The Campus ICAP Day
On Wednesday, Nov. 8, students at The Campus had a glimpse of what getting a job might look like after high school. Springs Studio For Academic Excellence and Pikes Peak Early College hosted an ICAP Day and Career Fair for their students in a very professional conference-like atmosphere.
“The whole idea is to expose students to as many different career paths as possible, and to train them during the breakout sessions,” said Mike Masino, Choice and Success Advisor.
ICAP is an Individual Career and Academic Plan, which helps students plan an educational path toward a possible career goal.
More than 40 businesses and organizations attended the career fair in which students had the opportunity to have conversations with industry professionals about careers and job opportunities. Tattoo artists, wedding planners, insurance representatives, armed forces, educators, restaurant owners, construction workers, physical therapists, speech pathologists, medical technicians, automotive mechanics and even a dog groomer participated and spoke with students.
“This event brings in real world experience. For most of the students, this is all new to them. They’re going to be able to see what it’s like to become a successful adult and try to figure out what resonates with them as a person and what they are passionate about,” said Amanda Pethtel, SSAE Principal.
To help lighten the mood and encourage participation, the event started with a motivational speaker and comedian. From there, students attended two of 11 different breakout sessions.
Personality awareness, professional profiles and networking, resumes and cover letters, interview skills, personal finance, and internships were some of the session options. Most of the breakout sessions were led by representatives from Junior Achievement, while others were led by District 49 staff.
And to add to the fun to the day, the improv group, The Stick Horses, provided laughs about jobs and working. This wasn’t just a day to relax for the students as they were graded on the breakout session worksheets, and they had to get at least eight signatures from the career fair participants after talking with them about their jobs.
“Having a mini conference like this provides an opportunity for the students to be exposed to many different career options and what is out there in the world. But more importantly, they get the chance to ask questions of the people working in those fields,” said Nathan Pearsall, PPEC Principal. “We are doing some real tangible things today, like learning how to write a resume or how to handle themselves in an interview. This is a huge part of getting our kids excited about their future beyond college.”