Provide Career Counseling for At-Risk Teenagers

Support and encouragement, exciting meetings with volunteers and learning by playing in a virtual environment. We report new skills, new knowledge, new feelings and attitude towards the world at the end of the school year. A school year that was even more challenging for the students we work with. Most of them did not have any experience in working with mobile devices, did not have a personal email and did not navigate in a virtual environment.

During the last three months of distance education, we had the opportunity to work in groups with 5 classes from 3 schools and to attract 12 students for individual virtual meetings. According to the needs of the students, we implemented several programs:

Program for orientation and work in an online environment.  In a series of workshops, students had the opportunity to learn about the possibilities of working in a virtual room. They learned how to create, edit and share files. They got acquainted with online resources for creating visual content, creating opinion polls. We are proud to say that the students have gained confidence that they can work in a digital environment and have the attitude to use it to "get out" of the small community in which they live.

Program of career workshops for meetings with volunteers from different professions.  In the virtual classrooms, students had the opportunity to meet professionals from 6 different companies. In these meetings, students gained more knowledge about the professions as Digital marketing manager and Virtual training specialist.

The volunteers shared their experience of working remotely and discussed with the students the skills needed to work in an online environment.

In the meetings with volunteers from the advertising and manufacturing sectors, the students discussed opportunities and mechanisms for business development in times of crisis.

Simulation of remote selection process. 12 of the students we work with showed courage and went through the challenging stages of a simulated selection process. They took part in filling in an online application form, solving online personality assessment tests, answering questions "What are your weaknesses", "Tell me about a challenge you have overcome", "What is your success you are most proud of" and in the fourth stage - they participated in a role play for professional skills assessment. The students shared that they are grateful to themselves that they dared to participate in this challenge and that they feel more confident in themselves and in their readiness to appear for a real job interview.

Program of remote workshops for development of professional skills. How to express clearly and precisely, what active listening is. How to state your opinion in an assertive way. How to structure an email, how to start a professional phone conversation. What is the role of personal values in choosing a professional path and setting personal goals. These were some of the topics we practiced with the students using non-formal learning methods. As a result of this program we share the opinion of students "It is wonderful to learn new different things", "It is important to learn throughout our lives, especially by solving practical cases”

In these challenging times, the main focus of the Step for Bulgaria Foundation and the volunteers we work with is to support underprivileged youth in the process of transitioning to distance learning.

For most of the students we work with, this is the first meeting with various forms of online learning. They do not have the necessary skills and knowledge to work with digital tools. At the same time, for some of the students, virtual classroom meetings are the only way to communicate with their trusted loved ones. Virtual meetings are an opportunity for students to calm down and balance their emotions in a precarious situation.

That is why we use all our expertise to support teachers in enhancing students' digital knowledge and skills.

On the other hand, we have created a program for developing digital job application skills. Over 60 students will have the opportunity to complete a simulation of a remote selection process - complete an online application form, perform psychological tests, have a virtual room interview, and complete a practical task developing their skills for work with Google tools.

The whole team of Step for Bulgaria Foundation considers the current situation as an opportunity for the vulnerable students we work with to develop very important skills and knowledge for their future career development.

For the final - we want to share photos and inspiration from one of the most exciting events we have organized over the last three months. With students, we had the opportunity to visit an aircraft repair hangar. Along with the volunteering guided tour and the information, the students received one big message - Everything they dream of is achievable.

Their dreams can come true, thanks to you.

Stay safe and well.