord
• LCD Projector (CTX)
• Worker Profiles (6)
• Poster With Project Name On It (laminated)
• “Right Look/Wrong Look” activity
• Handouts With Pencil
• Class of 2007 T-shirt
• Other:

Prior to Session
• Set up technology for Power Point slides
• Sound check with microphone
• Hang up Worker Profiles
• Hang up poster by entrance or on podium
• Start music
• Meet other presenters, review procedures for session
• Be prepared to distribute copies of “Right/Wrong Look” to audience
• Handouts ready to distribute
• Other:

Session Outline

Rap / Chant!

Introduction

FCCLA Planning Process:
Identify A Concern
- Set A Goal
- Plan
-- Career Pathways
-- Entrepreneurship
-- Job Shadowing
-- Work Skills
-- Worker’s Profile
-- Job Interview

Take Action
-- Thank Adult Mentors
-- Spreading Word About SQ
-- Spring Expo
-- NMS Career Connection Award

Follow-Up
-- First Lady’s Visit
-- LaCrosse
-- Career Skills Expo

“Thanks” and Ending

Philadelphia Script - 2003

BOTH:

Get Connected!
Get, Get Connected!

Get, Connected!
Get, Get Connected!

Get Connected!
Get Connected To . . .

Work Skills
Job Shadowing
Worker Profiles
Job Interview
Career Pathways
Entrepreneurship!

Get Connected!
Get How?

We Are Connected!
With The Success Quest Challenge!

Good Morning FCCLA! [pause – wait for response]

KYLIE: We are Kylie Nelson,
KELLEY: and Kelley Perks, from Nikolay Middle School FCCLA. We have traveled to Philadelphia from Cambridge, Wisconsin. Wisconsin, the home of Big Ten Basketball Champs - the Wisconsin Badgers and the number one cheese producing state in the USA. Today we will be sharing our Career Connection Project, which is called…
BOTH:The Success Quest Challenge! [with enthusiasm]

KELLEY: The best way to explain the Success Quest Challenge is to use the FCCLA Planning Process. First, identify a concern. What do all 8th Grade students have on their minds? You might be thinking sports, girlfriends and boyfriends, school, friends and whatever else. What kinds of classes to take? Where are we headed? What do we hope to accomplish in four years?

After taking the Career Scan Survey, we found out that only 16 percent of the class had participated in career exploration activities. FCCLA needed to help members develop “skills for life” that would bring them success in their careers, communities, and families. So we set a goal.

KYLIE: The project goal was to motivate members to connect personal interests and skills to their career goals, and plan pathways to succeed in their life. This is a very large goal – how would we measure our success?

We came up with six objectives that were measurable. These included:

- Identifying career clusters that interested us and plan a pathway to get a job in that cluster

- Operate entrepreneurial businesses

- Job shadow with mentors in the community to find out what the “world of work” is really like

- Improve our employability skills through keeping a journal

- Create a worker’s profile display to gain insight into our talents, skills, abilities, and aptitudes

- Develop job-seeking skills through role playing a job interview with community leaders.

Here are the six parts of our project. Let’s start with developing Career Pathways.

KELLEY: When you are in middle school you don’t really think that much about what you are going to do for a career, and classes you will take in high school. All 8th grade members develop a career pathway as part of the Success Quest Challenge. A pathway is like a maze – you select a career cluster as your goal and then find many different ways to achieve a career that interests you.

Here are a couple of web sites we used to help us decide which career clusters fit our interests and aptitudes. [pause - point to screen]

Members looked for part-time jobs related to their career cluster. This is a great way to find out if this cluster is really an area that you will like. Doing volunteer time also helps you get a taste for career clusters. For example, if you think you want to be in a career working with animals, why not volunteer at a humane society?

What does a career pathway look like? At our school it is like a web with a career cluster in the middle and all these different options branching out from the middle. [point to screen] A pathway is always changing and that keeps it a helpful tool for members, as their goals become more clear.

KYLIE: Now for the second part of the Success Quest Challenge, Entrepreneurship.

What is an entrepreneur? You could be sitting next to a future business owner and operator. The Class of 2007 operated nine days of restaurants with five different themes. We prepared approximately 400 meals and served over 250 customers.

The different themes for the restaurants were The Jungle, Pasta Pub, Cluckers, Disco Fever, and Yee-Haws. The project includes a theme, menu items, décor ideas, and advertising strategies. The class then votes on the idea they like the best, and that becomes the restaurant title.

My class restaurant was The Jungle. Deciding on the menu was a challenging process with everyone voting on a variety of suggestions.

Once the menu is decided, you have to figure out the wholesale cost. Then we figured in a 20 to 25 percent profit margin. Each restaurant group published an order form with menu items described. Orders were taken ahead of time so we knew how much food to order. The day of the restaurant is very exciting. You see all your hard work pay off. And you definitely have to work as a team.

In addition we had two students whom organized the production of Class of 2007 T-shirts. The T-shirt featured the school’s mascot, and the “Class of 2007” printed on the front. On the back was a list of all the students in our class.

Some of the most important lessons we learned from running our own business are:

- working together affects the outcome of running your own business

- everyone and their jobs have to work together to make the job complete.

- and, last but not least, the customer is always right!

