Gersh Academy :: Vocational - The Career Discovery Program

The Career Discovery Program

The Active Career Exploration (A.C.E.) Program is designed to show middle and high school students with exceptional needs the variety of careers that are available to them. Along with career exploration, the A.C.E. Program also provides the opportunity for our students to interact with professionals in a true working environment, where they can see first hand what skills and education are necessary for that career.
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Showing Our Students a World of Work

The A.C.E. Program is a multi-step program that includes skill building, career exploration, and off-site visits to different businesses. Our goal is to expose our students to all aspects of a specific career cluster. To achieve this goal, our vocational team, along with our special education teachers, combine in classroom lessons with hands on activities to develop the skills necessary to succeed in today's workplace.

Classroom Preparation

Before our students arrive at a facility, they have already completed three to five weeks of in-class preparation. Our transitional team builds a curriculum around each cluster of jobs that our students will be exploring. Each unit starts out with exposure to numerous careers wiithin a specific field, from entry level to more experienced positions. Following the discussion of each position, the students will engage in numerous activities that are designed to expose them to the skills necessary to succeed in the particular job they are studying. After the completion of these activities, the students will have gained a better understanding of what it takes to work in the field that they are exploring.

Culminating Activity

Following the weeks of in-class preparation on a career, our vocational team then takes our students off-site on a "work tour." This is an apportunity for our students to see what the career they have been studying entails. The students arrive at each location with prepared questions for those who are giving the tour, as well as having a strong understanding of what the duties for each position.

Our students also arrive with a team of professionals that include our vocational department and classroom staff. Following the tour of the location, our students will then return to school to discuss the experience, the positive aspects of each position, and their overall impression of the career.

Career Discovery Program Curriculum

The following units are included in the curriculum that the A.C.E. Program presents to Gersh Academy middle and high school students. Units are presented on a rotating basis, taking student interest and variety in consideration when choosing which unit to present.

UNITS:

Retail:
Careers in Toys Stores, Clothing Stores, Electronic Stores, and Retail superstores.
Media:*

TV Station, Radio Station, Newspaper and Magazine Careers

Arts and Entertainment:*

Careers in Movie Theaters, Museums, Recording Studios, and Live Theaters

Animal Related Fields:

Careers in Animal Retail, Veterinarian, Zoo and Aquarium, Farm and Stable Careers

Environmental:*

Careers in Ecology Centers, Botanical Gardes, Arboretums and Gardening Centers

Governmental:*

Careers in Court Complexes, Town Halls, and Governmental positions

Restaurant / Food:

Jobs available in Specialty Stores, Restaurant, Caterers, and Grocery Stores

Computer Animation:

Careers such as Artist/Directors, Designer/Animator, Sound related and other numerous jobs

Information Technology:*

Positions available in Computer Programming, I.T. Support, and other numerous careers.

Hospital Careers:*

Positions such as Doctor, Nurse, Orderly, Anesthesiologist, Cafeteria workers, Janitorial staff, and other available jobs.

Sports Related:*

Careers available at Golf Courses, Sports Stadiums, Sports Complexes, as well as many other positions, such as Coach, Agent, and team related careers.

Science:*

Careers available in Biology, Engineering, Physics, and Chemistry.

Education:*

Careers as a Teacher, Administrator, Facilities Management, or Special Services

Office:*

Careers available in Accounting, Marketing, Administration, and Human Resources

Manual Labor:*

Jobs available in Construction, Maintenance, and other skilled vocations such as plumbing, electricity, etc.

Automotive Related:

Jobs and careers available at a Car Dealership, as Mechanics, and at Assebmly Plants, and in Car Detailing.

Public Service:*

Careers available as Police, Fire Rescuers, Medical Emergencies (Ambulance), and in teh Postal Service.

Recreation:*

Jobs available at Bowling Alleys, Arcadees, Mini-golf and Go-Cart Centers, DJ's, and other recreation related positions.

Plus Countless others!

* Currently in Development