Orcutt Academy High School was recently notified that it will be awarded a bronze medal from Academic Innovations, a national organization that recognizes schools for their successful implementation of Career Choices curriculum.
“Achieving a gold, silver, or bronze distinction signifies that, based on our research and experience, your Career Choices program is being developed and implemented in a way that will dramatically lower the student dropout rate while preparing students for a self-sufficient adulthood,” said Georgette Phillips, curriculum and instructional support advisor for Academic Innovations, in a congratulatory email to OAHS staff.
OAHS’s Career Choices program uses an interactive learning experience to assist young adults with planning for their future. Beginning as early as freshman year, students are instructed to look beyond high school and explore a wide range of career and educational options. The program includes résumé building, budgeting, and a 10-year plan, all of which serve to structure students’ goals post-graduation.
Rhett Carter, Orcutt Academy principal and director of the school’s Career Choices program, said he first decided to adopt the program a few years back when he reunited with former OAHS students. Although the students were very successful in high school, each still seemed confused about what they wanted to do with their post-graduate lives.
“I was really bothered. I realized how important programs like Career Choices are because we get students ready for the real world. I don’t think we are fulfilling our mission if we don’t do that,” Carter said.
In agreement, Lauren Eubanks, lead instructor of Career Choices at OAHS, shared that she is a huge believer in the program because “at 14, our students can make calculated decisions about which types of careers fit their passions, while also learning how in demand and realistic each career is.”
OAHS will accept the award at the annual Focus on Freshmen luncheon in Los Angeles on July 21. For more information, visit the Academic Innovations Career Choices website at careerchoices.com.
This article appears in Mar 5-12, 2015.