Briefs
Practicing What We Preach--NCRVE Mentoring Program
In October 1995, NCRVE began a program to provide workplace mentoring to a group of Berkeley High School (BHS) Computer Academy students. This program puts into practice NCRVE's beliefs that workplace learning, ties between schools and local businesses, and one-to-one mentoring relationships help young people achieve their educational, life, and career-related goals. The students come to NCRVE once a week for activities such as job-shadowing, learning computer skills, and career exploration. For example, if a student expresses an interest in becoming an attorney, mentors plan a group outing to a local courthouse. The students keep a journal and compose papers on the computer. They are also learning how to do research using the World Wide Web. In June the students will attend the National Leadership Conference in Long Beach, California, where they will assist in conference-related tasks and attend sessions and social activities designed for youth attending the conference.
Paulette Powell, Director of the Workforce Development Program, says, "Working with BHS students has been tremendously rewarding. I am impressed with the commitment our students have made to the program, through which they are gaining familiarity with the workplace and insights about employer expectations. I attribute the program's success to the collective support we have received from the BHS Lead Teacher and Outreach Coordinator, the students and their parents, and the worksite mentors who generously add this activity to their already busy schedules. The students understand that we are all working together to make the program work. Above all else, the students know and understand that we care about them."
Calendar of Events Is Now Online
A calendar of vocational education-related events is now available on the NCRVE World Wide Web server. Each event entry contains dates, location, sponsoring organization, and contacts; the entries can be searched by keyword, or the entire listing can be browsed online. The calendar's content is compiled and maintained by the NCRVE Professional Outreach Program, and the technical aspects of the calendar's online availability are managed by the Dissemination Program. The electronic address is http://ncrve.berkeley.edu/CalendarPage.html
The New American High School
An invitational conference of approximately 300 leading national, state and local policymakers will be held on May 22-24, 1996, in Washington, D The collaborative work of teams of teachers, administrators, and business and community partners from 10 high schools around the country will be showcased. The 10 schools will be identified in a national study of high schools that are redesigning learning around career majors and high academic standards for all students. These schools are creating innovative learning environments that provide the high-level skills and knowledge students need to become successful citizens, productive workers, and lifelong learners. The conference is organized by the U.S. Department of Education and National Center for Research in Vocational Education (NCRVE) and cosponsored by more than 30 major national associations representing educators and policymakers. The study is being conducted by NCRVE through a grant from the Office of Vocational and Adult Education at the U.S Department of Education. It involves screening more than 130 nominations, and conducting 30 site visits before selecting the 10 to be presented in the conference. Researchers are identifying and describing new practices as well as significant barriers in whole-school reform that integrates academic and occupational education while holding high standards for all students. Career majors are often the focus of these efforts because they provide coherent curricular options that prepare students for both college and careers.
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