youth apprenticeships: what teens want

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Youth Apprenticeships

What Teens Want


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Student Excerpts from a 2002

Harry Singer Foundation National

Essay Contest


What Teens WantMargaret Bohannon-Kaplan, Editor

Wellington Publications

W-P Carmel, California


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The non-partisan Harry Singer Foundation was established in1988 to promote greater individual participation in government

and involvement in social issues. The views expressed here are

those of the various students who chose to enter our essay

contest and do not necessarily represent the views of the board

members and staff of the Foundation.

First Printing

Copyright 2008 by Wellington Publications

Printed in USA

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or

utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical,including photocopying, recording or by any information

storage and retrieval system, without permission from the

publisher. Inquiries should be addressed to Wellington

Publications P.O. Box 223159 Carmel, California 93922

LCCN: 2007941745ISBN: 978-0-915915-43-9


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Editor's Note:

In most cases, students gave the Foundation citations for thematerial that was quoted in their papers. Because of space

constraints, we generally did not include those citations here.

Also, in rare instances, material was quoted by students andincorporated in their papers without giving proper credit. Weapologize, but must disclaim responsibility as we cannot

always tell when a student is quoting from another writer

unless quotation marks are used. This is purely an educational

exercise.


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Who is Harry Singer?

Most people have never heard of Harry Singer. He wasn't a famouspolitician, a philanthropic industrialist, a creative artist, a martyred preacher

or a great inventor-humanitarian. Harry Singer was a common man.

Harry was an immigrant. He came to this country in 1912 from a smallvillage in Russia. He settled in Chelsea, Massachusetts where with his wife

and five children he ran a tiny neighborhood grocery store.

Harry could have been your uncle, your brother-in-law, your next door

neighbor. He had no lust for power, no great ambitions. He was just a good,kind, quiet man with a keen sense of justice who would jump in when he

felt something was wrong. Harry was an egalitarian who showed respect for

all men and who was respected in return.

It is fitting that a foundation dedicated to encouraging the common man'sparticipation in public policy decisions should be named after Harry. For it

is to the Harry Singers of a new generation that we must look if we are tokeep America competitive and strong in the world of the twenty-first

century.

The Harry Singer Foundation came into being because the descendants of

the humble egalitarian believe today what President Woodrow Wilson said

back in 1912:

"Every country is renewed out of the unknown ranks and not out of

the ranks of those already famous and powerful and in control."


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About The Harry Singer Foundation (HSF)

The Harry Singer Foundation is a non-profit 501(c) 3 private operating

foundation (IRC: 4942 j 3) located in Carmel, California whose purpose isto promote responsibility and involve people more fully in public policyand their communities. It was founded in 1987. It actively conducts

programs, and is not a grant-making foundation.

The founders believe many people base their decisions on erroneous or toolittle factual information about public policy, private and public programs,and the effort and goodwill of their fellow citizens. The Harry Singer

Foundation has developed programs to help correct this situation, and

would like to join with you in helping to make this nation a stronger and

better place to live and grow for this generation and generations ofAmericans to come.

The Foundation's focus is on the too often forgotten average citizen. We

are not consciously looking to attract future leaders; we feel that job is

being handled adequately by a variety of existing foundations. Our goal isto minimize the polarization we see developing in this country between thedoers and those done to the rulers and the ruled. We strive to makeeveryone feel that their thoughts and ideas count; to let them know that they

are listened to and that they matter. We want our fellow citizens to

understand that a person doesn't have to be brilliant or a greatcommunicator in order to make a difference in America. A person does

have to care and does have to participate.

Action

It is not enough to think, write and talk about the problemswe must show by active example what people are capable of achieving. The goal is to

find out what works within a desired framework. When participants learn

how to choose what to do without sacrificing the best American ideals to

expediency, the Foundation will provide the opportunity to put some oftheir ideal choices to the test.

The Foundation first concentrated on young people because they are open

and eager to learn, are not saddled with a myriad of other social

responsibilities (like raising a family and making their own living) and theywill be around the longest and therefore have the best opportunity to make

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their projects work. They are ideal experimenters because time is on their

side.

Pilot Projects

We bring people together to network at our headquarters in Carmel,

California. When participants come up with ideas, HSF provides theopportunity to put to the test, those ideas that garner the most enthusiastic

response. We do this via pilot projects and interacting with grant-making

entities as well as far-sighted businesses. Most businesses rightly havemore than altruistic motives. Their main concerns are about maintaining a

stable and growth-oriented economy and finding responsible employees. As

a side benefit, many of our projects foster these, as well as purely altruistic

goals.

We know a pilot project has been successfully launched when it attracts

enthusiastic volunteers that we call Champions. Champions are drawn to a

specific pilot project because they share its objectives. Therefore they areeager to jump at the opportunity to bring aspirations to fruition by adding

their own unique approach to managing and expanding the project without

having to worry about funding. Of course HSF continues to provideguidance in addition to monetary support. Singer Kids 4 Kids was once a

pilot project and Transition to Teaching was a pilot project renamed and

adopted by the state of California and adapted to use in securing scienceand math mentors for Californias classrooms.

The HSF Mission

The Harry Singer Foundation mission is to prepare participants for a futurewhere there may be less government and a weaker safety net. Such a futurewould require greater individual character, responsibility and knowledge.

There may be a need for responsible people able to care for themselves and

their less fortunate neighbors.

The Foundation offers materials online, free of charge, which can be

printed and used in the classroom or for individual education or research.

The Workbook section of the HSF web site features data to encouragelogical thinking and attention to the unintended consequences that often

accompany government or personal solutions to perceived problems. HSF believes that society has encouraged technology and management while

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neglecting principles. We need to consider not only can we do, but should

we do. To that end you will find an introduction to the seldom taughtsubject of logic in this section along with frequently updated ethical

dilemmas.

Before one can either reflect or help others, one must survive. HSF hasarchived the thoughts of teens over a twenty year period in the Teens Speak

Out and the Archived by State forums as well as in the published books that

resulted from 41 of the 46 essay contests the Foundation conducted

between 1988 and 2007. Although many of these teen authors now areadults with children of their own, their reflections are relevant to today's

youth who must learn to make successful personal and social choicesregarding their own ideology and careers. They too must withstand the peer

pressure of gangs, violence, irresponsible sex and addictive substances.People change but the social issues remain.

The HSF Mission 1988-2008

The following article was written in 1995 by Amy Davidson, a free lance

writer and linguistics student at the University of California at Berkeley atthe time. This is the result of her observation of the Harry Singer

Foundation during winter break her sophomore year.

Thought, Words and Action

One wouldn't think of Carmel, California, a small coastal town south of

Monterey, as a hotbed for community action. However, nestled between the

Cypress trees and the crashing surf, the small group of dedicated people at

the Harry Singer Foundation are providing opportunities for Americans to

make positive changes in their own communities, across the nation.

Programs, designed for the general public but currently focusing onteachers and high school students -- including essay contests, community

service project-development, online services, research materials, andcurricula development-- all are ways that members of the non-profit Harry

Singer Foundation are making a tangible difference in our nation.

Founded to preserve both the ideal and the practice of freedom, "HSF aims

to help people develop the skills and knowledge essential to the task,"according to co-Founder Margaret Bohannon-Kaplan. "Our focus is on the

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average citizen, and our goal is to motivate him or her to make positive

differences in America."

Martha Collings, a teacher at Plainview High School in Ardmore,Oklahoma, whose high school students participate in annual HSF essaycontests, praised them as "a refreshing change from the usual boring ones

we are asked to enter."

Her sentiment probably arose from the complex and educationallystimulating components of the contest. Students must incorporate first and

second-hand research, classroom discussion, individual analysis, and come

up with their own conclusions to timely topics like health care, the media's

role in national elections, the government's role in child care, and the

importance of responsibility to the proper functioning of the nation..

"This was one of the most challenging and thought-provoking contests my

students have entered," said Janet Newton, a teacher from Freeman High

School, Rockford, Washington.

