Special Information & Opportunities for 9th-12th graders
XELLO is the College and Career Readiness Tool available to all students. You can find your link when you go to your email account, and click on the 9 dots (aka the waffle) and scroll down to Xello. Your user name is your school email.
COLLEGEDATA.COM is a new website recommended to me by one of our seniors. I looked it over and like it! Take some time to use its various resources, including the college match tool.
Using the NetPrice Calculator
The federal government requires every school to have an NPC on its website. Here's a link to the College Board NPC. You will need your family's tax and financial information on hand to input in order to get a more accurate idea of your Expected Family Contribution in paying for college.
http://studentnpc.collegeboard.org/
Wondering about a school's graduation rate?
The Chronicle of Higher Education has a lot of information to help you compare colleges and universities. Here's the link for that:
http://collegecompletion.chronicle.com/state/#state=ar§or=public_four
Raise.me is a new website for mini-scholarships, and students may start using it as early as 9th grade. You earn scholarship dollars based on your activities. Go to this website to learn more: https://www.raise.me/
Badger Food Pantry
The third Wednesday of each month is the distribution day for families to come to the Food Pantry between 8:30 and 1:30. The pantry is located in the portable buildings behind Badger Elementary.
Volunteer Opportunities
Camp Aldersgate in Little Rock- Camp Aldersgate continues its dedication to providing year-round social service programs for over 1,700 individuals of all ages and backgrounds. During the summer months, Camp hosts week-long medical-specific camps for children and youth with the following medical conditions: muscular dystrophy, spina bifida, diabetes, cardiac conditions, arthritis, kidney conditions, asthma, oncology, and bleeding disorders. In addition to the medical camps, Camp host two Kota Camps to serve children and youth with special needs that are not covered under the Summer Medical Camps. Kota Camps allow our participants to bring a friend or sibling to camp with them to participate in the programs and activities.Weekend Camps are provided for individuals from August to May. They are offered twice a month for children and youth with special needs. Weekend Camps are separated into three different trails. Each trail is geared toward each camper’s strengths and needs. Volunteers, beginning at age 14, and counselors, beginning at the age of 17, are able to sign up to volunteer or work with the camp's summer and weekend programming. As the brochure for Camp Aldersgate says, " For most of these young people (volunteers), Camp is the place where they discover what it is truly like to give of themselves in the most caring, non-selfish way. Careers are defined, potential is created and, often, a new world is opened to our volunteers and counselors." Go to their website for more information, pictures, videos, and ways to help. We have had students who volunteered here in the past and found it an amazing, life- changing experience. campaldersgate.net
Society of American Military Engineers Camps
Each summer, the Society of American Military Engineers, in collaboration with the Military Components, sponsors a series of four engineering/STEM camps designed for High School students who excel in math, science and technical courses and are interested in pursuing engineering in college. These week long camps are high intensity, fun-filled, hands–on events where students from across the country and around the world can learn about engineering and related fields, as well as leadership. Each camp is somewhat distinct due to location and the sponsoring military service. The camps are run by a cadre of professional engineers from both private industry and the military services who volunteer their time and experience to give students an incredible opportunity to explore new horizons.If you are interested, your first step is to determine if you are eligible and then go through the application process for the camp you select. The link below has all the information needed. Please see me for the person to contact at our local post. I'm told there are few applications so you would have a good chance of being selected.
Are you interested in a exploring more about healthcare? Looking for some extra enrichment opportunities over the summer?
Check these out from Baptist Health...
Have you ever thought about spending some time helping others out?
Here are some options:
Becoming a FEMA Corps Member
FEMA Corps give young adults the opportunity to get on-the-job experience while traveling the country and making a difference where it matters most- when disasters hit. FEMA Corps members serve full-time for a 10-month term with an option to extend for a second year. Members serve in teams of eight to 12 and are assigned to projects throughout the region served by their campus. Members are based at one of five regional campuses and travel to complete service projects throughout those regions.
To be considered for FEMA Corps, you must first apply to AmeriCorps NCCC. The program is open to all U.S. citizens between 18 and 24 years old. Members are given a living allowance of approximately $4,000 for 10 months of service; housing; meals; limited medical benefits; up to $400 a month for childcare, if necessary; member uniforms; and become eligible for the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award upon successful completion of the program.
Learn more at NationalService.gov/FEMA-Corps.
TWITTER!
Thanks to good advice from some of you,
I'm now Tweeting! Follow me at CarlaChoate for updates about scholarship deadlines and other items of importance to you!
O*Net Online
Students, Onetonline.org is a great website to search occupations in a number of ways. Last year, I reviewed the Holland Code Interest Hexagon with the seniors to help them determine careers that match up with their interests. Use this link to search for careers by your top 3 interest letters (RIASEC- Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, and Conventional). http://www.onetonline.org/find/descriptor/browse/Interests/
Also, here's a link I found to a community college that allows you to take a quick online assessment to help you determine your code. http://www.roguecc.edu/Counseling/HollandCodes/test.asp
The ASVAB uses the Holland Codes to match individuals to careers as well. When you participated in the ASVAB Interpretation last fall, you completed a brief code finding activity. If you remember those codes, you may use them with the Onetonline.org program.
Career Exploration Highlight
Health Information Management
A recent Yahoo!Education article on the top five growing medical careers placed medical records and health information technician at number four. Approximately 12,000 to 50,000 new HIM jobs are anticipated to be available by 2017, according to the American Health Information Management Association. For more interesting information about HIM careers and to see possible career paths, click on this link:
http://hicareers.com/CareerMap/
Interested in Attending a Military Service Academy?
If you are even considering attending one of the academies, I strongly encourage you to investigate participating in one of their Summer Seminars. This intense week-long experience during the summer before the junior year in high school gives a student a taste of what life at the academy would be like. The student carries all the cost, typically ranging from $300 to $400, in addition to the cost of travel. To learn more about the various branches and their Summer Seminars, go to the following links:
United State Military Academy at West Point
United State Air Force Academy
United States Coast Guard Academy
United States Merchant Marine Academy
Military One Source
Real help- any time, anywhere at no cost to you, for active-duty, Guard and Reserve (regardless of your activation status) and their families.
This is an online connection for you to locate help in the following areas:
consultations, research and referrals for things as diverse as child care, relationship issues, budget issues, communication skills, etc.
in-person counseling (non-medical)
Healthy Habits coaching by telephone or online
financial counseling
educational materials for such things as resume building, sleeping better, loans, etc.
Go to MilitaryOneSource.com or call 1-800-342-9647.
It's free, private, and 24/7.
Arkansas Children's Hospital Center for Good Mourning
The mission of the Center for Good Mourning is to provide, improve and increase support and assistance to bereaved children and families in Arkansas through education, program development, and grief support programs.
Grief Support Groups are free educational support groups for young people who have experienced the death of someone close to them. The purpose is to help young people cope with their feelings of grief and loss in a supportive setting with similar age peers. Each group is set up by age and has approximately 6-10 children or teens. The groups meet in 8 weekly sessions. A Parent Orientation meeting takes place prior to the start of each 8-week group series. An optional group for parents and adult caregivers in also available during the 8-week program. All groups will meet in the East Campus building of Arkansas Children's Hospital, 1621 W. 10th Street, Little Rock, AR. Interested parents and adult caregivers can call 501-364-7000 to request an application, or can print an application off the website at www.goodmourningcenter.org.