The fear of the ‘real world’ can be quite worrisome for high school seniors getting ready to graduate, but one local program is working to better prepare students before they transition into the workforce.
While partnering with Business Allied Scholars, Heartland Chamber of Commerce and the University of Kansas School of Business, a Wyandotte High School senior marketing class was able to sharpen their digital storytelling skills by working hand-in-hand with local businesses and organizations within the community.
“During the 3-month engagement, students linked with four local businesses and learned how to implement digital storytelling for professional use,” said Lyn Cook, founder of Youth Power and creator of Business Allied Sponsors. “This program allows students to connect and network with local businesses who truly celebrate them and want them to succeed.”
By learning the art and importance of networking, students were able to gain a leg-up with an in-class internship before graduating high school.
Senior Bryce Grant said the program was extremely helpful for his professional growth.
“The program gave me the opportunity to know what to expect before going into the real world,” Grant said. “I learned how to work with an organization and understand what they can provide to their consumers.”
James Freese, CEO of Energy Co. Partners, participated in the program with one of the marketing teams representing his organization. He said providing an opportunity like this for senior students teaches invaluable skills.
“Today I saw students that really got the idea of understanding what kind of impact an organization can offer the community. This is what the real world is all about,” said Freese. “These kids worked as a team and now know what it takes to build a business."
The main objective of the program’s assignment was to create a story behind a business, while teaching the students professional skills they can take with them well beyond high school.
“When we think of school, we remember reading, writing, and arithmetic, but what we are learning from our partners in the community is that our students need to have more soft skills,” said Tiffany Jasper, teacher and coordinator for the Business Academy. “The greatest things our students learned was perseverance, tenacity, time management, professionalism and team work. Learning those skills and building that confidence in their speaking skills, they can be successful heading into the future.”
The program is expected to be utilized at different high schools throughout the district during 2016-2017 school year.
Marketing students from Wyandotte HS learned digital storytelling by working in partnership with local businesses. pic.twitter.com/Odynv5yQOp
— 41 Action News (@41ActionNews) April 18, 2016
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