Another teacher, Jerry McGinley of DeForest High School in DeForest,Wisconsin agreed, saying, "My students put in a great deal of time and

effort reading and discussing the various articles, writing out discussion the

questions, and writing the essays."

It is likely that these teachers also put in a great deal of time. The HSFcontest includes materials and support (through online services, texts, and

personnel from the foundation) for an entire lesson plan based around

issues raised by the essay topic for a given year. HSF aims to have teachersdiscuss the topic with their students extensively before the actual writing

begins.

Teacher Mary Ellen Schoonover of Strasburg High school in Strasburg,

Colorado spent a considerable amount of time on assignments and

discussions related to the 1994 topic "Responsibility: Who has It and WhoDoesn't and What This Means to the Nation."

"I felt the Singer essay was a valuable instructional tool," she said. "I

incorporated the materials into class by distributing the required reading

essays and questions to use as homework assignments with class discussion

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following each week for four weeks. After discussing the essays, students

chose a topic, and classes did library research."

The result of this kind of preparation is thousands of well-researchedanalyses of a topic. The essays are judged by a variety of ordinary citizensand, depending on the topic, a large sampling of attorneys, academics,

politicians, financial wizards, other teens and senior citizens. This worksbecause schools are not judged against each other, but only internally, so

each school ends up with awards. "That's the big attraction of our contest,"

explains board member, Donna Glacken. "Every school is a winner. Thatand the fact that we publish excerpts from the contest and distribute the

hard copy book to all 535 members of congress and their state and

community politicians and home town media."

Community Involvement Occurred Gradually

In the 1992-93 school year, the Harry Singer Foundation extended the reach

of its programs. More than five thousand official candidates for nationaloffice (most of them unknown) were polled, along with schools and

members of the media. Participants were able to see a comparison of poll

results among the three categories.

The 1993-94 subject of our essay contest: Responsibility: Who Has It and

Who Doesn't and What That Means To The Nation, generated such anenthusiastic response that we decided to offer this contest as an annual

option. According to contest rules, students were to include in their papersexamples of five responsible acts and three irresponsible acts we were

trying to accentuate the positive. That first contest resulted in threefeedback-books.

The first book, The White Hats, featured the responsible acts. Numerousstudents offered more than their quota of irresponsible acts, many in the

form of outrageous lawsuits which are the primary subject of the second

book:Responsibility: Who Has It and Who Doesn't and What That MeansTo The Nation. Concealed among all the required examples was the subject

of the third book titled, Doesn't Any One Care About The Children?. It is

our plea to you in response to the cry we heard from over a thousandteenagers. Our readers were at times overwhelmed by the anguish, despair,

rage and hopelessness found in many of the opinions and stories embeddedin those essays.

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In 1995 the Foundation had students poll their communities and question

politicians, members of the local media, attorneys and others for theiropinions regarding social needs as determined by the results of those polls.

Solutions for "local governments struggling with limited resources" werejudged by a dozen governors, and a small group consisting of U.S. senators,

congressmen and big city mayors.

The National High School Essay Contest Comes to an End

For twenty years HSF offered recognition and incentives to every highschool submitting at least ten essays covering a specified topic involving

public policy and the role of government. Students have studied and written

about social security, term limits for the United States Congress,

government's role in child-care, government's role in health care, themedia's role in choosing our candidates for national office, responsibilityand even encouraged young people to work with local government to find

alternatives to old ways of servicing citizen needs.

Many students, and especially teachers, put an enormous amount of work

into our programs. Students were given reading assignments and asked to

answer twenty questions before they began their essays. Submittals werejudged on how well the topic was covered and evidence of serious thinking,

rather than on writing skill. In the fall excerpts were published in a book

and distributed back to the schools as well as to members of Congress andto others interested in public policy. This allowed students to see how their

peers across the country handled the subject matter.

We launched www.singerfoundation.org in the fall of 1994. As more and

more schools gained Internet access they were able to receive and transfermaterials which we could put directly on our web site. Essays sent in digital

form via email freed us from having to recruit volunteers who used thekeyboard to input the work of students that used to arrive by mail as hard

copy. In 2001 we began putting entire essays online, delaying publication

of books like the one you are reading. At the end of 2006 we decided toresume publishing the students work in hard copy and to phase out the

Foundations essay contest era. On our web site www.singerfoudation.orgyou will find the complete text of every HSF book published since 1990,

often including the rules and required reading for the particular contest.

You may browse, print the entire book or request a hard copy from the

Foundation by using the contact information provided.

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We certainly have not lost interest in the goals of the HSF national essay

contests. We are particularly proud of our attempt to encourage students togather facts and think logically. The Harry Singer Foundation continues to

share the goal of those who teach students how to think, not what to think.To that end we have posted links to some of, what we consider to be, the

best online essay contests offered by other organizations.

2008 Begins a New EraCurrent Foundation programs continue to seek and encourage the exchange

of ideas. We took two years to renovate our web site which hosts theFoundations history. Twenty years worth of students research and

opinions may now be accessed by topic (Teens Speak Out) or by clicking

on a state in the Archive forum and finding student ideas by school, teacher

or participant. We have presented this information in a way that we believevisitors to our web site will find useful.

You will also find on our web site new projects such as Kids 4 Kids and

Transition to Teaching (T2T) which were mentioned earlier. Kids 4 Kids is

expanding under the expert guidance of our Champion, Steve Platt and isnow a full fledged program. While the science and math portion of T2T is

in good hands, HSF is working to place volunteer mentors in subjects thatare not on the States agenda. With the help of future Champions we expect

the program to be picked up by states other than California. We are looking

for Champions to contact engineering companies and societies, local artists,athletes and alumni associations to find members who are willing to donate

time and energy to teach what they love including music, art and athletics,

subjects that dont necessarily have to be taught in a classroom. TheFoundation wants to join with the numerous other groups and individuals

who are trying to bring this uncovered talent into the school system asmentors, teacher-aids and accredited teachers. We already have a program

of accreditation that can be completed with only one day a month class

attendance for 12 months.

The Philanthropy Project is collaboration between the Harry SingerFoundation and the Templeton Foundation. It is a national, multimedia public service campaign aimed at the general public, legislators, opinion

leaders and the media. By using film and television to tell compellingstories about the good works, conducted by mostly small and unrecognized

charitable foundations, the Philanthropy Project seeks to introduce

philanthropy to young people and to promote the spirit of philanthropy in

communities across the country.

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x

Media Watch is a revision of an inspirational program for students initiated

by the Harry Singer Foundation in 1994. The goal is to uncover good news

in communities, feed it to local media outlets and monitor publication. Over

the life of the project, the good news should increase in relation to the badnews, with both kinds being carefully documented.

Another Way is the culmination of over twenty years of Foundationexperience. We know most adults underestimate the capabilities of young

people and their idealism, energy and eagerness to be productive members

of their communities. Another Way gives young people an opportunity to

prove their competence.

Problem Solvers is a pilot project geared towards college and high school

campuses. Students debate local and national issues using media (radio,TV, newspapers). Not only do the students learn, but their nonpartisan

information would be a boon to the many in our society that find that

regulations and even laws have been passed without their knowledge and

opportunity to contribute to the discussion or dissent.

The goal of the goal of the Human Nature project is not modest. The goal isto improve the chances that man will discover how to live with his kind in

peace and tolerance, creating a free, stable environment. Once he figuresout the necessary rules of conduct, the next step would be to figure out how

to enforce these rules while preserving maximum individual and groupfreedom of thought and action.

We invite you to take advantage of opportunities to participate in, or better

yet, to Champion these pilot programs by visiting our newly renovated website at www.singerfoundation.org.


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What Is A Youth Apprenticeship?

