Kennard-Dale Career & Employment Connections and Junior Achievement Partnership

Kennard-Dale High School is committed to preparing students for life beyond graduation by combining academic learning with real-world experiences. Through a strong partnership between the Career & Employment Connections Coordinator and Junior Achievement of South Central Pennsylvania (JASCPA), students gain hands-on exposure to career exploration, STEM pathways, financial literacy, and workforce readiness skills.

This collaboration supports South Eastern School District’s mission to ensure students graduate prepared, informed, and confident as they transition into college, career training, the military, or the workforce.

Junior Achievement of South Central Pennsylvania (JASCPA) is a nonprofit organization that provides free, hands-on educational programs focused on:

• Financial literacy

• Work readiness

• Entrepreneurship

Junior Achievement serves students from Pre-K through 12th grade across 14 counties, including York County. Their programs connect classroom learning to real world applications through community volunteers who share professional knowledge and life experiences.

The Kennard-Dale Career & Employment Connections Coordinator collaborates closely with Junior Achievement to:

• Coordinate program scheduling and student participation

• Align Junior Achievement programs with district career readiness goals and state standards

• Prepare students before events and support reflection afterward

• Connect Junior Achievement experiences to ongoing career planning, SMART Futures portfolios, and postsecondary goals

Together, this partnership ensures that Junior Achievement programs are not one-time events, but meaningful components of a student’s overall career readiness journey.

Beginning with the graduating class of 2023, Pennsylvania students must meet state-mandated graduation requirements under Act 158, which require students to demonstrate postsecondary readiness.

Junior Achievement programs support these requirements by:

• Aligning with Career Education and Work (CEW) Standards through career exploration and employability skill development

• Supporting alternative Act 158 pathways by providing evidence of career and technical skill development

• Delivering financial literacy instruction, including a statewide Junior Achievement course designed to meet Pennsylvania’s personal finance graduation requirement

The Career & Employment Connections Coordinator ensures students understand how these experiences support graduation requirements and future planning.

The STEM Summit

The STEM Summit is a day-long experience for 10th grade students designed to inspire interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics careers.

Program highlights include:

• Participation in eight to nine hands-on sessions, such as science experiments, technology modules, engineering challenges, and math competitions

• Interaction with industry professionals and community volunteers

• Direct connections between classroom learning and real-world STEM careers

This experience helps students reflect on how STEM skills apply to future career pathways and local workforce opportunities.

The REAL Life Program

The Junior Achievement REAL Life Program is a day-long financial literacy and career readiness experience for 11th graders hosted at Kennard-Dale High School.

Key components include:

• A Budget Builder simulation, where students are assigned a realistic life scenario and must make financial decisions related to housing, transportation, childcare, taxes, savings, and daily expenses

• Career readiness instruction focused on résumé writing, interview skills, and workplace expectations

Through this experience, students gain a deeper understanding of how career choices impact lifestyle, finances, and long-term goals.

Through the combined efforts of the Career & Employment Connections Coordinator and Junior Achievement, Kennard-Dale students:

• Gain hands-on career and financial literacy experiences

• Connect academic learning to real-world decision-making

• Build confidence in STEM, career, and life skills

• Strengthen college, career, and workforce readiness

• Develop practical skills needed for independent adulthood

The partnership between the Kennard-Dale Career & Employment Connections Coordinator and Junior Achievement of South Central PA provides students with powerful learning experiences that extend beyond the classroom. Through programs like the STEM Summit and REAL Life, students are equipped with the knowledge, skills, and confidence needed to successfully navigate life after high school and thrive in their chosen pathways.