KELLEY: Part Three of The Success Quest Challenge is Job Shadowing With A Mentor.

When we started Success Quest we didn’t know what job shadowing was! Job shadowing is when a mentor helps you explore a career cluster of your choice. For example, I am interested in teaching and the Performing Arts. I had a blast shadowing the high school band director. I listened to the wind ensemble rehearsal, assisted with an EEN class, plus helped students with their music history homework. Can you imagine that? Me helping a junior in high school?

Communication is vital to having a successful job shadow. We go for half a day. I had to type a business letter to request a visit, and enclosed a RSVP post card. Each of us came up with a list of questions we would ask our mentor. Then we practiced introducing ourselves and giving a firm handshake. I wanted to make a positive first impression so I dressed for success!

When you get to the business you see how the job works, ask your questions, and say “Thank You.” When I returned to school I thought about the experience and reflected on it with a series of questions. Then I wrote a letter of thanks.

KYLIE: Part 4 – Work Skills

Each member keeps a two-week journal on the following six employability skills:
- Responsibility
- Quality of Work
- Initiative
- Effort
- Attitude, and
- Cooperation.

Members keep journals for two weeks at a time citing examples, and non-examples, of the skills. After two weeks, questions are answered that have members reflect about examples as students, family members, and in the world of work. These journals give members the chance to evaluate themselves each day, and advisers review the reflection questions at the end of each two-week period. It takes self-discipline for members to fill this out each day - Another valuable personality trait!

KELLEY: Now on to Part Five – Creating A Worker’s Profile

For one of our “hands on” projects in class, we did a worker profile. This is a silhouette of yourself surrounded with info you learned during self-assessment activities. You see some examples of Worker’s Profiles hanging up in the room.

This was part of getting to know ourselves better. We decided which learning style fit us, our personality themes, and identified our aptitudes and abilities.

This was a creative activity, and no two profiles looked alike. We had a handout with a variety of ideas you could include on the profile. The first thing I did was create an anagram of my first name. For example, my name is Kelley. One word that describes me is kind, and it starts with the first letter of my name.

Other info on our projects included; our favorite quote, pet peeve, role models, an everyday hero, a food analogy, and selecting a cartoon character you relate to.

We display our profiles in the hallway. The project helped us learn more about ourselves.

KYLIE: Part Six – Job Interview Simulations

One of the favorite activities that we do in Success Quest is the Job Interviews with an adult from the community.

To prepare ourselves for these interviews, we practice a list of sample questions. We prepare a Power Point slide show called “My Walking, Talking Resume.” It is also important to practice filling out a job application form.

The day of the interview I was nervous. The easiest part of this activity was presenting my resume. The most challenging part was not using filler words like “um” “ah” “kinda like” and “whatever”. I was relieved after the interview and the next day found out that I earned a 98 percent on my interview. Next time I will be more confident because of this experience.

KELLY: Take Action is Step 4 of the planning process. The Success Quest Challenge relies on adults to serve as mentors. This year 56 mentors provided us with job shadow sites, field trips, and job interviews. How do you thank people for setting aside their time to help members?

We honored mentors at a school assembly. The Success Quest members planned and operated a bakery that mass-produced 60 Dutch Apple Pies. Each pie was boxed with a custom made label.

Another part of “taking action for FCCLA” is spreading the word about our activities. Each month in the Nikolay Network – our school newsletter – there are articles and pictures about Success Quest. The local paper has featured our project work 5 times this year. A neighboring community’s radio station interviewed one of our advisers about the restaurants we operate.

On May 1st our school held Spring Expo. Every student displays their work, and the entire community is invited. That night we had a table in the lobby with 2 monitors showing all the member’s Power Point resumes. There were also 2 hallways of Success Quest projects to view, and our dinner restaurant to dine at. It is an ongoing job to “spread the word” about our projects.

FCCLA and Success Quest continued to celebrate by recognizing those students with consistent and exemplary efforts in these six categories. They received a Career Connection pin, magnet, and certificate at a school assembly. Their names are provided to the community as potential employees and good citizens. We formed a partnership with the PTA and they paid for our pins.

KYLIE: Follow-Up is the last part of the Planning Process. Since our FCCLA Chapter has received this national recognition we have been very busy. The First Lady of Wisconsin, Mrs. Jessica Doyle, visited our school and talked with 21 of our members about Success Quest.

At the Wisconsin FCCLA conference we received a plaque, and the state president traveled to our school to present this recognition to the entire Class of 2007. On the last day of school, State Representative David Ward presented our FCCLA chapter with a legislative citation in honor of the Success Quest Program.

At the request of the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction our chapter was asked to represent the entire Career and Technical Student Organizations in the state at the Career Skills Expo. Our booth was visited by students, business leaders, and teachers. Kelley explained about our program and what members learn through Success Quest.

KELLEY: We want to extend a special “thanks” to our chaperone Mrs. Khris Perks [pause], and our two advisers – Mr. Steve Andersen [pause] and Mrs. Cathy Lader [pause]. The Cambridge community [pause] and our principal, Mr. George Smith, have been great supporters of FCCLA and Success Quest.

BOTH: Get Connected! Get, Get Connected! With The Success Quest Challenge!

Thank you for your attention.