Websters definition of an apprentice: one who is learning by practicalexperience under skilled workers a trade, art, or calling.Amanda Stewart, Rockridge High School, Taylor Ridge, Illinois

Another definition is a way to learn that integrates school and work placeto enhance student learning.Mitch Schinstock, Kinsley High School, Kinsley, Kansas

A youth apprenticeship program is a time-release period from school inwhich a student goes to a work place and learns by doing. A

studentreceives hands-on working experience working with a skilledprofessional.Kristen Herrmann, Kinsley High School, Kinsley, Kansas

Apprenticeships have been used as a learning tool for manycenturies....The trainers responsibility is to continue to do his or her jobwhile explaining to the apprentice in detail what exactly he or she isdoing... [This gives] the apprentice a feel for what it is like to perform thetask. Constructive criticism is a necessity for this method of learning. If theapprentice does not hear what is done wrong, nothing will be learned. In

recent years, this form of learning has been applied to education at the highschool and college level.Nick Moore, Medicine Lodge High School, Medicine Lodge, Kansas

A youth apprenticeship is a program where young people experienceunder the guidance of an experienced craftsman an occupation that theymight want to explore.Alisha Herrmann, Kinsley High School, Kinsley, Kansas

Whats Behind Youth Apprenticeships?

A student in a classroom can only hear or simulate how a task is done.He/she can never fully understand exactly how the job works. In todaysfast-paced, technological world, students are required to know everythingabout a job before they show up on the first day. Employers look at aninternship as knowledgeable experience towards the task at hand. Manybelieve that the best way to excel at a job is to have first hand experience onthe job.Nick Moore, Medicine Lodge High School, Medicine Lodge, Kansas

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Nick Continues:

A low cost alternative to college would be choosing an apprenticeshipthat can give a high school student the same opportunities that one would

have entering college. Apprenticeships are an ideal way for high schooland college students of all ages to gain experience in a trade. Apprentice-ships are not suited for all people [but] they can be a second chance forhigh school dropouts to get a decent paying job. Colleges utilize them togive students experience in a field related to their major. Apprenticeshipsare a valuable preparation tool for a life-long career.Nick Moore, Medicine Lodge High School, Medicine Lodge, Kansas

Many students saw the value in apprenticeships

The United States lacks a formal transition from school-to-work. For

many young people this transition isdifficult. Some young people cannotunderstand the relevance of their classroom instruction to jobs or careers.To help smooth the transition from school-to-work and improve long-termemployment opportunities, Congress passed the School-to-WorkOpportunities Act. This act emphasized the integration of classroom in-structtion with work-based learning. The act provides states with funds fordesigning school-to-work systems to better prepare all students for theireducation and future careers.Cori Davidson, Salem High School, Salem, Missouri

Some students claim the decline in education standards in the United

States triggered the need for apprenticeship programs

Interest in the youth apprenticeship program arose with the increase in theweaknesses of U.S. education. Students who were not interested in collegewould drift from one unskilled job to another, acquiring no skills, andconversing mainly with other young, unskilled people. This system is awaste of time that delays maturity and only offers haphazard training,which in most cases, does not result in any recognized credentials orcertification.Amanda Harlow, Salem High School, Salem, Missouri

School-to-work programs show young people how their classroomexperiences relate to the workplace and their personal lives. Students areable to gain hands-on experience andstudents who are experienced aremore likely to succeed and have higher self-confidence [as they] look for jobs. More often than not, people who have experience are chosen overthose who do not.Laura Townley, Rockridge High School, Taylor Ridge, Illinois

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Wishful Thinking

In our community we have several options to explore that will enhance acomputer apprenticeship program that is partnered with our local high

school. A-1 Computers, our local Internet service provider and computerresource, would be an excellent partner. Working with an experiencedcomputer associate would benefit any person interested in computers.Alisha Herrmann, Kinsley High School, Kinsley, Kansas

A Head Start

Another option is the program called Cisco Certified NetworkingAssociate (CCNA) that our high school is in the process of putting into itscurriculum. The program is four semesters long and starts when the studentis a junior in high school. This program allows students to study towards a

CCNA certificate while still receiving high school credits.Alisha Herrmann, Kinsley High School, Kinsley, Kansas

[Our] youth apprenticeship program isa two-year program for highschool juniors and seniors who are interested in specific occupations. The purpose of this program is to provide high school students with state-approved, work-based learningWork-based learning is when the studentactually works and learns... The programs [goal] is to expose the studentsto [many] occupations. Students receive training at the work place frommentors.Joni Habiger, Kinsley High School, Kinsley, Kansas

Personal Example

First, I wanted to be in forestry, then my interest changed to marine biology [followed by a desire] to be a physician. Finally, I landed onaccounting [career], and that's what I'm working toward now. Each time Iselected a new career path, I didn't really know what it was all about. Each[career] sounded good, but I didn't think about the schooling I needed or theresponsibilities that came with each [choice]. I know that there are studentseverywhere with this same problem. Many are constantly changing theirminds about what they want to study, or even worse, they don't decide untila couple of years into college.Ashley Nivens, Salem High School, Salem, Missouri

JOB SHADOWING

Jamie is one of those students with the same problem

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Almost everybody knows what it is like to be young and have your wholefuture in front of you and not know what you are going to do with it. Iknow first hand about this. I went from wanting to be a police officer, to a

doctor, to a lawyer, to a marine biologist. I finally decided I was going to bea morticianuntil I had to shadow it. I went in that morning set in myways. No one was going to change my mind about it. [By] that evening Iwas no [longer] going to be a mortician. If I hadnt [had the shadowingexperience] I might have ended up with a career I hated and that wasnt forme. Job shadowing not only helped me, but it is a very important tool usedby many to witness first hand what careers are like. Job shadowinghelpsthe student and the employer.Jamie Faulkner, Salem High School, Salem, Missouri

Maggie points out what can happen without guidance:The last year of high school is a time of decisions. Seniors must makechoices that will impact the rest of their lives. For some young people, thechoice is obvious. They fill out their college applications and the next fallthey head off to a four-year college. But for many youths, the choice is notas clear-cut. Often, these young adults [dont know about] options and endup dropping out of high school or working at a minimum wage job offeringfew advancement opportunities.Maggie Rassor, Salem High School, Salem, Missouri

Some students favored earlier apprenticeships

When most students leave high school, they usually do not have a lot ofwork experience or they are not sure of their future plans. Apprenticeshipprograms can help with this situation. One of the most appealing parts of ayouth apprenticeship program is that it gives adolescents on the jobtraining early on Jessica Lehr, Rockridge High School, Taylor Ridge, Illinois

Starting at a younger age would [hopefully] give children and youngteenagersmore time to decide what they enjoy. Maybe by the time theyreached high school, indecision would not be such a problem.Jessica Lehr, Rockridge High School, Taylor Ridge, Illinois

In todays society, jobs are becoming more technical everyday. Studentsare going into the work force today thinking that it will be just as easy forthem to get a job as it was for their parents. However, todays jobs arent aseasy to get. In order to get a good paying job, a person needs specialtraining or on the job training. For this reason, the government has

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Mindy and Nick echo Kimberlys lament that is not as easy as it once

was to get a job

Too many students leave high school without occupational and academic

skills to succeed in the workplace or in postsecondary education. Today inhigh school students are not taught how to think for themselves. They are being taught through abstract ideas rather than hands-onlearning. Notincluding the necessary job skills in the high school curriculum makes itvery difficult for a high school student to get a job right after graduation.Graduating high school does not guarantee a person a high quality job as itonce did.Mindy Petersen, Rockridge High School, Taylor Ridge, Illinois

Apprenticeship classes are an ideal way for high school dropouts and

students not planning on attending college to succeed in attainingemployment in a skilled job. Trying to find a job in the 21st centurywithout any college experience or Vo-Tech training can be very difficult.Nick Moore, Medicine Lodge High School, Medicine Lodge, Kansas

The U.S. is ranked low in education compared to other countries. Suchwork-based programs are what students need to get on the right track at anearlier age, so they will have a goal that they are working toward, and acareer that they want to succeed at. Work-based learning experiences andyouth apprenticeshipswill cause [students] to take education seriously.Ashley Nivens, Salem High School, Salem, Missouri

Mary, below, is a strong advocate for school-to-work programs

School-to-work programs at the High School level are, in my opinion, agreat help for adapting teenagers to the work force. There is a gap betweenschool and work that needs to be filled. I am a High School Senior and Ihave been working in a McDonalds restaurant (as a summer job) since mysophomore year. I tried working weekends during the school year but itdidnt work out with my over-crowded schedule. I needed the jobexperience because I know it is ridiculous to expect to just walk out of highschool and into a good job. Notice I saidgood job. In my case that meansone that involves writing, editing, or illustrating literature. When summercomes I will likely be going back to McDonalds, but I wish I were workingwith a publishing company or a magazine. Many students start out the sameas I did: working in a fast food restaurant. Most students in High Schoolstill dont know what career they want. Those that do often dont knowhow to get started. School-to-work programs help to fill the gap and getstudents started in the right direction.

