An examination of interviewee responses concerning the benefits middle school students derived from participating in a STW curriculum revealed the following five categories of responses:
Exploring New Ideas and Career Options
Each of the five associations representatives commented on the STW curriculum providing opportunities for middle school students to be exposed to and explore the world of work in their local communities. A "chance for basic exploration to learn new things" and "exposure to different challenges and different opportunities" were common phrases found in the interview transcripts. The NMSA representative referred to the middle school philosophy as the foundation for focusing on exploratory activities that create or enhance career awareness:
I think that middle school is a really critical time for exploratory--for career opportunities. Not necessarily gearing them into a certain career but letting them explore different careers and different opportunities that are out there. Really, middle school philosophy is based around the opportunity to explore and to learn and basically we feel that the reason that that's an opportune time is because once they get into high school they tend to be more career-tracked or more college bound and they don't have as much opportunity to do exploration.
An ITEA representative focused on the exposure aspect of STW activities and it's helping middle schoolers to determine broad career field interests, for example, technological career interests. The representative elaborated,
We would have middle school students looking at identifying occupational fields and educational programs that are in technological career fields. We'd also be interested in studying and analyzing materials and processes and problems and developments that contribute to these related career fields. We would also want them to experience the organization and management of systems that deal with business and industry.
Building a Vision of Their Future
Again, each of the association representatives commented on how STW opportunities helped to encourage and motivate middle-level students to focus on their future goals and dreams. Students were given the "opportunity to know that they're in charge of their own future." Students benefited when the STW activities helped them to recognize the importance of their education and skill development and set goals to accomplish future plans. An AVA representative offered her opinion:
I think if you can help young people really see how what they're doing now can relate to the life they're going to live in the future and what kind of future they're going to have, then they can begin to see that it's really going to make a difference if they get more education. They need to see the options that are available to them early on so that, for instance, if kids realized earlier that this is really important to take higher level math and science courses, I think they'd be a little less likely to do the sloughing off that they do.
This representative also commented on the STW curriculum preparing middle-level students to make high school coursework decisions that may impact on their future:
If they [middle schoolers] don't make those [coursework] decisions before ninth grade, then they've already eliminated several things, and I think that is something young people just don't realize. I just met with school leaders and the military and talked with them. They were discussing the issue of how can they impact on young people earlier, and I said clearly they need to find out how they can get information into the middle schools so that again young people can see themselves in some kind of a future. I think there are a lot of kids today that just don't see themselves in a future.
Applying Classroom Learning to Real-Life Situations
Three of the five association representatives (NMSA, ITEA, and ASCA) indicated that middle school students benefited from activities and experiences that helped them connect school, work, and the community. The STW curriculum was viewed as a relevant and meaningful way to answer the students' question, "Why do I come to school?" The answer to this question was best found through "practical, hands-on, real-life applications." A NMSA representative commented, "We wanted to teach them real-life experiences; no longer do we try to instill with adolescents that everything is textbook oriented. It's real life, it's community, it's getting involved with those working in your community."
Developing Strong Work Habits
Both the AVA and ASCA representatives indicated that students benefited from STW activities that focused on building strong work habits that would then transfer to other life activities. In the process of developing these work habits, students would also gain confidence in their personal abilities and begin to take responsibility for their own learning and behavior. These experiences of success would ultimately lead to stronger self-concepts and the ability to "help themselves." An AVA representative commented,
I think we can certainly talk about motivation and self-esteem. I think the main reason why young people get into trouble is because they don't feel good about themselves and if we want to help them get through that very difficult time in their life, the more that we can provide them with information that helps them see a brighter future, the better. So I think there's no down side on this one. I think we're getting people's attention at an earlier age and really helping them help themselves.
Connecting with the Community
The NMSA representative commented on the two-way benefit derived by the participants in STW activities and experiences:
I think there are two benefits. There's obviously the benefit for the adolescent in which they get to make a connection with their community members. It's the reverse for the community itself. They're making a connection with adolescents in their communities. We know stereotypically adolescence is probably the most frowned upon age as far as communities are concerned, business owners are concerned. They [adolescents] tend to be sometimes frowned upon a bit. But I see the school-to-work efforts to connect communities with adolescents as a benefit for both groups.