Provide at-risk high school students the opportunity to spend a day in the workplace at a top San Francisco business consulting firm. They will be exposed to consulting career paths, AND complete a real case study. Adult mentors will share tips for professional success and connect what students learn in the classroom to real life examples. Students will see the relevance of rigorous education to successful careers, have a fun while learning, and increase their self-confidence.
Identified participants are Bay Area teens at-risk of dropping out of school. They lack the experiences and inspiration to finish high school, pursue further education, and know what skills they need to land jobs. Many will come from households of low socioeconomic status, receive free/reduced school lunches, and have previous truancy. Few, if any, will have ever been into a professional workplace or been in an interactive audience with employed professionals.
This event provides students the experiences of seeing a real workplace, meeting employees, and learning about their personal education and career pathways. The consulting case study activity ignites a connection between staying in school and exciting careers while promoting teamwork and critical thinking. This entire experience will inspire students about their future prospects and inspire them to seek the skills and education to achieve economic opportunities.
The goal of our project will be for youth to develop attitudes aligned with high school graduation and 21st century skills that prepare them for success. In addition, JA programs improve student academic performance and achievement leading to increased graduation rates. Past participants in a pilot of this project showed improved attitudes towards their education and future opportunities upon completion of the one-day event.