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Another reason to get involved in such programs is to [become] morefavorable to employers. Employers are often reluctant to hire teenagers andI dont blame them. Most people my age dont have any job experience, are

not available full time and are often less mature than older workers. Theschool-based enterprise program and other similar school-to-work programs help to make the crossover between the two easier and helpstudents get a foot in the door of the career world. Once they take that firststep, a hardworking student has a better chance in succeeding in theworking world.Mary Onawa Meier, Salem High School, Salem, Missouri

Side Benefits

Many students never receive the chance to use their obtained talents and

skills inside of school. Because some students are not book smart, they can be viewed by the teachers as less talented. However, students withapprenticeship programs have the chance to go out and use some of theirenergy for something productive allowing others to see the assertive side ofthem.Kaysi Booth, Medicine Lodge High School, Medicine Lodge, Kansas

Apprenticeships have always done more than teach a specific trade.Learning to work means learning to be an adult.[Apprenticeships] reflectthe concern of business, government, and academia over the perilous andgrowing mismatch between the future demands of the workplace and thequality of the nation's up-and-coming workers.Austin Davis, Medicine Lodge High School, Medicine Lodge, Kansas

Why Education?

Plato once said, The direction in which education starts a man willdetermine his future life. But where do we start our kids education? Inwhat direction do we send them? For many years the world has tried toreform the education system; remember John Dewey? But now the focus ison youth apprenticeships. The new plan is to learn by doing. As stated byRobert W. Glover, an authority on apprenticeships, It combines earningand learningand both of these features are attractive to school-wearyyouth. Todays youth have trouble seeing the link between the work forceand what they learn in school. Youth apprenticeships are here to solve thatproblem.Casey Moore, Rockridge High School, Taylor Ridge, Illinois

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Economists have long argued that the returns on general education arehigher than those on specific training, because education is transferablewhere many skills tend to be job-specific.

Cassandra Gulley, Rockridge High School, Taylor Ridge, Illinois

Education is the key to our countrys success.Robert Drayer, Rockridge High School, Taylor Ridge, Illinois

Why Not?

Employers see going to college as a way of showing leadership andinitiative. High tuition costs are one reason that often keeps students fromattending college.Nick Moore, Medicine Lodge High School, Medicine Lodge, Kansas

The high school-college partnership

I am currently enrolled in many college level courses. The courses that Iam taking help me get [some college] classes out of the way and will let me begin working on my major when I start college. I am very thankful[because] taking these classes now will also help me to finish collegeearlier and get out in the work force. The high school/college partnershiphas already produced results. Summer enrollment in developmental coursesat colleges are up significantly as students are trying to ensure that they will be ready for collegiate courses when their real college actually begins.Serious partnerships between high schools and colleges and withcommunity colleges, in particular, are among the best ways to be able tofoster adequate collegiate preparation for the growing number of thestudents who need college in order to compete for jobs in today'seconomy.Colie Hauser, Medicine Lodge High School, Medicine Lodge, Kansas

Apprenticing college classes...is a program that is designed for high schoolstudents as a stepping-stone to college. This is a good experience for allhigh school seniors if the want to get a taste of what lies ahead for them incollege.Samantha Ricke, Medicine Lodge High School, Medicine Lodge, Kansas

There is, however, one small setback to all of this. College admissions personnel might not recognize the effectiveness of the program. This isbecause they look at the subjects that a student has taken in high school andthe number of credits one has earned. They may fail to see how the school-to-work programs can be used the same way. There are different

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approaches that can be taken in order to get through this barrier. One suchapproach is to work with different colleges on an individual basis. Highschools could set up a program with a few select universities in order for

their admissions procedures to identify with the school-to-work process.However, for this plan to work completely as preparation for the college- bound, most colleges will need to change their admissions procedures.This is the only way that this program can truly work on a nationwidescale.Travis Dean, Rockridge High School, Taylor Ridge, Illinois

The hard part is deciding what path to take and gaining the knowledge andskills to be successful, no matter what career we choose. Not only wouldthis program teach students about several different occupations, it would

help students learn how to compose resumes as well. The students would berequired to present a resume to every business from which they desire a jobThe manager or assistant manager of the business would help the studentknow what types of information would be good on the resume for a specificoccupation. The resume would then be critiqued. Also, the students wouldlearn excellent communication and work skills.Kaysi Booth, Medicine Lodge High School, Medicine Lodge, Kansas

Youth apprenticeships are the education of the future.Robert Drayer, Rockridge High School, Taylor Ridge, Illinois

Indecision and the fear of changing majors and prolonging college is

expressed by many students

Education Explorations is an example of a youth apprenticeship in mycommunity, similar to other programs in my state. I feel very privileged tobe an active participant in the program. One of the benefits of this systemis the experiencegained from working in classrooms. This programhelps studentsplan their futureso they may not have to change majorsas manytimes. I am actively learning by participating in teaching ratherthan just sitting in a classroom and reading a textbook about it.Walinda Arnett, Medicine Lodge High School, Medicine Lodge, Kansas

Mae Marie agrees with Walinda

Imagine if everyone had a type of youth apprenticeship for his or herdesired field. I believe that there would be fewer college students whowould change their major throughout college. Youth apprenticeship programs allow students to practice their intended study before they

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actually get a degree in it. Bringing a youth apprenticeship program to theQuad Cities would definitely be a positive educational strategy.Mae Marie Freyermuth, Rockridge High School, Taylor Ridge, Illinois

Our schools know how to teach the basic skills very well, but in the workworld there are more abilities demanded than just doing math problems andreading a story. The CEC teaches students how to think creatively, makedecisions, and solve problems. It also encourages responsibility, social-bility, and self-management. These are some of the skills that people needto get a job, butthese skills are being left out of [most] high schoolcurricula. [Incorporating these skills] would be a tremendous advantage tothose students who are seeking work right out of high schoolMindy Petersen, Rockridge High School, Taylor Ridge, Illinois

Travis adds a few more reasons for school to work transitional

programs

Many researchers have come to see that this approach [community-basedlearning] strengthens and increases the amount of knowledge that islearned, understood, and retained. Many high school students dont realizethe importance of the information that they are learning in school. I know Ihave heard my classmates ask, When will I ever use this in my life? Witha program that combines school and work they could get a betterunderstanding. It would show them how what they learn in school can beused in the real world. This would also help those students who do poorlyin school. Getting involved with this could strengthen their learning abilityand raise their grades.Travis Dean, Rockridge High School, Taylor Ridge, Illinois

Skepticism

When I first discovered this program, [Technology Works Enterprises] Iwas doubtful that it could work. As I began to research it further, it startedto sound possible, but it will take many years to develop into what it ismeant to be. I realize that a TWE school is not for everyone, but for certainpeople it may be just the thing theyve been looking for.Marr Fuhr, Rockridge High School, Taylor Ridge, Illinois

The Practicalities

Funding is always a problem in every organization. For students to get to[off-campus jobs] they would need transportation. Transporting studentswould be very expensive. A way to avoid this would be to only allow juniorand senior students who can get their own transportation [to participate].

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Junior and senior students are also closer to making decisions for theirfuture.Laura Townley, Rockridge High School, Taylor Ridge, Illinois

School-to-work programs need to benefit all young people by preparingthem for work and college. However, [some] college admissions [areskeptical so] more college-bound students need to participate in school-to-work to prove that it really is an effective way of preparing them forcollege.Travis Dean, Rockridge High School, Taylor Ridge, Illinois

How It Works

Every [apprentice programs] student must take business technology, a

two-hour block class. Each students curriculum is individualized accordingto the career the student has chosen. The goal of the course is to givestudents the skills they need to become productive, independent employees.They learn how to use Microsoft Word, Excel, Access, and PowerPoint;business math; and filing as well as participating in a mock interview andlearning how to make a resume, all important skills that many newmembers of the workforce do not have.Maggie Rassor, Salem High School, Salem, Missouri

The Start Up Phase

The success of the program revolves around the dedication of everyoneinvolved: the school, students, parents, teachers, and the entire community.By setting up a volunteer committee, a group of leaders could beestablished. Starting from scratch is difficult, butthe community couldhelp with fundraisers, advertising, and the overall set up of the youthapprenticeship [program]. The final step in the preparation would be forcommunity volunteers to get out into the work force to find businesses whowould be willing to take on youth apprentices. Volunteer teachers from thework force would be needed to teach these young students. By contactinglocal veterinarians, doctors, businesses, shops, etcetera, a [wide variety] ofchoices could be [offered] to the students participating in this apprentice-ship program.Jessica Lehr, Rockridge High School, Taylor Ridge, Illinois

Specific Wishes

An art apprenticeship program is needed at Kinsley High School. [Itwould] allow local nationally acclaimed artists to pass on their skills. Thefacilities would be provided by the artist where the apprentice is training

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and the equipment [might] include a full working darkroom, a pottery kiln,pottery wheels, jewelry making equipment, and computer art equipment. Brianna Medina, Kinsley High School, Kinsley, Kansas

Looking Up

Nationwide, there are now three hundred thousand apprentices. Also,school-to-work programs are being dealt with in most every high schoolacross the nation. There are thousand of opportunities for the high schoolstudent.Cassandra Gulley, Rockridge High School, Taylor Ridge, Illinois

Some people might complain that apprentice programs would be verydisorganized and not accomplish their goals. There will always be doubt,

but with the cooperation of the community the problems will be dealt withand worked out.Mindy Petersen, Rockridge High School, Taylor Ridge, Illinois

Colleges call apprenticeships applied learning. While working on adegree, students take many courses relating to the field of work beingtaught. In the field of landscape architecture, students must take thefollowing courses to prepare them for working off campus in a firm:mathematics, English, botany, ecology, drafting, art courses, geology, physical sciences, and social sciences. Each of these courses have adifferent topic, but they have the same purpose; to give the students background for their future job. After taking these courses, architecturestudents often join up with an architectural firm as an apprentice to gainexperience and learn the tricks of the trade. Most firms pay students aminimum wage just as they would part-time employees. This gives thestudents an opportunity to make money to support themselves while theyare learning their future trade.

For the first time in their schooling, students can actually apply what theyhave learned in college. They have designed imaginary landscapes, but nowthey are involved with the [real thing]. Students are always full ofquestions. Instead of reading from a book to get answers, they can asksomeone who has been in the business for a while. In so doing, theyestablish relationships with work partners who can give them constructivecriticism and recommendations after graduation. Employers can give totheir new workers. Working at a firm gives students the added pressures ofa job. These are pressures that cannot be simulated during class.

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After graduating from college, many students studying on campus can talkabout the amount of training they went through. The architecture studentscan talk about the number of buildings or landscapes they designed. They

also have the confidence needed to prosper in their new career, while thenon-apprentice students must begin going through what the [apprenticed]students did while in school.Nick Moore, Medicine Lodge High School, Medicine Lodge, Kansas

These [internship] programs stress responsibility, inter-personal skills, and problem-solving skills. Students need a strong foundation in math,science, and communication skills. Kinsleys schools and [the] communitycooperate with seniors and interns.Jamie Maledon, Kinsley High School, Kinsley, Kansas

In my high schoolstudents [are] allowed to sign up for independentstudy classes. Little did I know that this would turn into my apprenticeship.With permission from Mr. McCurdy, I was enrolled in networkapplications. In this class I had to map network drives, install programs,and fix computers around the building. As 11:05 rolled around, I walkedinto class to get my assignment for the day. It didnt matter what kind ofassignment it was. I smiled and went about getting the job done.Austin Davis, Medicine Lodge High School, Medicine Lodge, Kansas

Mae Marie and Casey, below, have a procedure worked out:

I have [discovered] from recent study, that there should be a [formal] process to get into an apprenticeship program; [especially anapprenticeship] in the financial area. There should be an application form,similar to a job application, which would list the different qualities ofstudents. First, I think that they should have completed at least one yearof high school. This would [mean they] already had one year of math andEnglish. I also believe that they should obtain a grade point average of 2.5on a 4.0 scale. This grade point average would indicate that the [applicants]are trying and learning material. Also, this academic success would helpensure that the youth apprenticeship program would be worthwhile.Having a good attendance record should also be a key element. How [canstudents] be expected to learn if they dont show up?

Once a students application in accepted, an interview from the companyhe or she will be working with should take place. During the next threeyears the student would attend Tech Prep classes, visit work sites, hire forsummer employment, and finally work part-time at a partner company.

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After the students have completed this apprenticeship program, they wouldhave to make a few decisions for their future. They could then decide toobtain a bachelor degree or go right into the financial service field for

further on-the-job training.Mae Marie Freyermuth, Rockridge High School, Taylor Ridge, Illinois

I believe that my high school could have an apprentice program forstudents. This is how it would work. Once a semester for a week or two,students could work at a local business. They could learn about theoccupation and gain new knowledge about different jobs. For example, Icould enroll in algebra, English, government, science, computer, and anelective. Once a semester I could talk with my teachers and discover whatoccupation I could apprentice that would use the classroom skills I have

learned. Then I would contact the profession, compose a resume, and workat the business that accepts me for a few hours a day. This business wouldhave the opportunity to dismiss [me] or give me apay raise (extra credit fora class).Kaysi Booth, Medicine Lodge High School, Medicine Lodge, Kansas

Its hard to tell if Laura is talking about a working program or an idea

she has named Early Bird

Students who have decided to be in an apprentice program would [leave]school three times a week. They would become a part of a new programcalled Early Bird. Students enrolled in Early Bird would come to schoolat seven oclock (instead of eight oclock), to take their required physicaleducation class. At eight oclock they would begin academic classesenabling them to take more than just the required courses to graduate. Thenthey would leave before their sixth hour period to go to shadow a [job].Laura Townley, Rockridge High School, Taylor Ridge, Illinois

Jennifer describes Arrowhead West

During the last nine-weeks I have been going to Arrowhead West for mywork-study program. This program is designed to help high school studentsget ahead in the real world. Instead of a student graduating and beingexpected to get a job with no work experience at all, the program allows thestudent to go to school for half a day and to get the job of their choice forthe remainder of the day. Most of the students choose a career most suitableto their future interests. Then, an application is filled and hopefully thestudent is [accepted] into the program. By doing this, students learn notonly responsibility but also receive real live job experience. Teachers andemployers would get together once a week and discuss the students

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progress for the week. The students are under strict supervision and their behavior and work ethics are monitored. All of the students receive apaycheck, which also motivates the students to succeed. The studentsskip

out of school for four hours every day and learn something that will helpthem in their futures. In addition the school to work program [is efficient].Instead of staying in school with tedious classes that are not required, astudent can go out [and use that] precious time to make money. This way,students have time after work to do homework and participate in otheractivities. Another plus about the program is that it offers the students theopportunity to earn money and participate in extra circular activities, sincethe workday ends at four Oclock. This program allows students to hold apart-time job, play sports, and still have enough time for homework, all inthe same day. It also helps them [focus] on a future career. They can

experiment and [get closer to determining] the field they really want topursue. This would [decrease the instances of] students who graduate fromcollege, get out into the real world and absolutely despise their chosenfield.Jennifer Marsh, Medicine Lodge High School, Medicine Lodge, Kansas

And Walinda tells us about Education Explorations, apparently

programs in the same school

Education Explorations is a strong example of a youth apprenticeship.This internship consists of a student working with a supervising teacher, intheir high school, to determine the grade level that would be mostbeneficial. The student and teacher must come up with a set of guidelinesthat the student must abide by for the internship to be successful. Theobjectives and goals that the student wishes to gain from this internship willalso be determined. The curriculum will then be written and presented tothe principal of the high school for approval. The student must also talkwith the teacher(s) that he/she plans to shadow and the principal of thatcorrespondence school to make sure that everyone is in agreement. Wheneveryone has approved [the plan], the student will begin to shadow thecorrespondent teacher. Each day that the student is present in theclassroom, he/she should write a daily curriculum journal. These journalswill be turned into the supervising teacher to assure that the student isabiding the present curriculum. During class, he/she will be available tohelp the teacher in whatever way the teacher deems. Some teachers mayallow a little teaching to occur. Others teachers may use the student as ateachers aide by having them check and pass out papers, answer questionsor proofread students reports.Walinda Arnett, Medicine Lodge High School, Medicine Lodge, Kansas

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nor aptitude for such endeavors? Many students weary of school simplydrop out, leaving them with few skills and even fewer employmentopportunities. Without the incentive of programs like [apprenticeships],

many more high school students would drop out of school. Although[apprenticeship] students may not be learning Shakespeare or advancedchemistry, at least they are learning something.Maggie Rassor, Salem High School, Salem, Missouri

She goes on to defend apprenticeships against those who say high

school students are too young to commit to a career:

Some people contend that seventeen year olds are not ready to committhemselves to a vocational track, that such a young person cannot beemotionally ready to make a decision that can affect them for the rest of

their lives. But isnt this exactly what all high school seniors do? Theseyoung adults decide if they wish to remain in high school to get a diploma,if they will get a full time job after graduation, of they will attend a tradeschool or if they will go a junior college or a four-year college oruniversity. If a student decides on a four year college, he or she muchdecide whether to attend a school close to home or halfway across thecountry, a decision which will likely affect where the student eventuallygets a job and lives. If the student decides that trade school is the rightchoice, then he or she must decide what program to embark on; carpentry,cooking, plumbing or something entirely different. In many countries,students fourteen years old, and sometimes younger, must choose to attendeither a vocational or an academic secondary school. So, it is not at all toomuch to ask of a seventeen year old to make this important decision.Maggie Rassor, Salem High School, Salem, Missouri

Finally Maggie dispels fears that an apprenticeship may lessen the

chance of a student to attend college:

Some parents fear that if their child decides to participate in an[apprentice] program, their child will have [less chance of] attending a four-year college. [To the contrary], if an [apprentice program] student issomewhat academically inclined, he or she may complete the admissionsrequirements of the college of interest and apply for admission. Many[apprenticeship] students go on to complete college degrees at institutionssuch as the University of Missouri.Maggie Rassor, Salem High School, Salem, Missouri

Other students point out the drawbacks and still find the positives:

The drawbacks of a youth apprenticeship program are low wages, menial

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work, and dependence on the master craftsmans knowledge. Low wagesand a lot of hard work usually come with being a novice. Working withlittle to no experience does not justify paying us big and working us little,

so we have to do what we are told and not complain. We might alsoreceive some menial work that the master craftsman might not want to do.We have to take it with stride and try to learn from everything that we do,no matter the task. We can conquer the low wages and menial work issueby looking to the future and realizing that all the hard work we do now willpay off in the end. Also, by sacrificing while we are young and by doingthe dirty work, we can enjoy the success we will have when we are older.The biggest drawback to the proposed youth apprenticeship is thedependence on the master craftsmans knowledge.A student will only beable to learn as much as the master craftsman knows which could be a very

large drawback for any student apprentice. To overcome this dependencewe, as students, must take the initiative and give our teacher motivation toeducate us in every possible way. Learning from the craftsman might alsoteachpatience, understanding, and listening skills. [Its up to theapprentice] to overcome the barriers and strive to fully benefit from thepositive aspects of the program.Alisha Herrmann, Kinsley High School, Kinsley, Kansas

Drawbacks to the program remain a problem, but the benefits willoutweigh them. Finding time to complete this programwill havestudents struggling. If the time becomes a factor the students may begin toneglect their primary classes. The way to overcome this problem is a simpleprocess of time management. The class could be offered in the summer oras an after school program. During the summer students often have jobs,but the class could be offered in the evenings to correct the problem. Afterschool the main conflict would be sports. Once again the class could beoffered in the evenings to deal with the conflict. The second problem will be the enrollment. Finding enough students who are interested ingovernment and politics could present a problem. Students might shy awayfrom this class because of its degree of difficulty. To correct the problemthe class should be offered only to juniors and seniors. The upper classstudents in the high school often realize participating in a post secondaryeducation institution is going to require advanced classes. The high schoolonly offers a few of these advanced classes. Offering the class to the upperclass students exclusively should eliminate the problem.Travis Lo Vette, Kinsley High School, Kinsley, KansasThe Education Explorations program, as well as many others, also facessome opposing opinions. One of these notions is the fact that the partici-

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pating students [dont know] how to teach. It is believed by some that theyshould not be teaching other students for this reason. With this program,observing and teaching in the classroom is one way for the students to gain

knowledge. They are not left in the classroom alone to teach the students;they work with the teacher. They help to answer questions, pronouncewords, and get to know the students. [Other critics] may argue that the participating students are forced to growing up too soon; that they arespeeding up their education. Thisdepends on the maturity and grade levelof the student apprentice. Students who are preparing for college in theirsenior year show the maturity and stamina to participate in this type of aninternship. This program does not take the place of the student teaching thatthey will have to perform during their college education; it just allows themto broaden their horizons [and absorb] ideas and [teaching] methods used

by various teachers.Walinda Arnett, Medicine Lodge High School, Medicine Lodge, Kansas

Some of those against apprenticeships argue that most of the young adultscoming out of high school have relatively low problem-solving, math,reading and communication skills. We are on a collision course as the labormarket shrinks and the need for more and better skills [is on the] increase.Also, adolescents are known for being indecisive about their goals in life.Committing oneself at age 16 to a particular professional track meansgiving up a chance for economic and social mobility. Another disputeagainst youth apprentice-ships is that employers in this controversialsociety are [wary] of [unintentionally] violating child labor laws and theFair Labor Standards Act.Bonnie Hauser, Medicine Lodge High School, Medicine Lodge, Kansas

Kaysi has the answer to the fear of violating child labor standards but

only points out two additional drawbacks:

A student that is 14 when he/she comes into high school would need toobtain a Minor Work Permit. This would prevent a participating businessfrom getting into trouble for not following child labor laws. Also, somejobs may be considered hazardous and therefore students could not work atthose places. Some of these jobs might include driving or delivery work,excavating, wrecking, demolition or salvage work, operating largemachines, and roofing operations (except on gutters, downspouts, orinstalling air conditioners and ventilation equipment). The student wouldhave to be directly related to the manager or owner of the business for themto work these hazardous jobs. Other drawbacks could include students not

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scoring as high in some areas on ACT/SAT tests because they do not haveas much classroom knowledge.Kaysi Booth, Medicine Lodge High School, Medicine Lodge, Kansas

Business as mentors

Many of the major businesses in the area specialize in engineering [so notsurprisingly] engineering is a very popular field of study. Alcoa, JohnDeere, Case IH, New Holland, and Hon Industries are a few of the largestbusinesses in the area.Robert Drayer, Rockridge High School, Taylor Ridge, Illinois

Disincentives for Businesses

This would also be bad for a company if the student decided to quit the

program. The business would be frustrated because it would have wasted alot of their worker's time by trying to help a studentThese problemswould make some companies think that they might not want to havestudent apprentices. This [would negate] all the benefits that they, and thestudents, could have received.Josh Fowler, Rockridge High School, Taylor Ridge, Illinois

The first problem is that TWE graduates may be badly prepared for somejobs. A TWE school would prepare students in some areas of business butnot all of them. Employers are often dissatisfied with students who havecompleted training through the Job Corps or similar programs.Matt Fuhr, Rockridge High School, Taylor Ridge, Illinois

More Drawbacks-college

A student may find out halfway through an apprentice program that hedoes not like it and then realize that it is too late to take the classes that heneeds so that he can pursue the next thing he had in mind. This could messup a students plans if he cannot take the classes for a different career.Josh Fowler, Rockridge High School, Taylor Ridge, Illinois

Because apprenticeship classes usually take two years, most college- bound students do not want to miss out on taking classes that lookappealing to colleges, they do not take apprenticeship courses. Also, mostteenagers looking towardcollege are not sure what their futureoccupation is going to be, so they do not want to dedicate two years ofcommitment to an apprenticeship and not go into that trade.Amanda Stewart, Rockridge High School, Taylor Ridge, Illinois

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Too Few Career Choices

We live in a rural city that has many jobs, but it does not have a hugevariety of them. This could prove to be a problem when students are

looking for placement in the fields of their choice. Not being able to matchevery student to the job of his/her choice is yet another drawback.Robert Drayer, Rockridge High School, Taylor Ridge, Illinois

Transportation

The school, by law, is required to pay gas money to students whoapprentice during school hours [and] drive to their jobs. This can becomevery costly for a school.Robert Drayer, Rockridge High School, Taylor Ridge, Illinois

Too Early (combine with earlier excerpts)Many people disagree with school-to-work apprentice programs becausethey think they kill dreams. As Robert Holland, a journalist states, School-to-work locks students in career tracks much too early, chilling opportunityand killing youthful dreams.Laura Townley, Rockridge High School, Taylor Ridge, Illinois

Some skeptics criticize school to work operations, because they feel that itis to early for a high school student to commit to a profession.Matt Fuhr, Rockridge High School, Taylor Ridge, Illinois

One common concern is that the student will be pressured to pick a life-long career too soon. It is a possibility to stay there if that were thestudent's choice, but it is not a mandatory commitment. Another concernthat could be brought up is that the student loses out on valuable classroomtime.Jessica Cook, Rockridge High School, Taylor Ridge, Illinois

Poor Education

But what happens to our educational values as we focus on school-to-work? Barbara Green, chairwoman of the Federal Committee onApprenticeship, says, The rush to embrace apprenticeshipis leading toefforts that could undermine the very pillars of its value. Youthapprenticeships could easily become an answer to why do I need to knowwho the Prime Minister of Zaire is? and why do I need to know how to sketch a hyperbola?. Already being a country that is low in academicachievement, youth apprenticeships could add to this weakness by focusing

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too much on learning to work. This focus could very easily detract fromthe quest for more knowledge.Casey Moore, Rockridge High School, Taylor Ridge, Illinois

Apprenticeships are the new fad, but will that give too many lazy studentsan easy way out of working hard in school? We learn because it isknowledge, and the more knowledge we have, the stronger we becomementally. Learning teaches discipline, and apprenticeships are underminingthe very value of this point. Unless there is an apprenticeship program thata student does on his/her free time, apprenticeships will continue to be usedby the people who just want something easier than their algebra class.Casey Moore, Rockridge High School, Taylor Ridge, Illinois

Another consequence to this program is the attitude that some studentswill have toward school. School may begin to lose its status. Kids may startto view school as irrelevant. This point brings me to my third consequence:dropouts. As kids start to see school as irrelevant, the dropout rate begins toincrease and teenagers begin to realize that an education might not benecessary to find a job.Matt Fuhr, Rockridge High School, Taylor Ridge, Illinois

Pro ApprenticeshipsI agree with and support all youth apprenticeship programs. I think that it

is an excellent way for students to get ready for the real world. There isnothing to lose and everything to gain in programs like these.Jessica Cook, Rockridge High School, Taylor Ridge, Illinois

Interest as an incentive to learning

Students would be able to get experience before tackling jobresponsibilities. Students also seem to work and study harder when theyare learning about something that interests them.Mindy Petersen, Rockridge High School, Taylor Ridge, Illinois

Good PointsThe pros include the fact that apprentice programs are well integrated intoschool curricula which makes it easier for students to get involved. Theyprepare students far better for the ever-changing job market than students intraditional vocational education, where 60 percent of the participants endup in jobs that have nothing to do with the training they receive in highschools. Students who are involved with youth apprenticeship programsstill have time to be with friends and partake in a variety of different

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activities. Building better futures cultivates maturity in young people. Thestudent learns to work which means learning to become an adult.Apprenticeships have always done more than teach a specific trade. The on-

the-job training is the main advantage. It [puts] the student a step ahead ofothers coming out of high school with no training. In addition, they getpaid for their work.Bonnie Hauser, Medicine Lodge High School, Medicine Lodge, Kansas

Apprentice programs will teach the students to be independent. The program will teach the basic thinking skills, and personal qualitiesnecessary for future success. Each student will be responsible for turning ina personalized journal as well as a major project each semester. Theassignments must be completed on the students own time as no class time

will be given. The program will offer mentorship's in the community. Thestudents will be allowed to take part in an internship at the courthouse, police station, or the local lawyers office. The mentorship's will teachstudents the inside procedures of how the facilities work. Another benefit isthe college credits. Through a partnership with D.C.C.C. students wouldreceive college credit through the class. This program will better preparethose students going into college.Travis Lo Vette, Kinsley High School, Kinsley, Kansas

On-the-job training

Most colleges will give students college credit for internship programs.This allows high school students to get a jump-start on their collegerequirements. Most colleges also require some sort of apprenticeship orinternship for a major in [a specific] field. Colleges look very highly onpeople who have had on-the-job experience.Robert Drayer, Rockridge High School, Taylor Ridge, Illinois

A youth apprenticeship program in the computer field involves on-the-jobtraining which offers credible experience and knowledge. On-the-jobtraining is a definite asset. When an employer sees that a student hascomputer experience, that student becomes more marketable. When thesestudents enter college, they do not have to spend one or two years figuringout what career to pursue. Instead they can then take more advancedcourses in computer science. They will already know how to troubleshootcomputer problems, how to repair hardware and install a network a system.If [students] can study computer basics in high school, they will be thatmuch further ahead when they begin their college careers.Alisha Herrmann, Kinsley High School, Kinsley, Kansas

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[Apprenticeship programs would give a] community a better under-standing of high school students and [as a consequence] there would be lessnegativity [shown] to students as a whole. In addition, the students would

acquire better problem-solving skills. In my high school, the teachers havebeen trying to raise the problem-solving scores on state tests because theyhave been low for the past few years. Apprentice programs would be agreat way to accelerate student learning and allow them to practice theirproblem-solving skills.Kaysi Booth, Medicine Lodge High School, Medicine Lodge, Kansas

As long as the program promotes learning, youth apprenticeships couldreally add to education systems everywhere. These programs could beextracurricular or summer programs that allow average students to

specialize in specific areas of interest.Casey Moore, Rockridge High School, Taylor Ridge, Illinois

More Community-based Learning

Through a school-to-work program, youths can experience positiveoutcomes such as increased motivation, skill development, positive self-image, and the opportunity to reflect the learning provided by experiencesoutside of the classroom. Not only do students make career decisions, butthey also gain experience and responsibilitythese programs only broadenstudents points of view and open their eyes to a bright new future.Apprenticeships not only save students time in understanding theoccupational background but also show them earlier in life what they wouldlike to do in their future. Apprenticeship programs are needed for studentswho are willing to learn more about the career of their choice.Laura Townley, Rockridge High School, Taylor Ridge, Illinois

The programs our schools now have offer few options, and the CEC(Career Education Center) would add some variety. A summer programlike CEC, for college-bound students, would not only enhance the studentseducation, but also reform the entire Quad City education system. Theworld will eventually be in the care of todays students. Just as Euripideswarned us, Whoso neglects learning in his youth, loses the past and is deadfor the future.Casey Moore, Rockridge High School, Taylor Ridge, Illinois

Matt is both enthusiastic and persuasive, below:

There are many reasons why a TWE (Technology Works Enterprises)school would appeal to a high school student. The first advantage would be

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the small enrollment. Students would be called upon to fill an importantrole in the operation of their business. These students would be heavilyrelied upon to do their job or the entire team would fail. Another aspect that

a small class offers is individual attention. Students would have theopportunity to receive special help from their instructors at anytime.

Another opportunity that a TWE school offers is variety. Many timesteenagers are hired to perform entry level work. At a TWE institutionevery student would have full participation in a variety of fields such as public relations, financial planning, and management. This would givehim/her a taste of many different jobs. There are many students, such asmyself, who have no idea what kind of work they would like to get intoafter high school. The opportunity to participate in a variety of jobs would

help many kids decide what they want to do after they graduate.

Many times students grow tired of the same routine day in and day out.At traditional high schools, students attend the same classes every day.They do the same thing every day. With TWE schools the possibilities areendless. Every day can be something different. Students do not only learnto solve problems on paper but more importantly learn to solve problemswith people. Being able to communicate with other students as well ascustomers is a valuable skill that can not be taught in a classroom. Whendealing with customers, workers will also be interacting with members ofthe community. This situation will work in both directions. The TWEschools will not only help the community, but members of the communitycan also come to the school to get help with their technology problems.They can work together to solve each others problems.

Perhaps the most appealing characteristic of a TWE school is the moneythat the students will receive for their work. They would be getting paid togo to school everyday. With this program, it would not be necessary forTWE students to find an after school job. Personally this would work greatfor me. Some days after school, I find myself heading to work. If I got paidto go to school, I would have plenty of extra time after school to hang outwith friends and attend after school activities. I would have the time toenjoy my high school years.Matt Fuhr, Rockridge High School, Taylor Ridge, Illinois

Who Knows About Youth Apprenticeship Programs?

Across all schools in America there are apprenticeship programs forstudents to learn more about their desired careers before going to college.

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Although there are several offered, do most students know that they areavailable? Do they know how to become a part of the program? Are thereeven programs for all area of interest? I feel that students are not aware of

the opportunities that they have through these programs. If they knew, Ithink they would be more interested in becoming a part of the program. Asa high school student, I do not know very much about apprentice programs.Like many others I know they exist, but I do not know what steps I wouldneed to take become a part of these programs.Laura Townley, Rockridge High School, Taylor Ridge, Illinois

The School-to-Work Opportunities Act of 1994 was passed by both theHouse and the Senate and sent to Bill Clinton for passage on May 2, 1994.He signed the bill on May 4, 1994. The termination of this bill will be in

October 2001, which I believe, is too soon. This act provides thefundamental basis for establishing and expanding school-to-work highschools and programs.

If this act is terminated on the set date, the interest in building andincreasing the workplace skills of high school students could diminish.American students would have [less] chance to gain better workplace skillsor the chance to have hands on job training because their schools couldntafford to carry on the programs. The students who dont further theireducation wouldnt be able to have more than a minimum wage paying jobbecause they dont have the skills. Minorities or academically challengedstudents wouldnt be given as great an opportunity for higher paying jobs because there are still prejudiced employers, even with legislationforbidding such practices in the workplace. Therefore, the pros definitelyoutweigh the cons and this legislation should be continued beyond thestated termination period.

If one is still not in favor of the continuation of this law, he needs to beinformed that the federal government will pay for the initial costs of settingup the school-to-work programs. The programs will be maintained with acombination of federal, state, and local funds, leaving taxpayers to pay thesame basic amount as with a regular high school.

The only [weakness in] this legislation that is of any importance is that thefield a particular student would like to pursue may not be available in hiscounty or even state. Therefore, he would have to pay tuition costs for theschool he chooses, or continue at a regular high schoolThis one[drawback] doesnt out balance the need of school-to-work programs

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most students who attend these programs will gain more desire to furthertheir education after high school. Those students who dont want to furthertheir education will be capable of working at a higher paid, higher skilled

job right after graduation than if they wouldve attended a regular highschool. Also, as a senior, I wouldve liked the chance to experience handson training for different career fields. Career classes only give me adescription about a particular field, but through these programs, I woulddiscover what exactly the field involves. I believe that this [legislation]should be continued because without it interest in building and expandingthese school-to-work opportunity programs could diminish. This legislationis just the start of educational and school-to-work opportunity reformationthat could totally change the workforce of the United States.Kim Pratt, Salem High School, Salem, Missouri

"Technical skills are becoming a norm for employment. Gone are the dayswhen a high school diploma could guarantee a decent lifestyle. Technologyhas taken over and people are forced to keep up with it or be left behind.Throughout our country, many programs have been instigated to remedythe lack of technically skilled workers and to [ensure] our countrysworkforce up-to-speed with the rest of the world. One [promising] program...is the Community Careers System of Missouri. It is part of amassive initiative by the federal government to enhance the way weprepare Missouris kids to meet the demands of a highly skilled workforce.This is being implemented throughout the state and it will be making theconnection between school and the workplace. Students will be exposed toa variety of careers and job opportunities with the program and they willreceive invaluable classroom instruction and job-site mentoring.

Each of the Community Careers Systems has three basic core elements:school-based learning, work-based learning, and connecting activities. Allof these are used together to give students a well-rounded educationandvaluable skills for life. The school-based learning takes place in theclassroom Material taught will cover both the theoretical and practicalaspects of education. The work-based learning takes place at the job site.Students [are mentored] and receive training and gain job experience.The connecting activities provide the link between the time spent at schooland the time spent at the job site. [Programs] have been developed thatteach mentors how to make compatible matches between participatingstudents and employers and how to build bridges between the classroomand career [site].

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The federal government will initially fund this program by a series ofgrants. After a certain period of time, though, the seed money will stopcoming and the state government will have to fend for itself. It may seem

somewhat strange for the government to do this. It would be natural toassume that as soon as the funding stopped the program would as well. Thisis not the case, though. The grants will be used only as a foundation for theprogram to be built on. The five departments in the Missouri governmentwill work in tandem to incorporate the expenses of the Community CareersSystem into their budget so, as soon as the money runs out, they will beself-sufficient and will no longer require it.

There is a list of major goals to accomplish within the school-to-work philosophy. They include integrating school-based and work-based

education at the high school, middle school, and elementary school level,applying assessment tools to effectively evaluate the students experiencesin the program, allowing for all different student groups, such as thehandicapped and limited English speakers, to be included, activelyinvolving out-of-school youth, offering opportunities to students in alltypes of careers, and building a partnership between the school and thelocal businesses involved. There are several other minor goals, as well, andthey will all be fulfilled with the ensuing success of the CommunityCareers System. All of these goals can and will be reached with areasonable amount of work by the schools and businesses to pursue thesetting up of the program.

In retrospect, the Community Careers System is a wonderful tool toincrease the opportunities and choices of Missouri students. It offers themregular classroom training with the chance to gain real experience in anactual job environment and courses to integrate and connect the two. Theprogram will start early with practical arts training inelementary school.it will evaluate the students progress as they move through the program,and it will give underprivileged, handicapped, and even the academicallygifted children opportunities to explore their interests and to develop plansfor their prospective careers. Community Careers main purpose is tosupply the country with the properly trained and technically skilled workersneeded to make it competitive. This program will continue with the carefuland prudent use of resources. The federal grants will set the stage for thegrowth and development of the system and the rest is up to the discretion ofthe state and the enthusiasm of the people.Lauren Sankovitch, Salem High School, Salem, Missouri

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Innovations In Education

As I was looking at all the schools on the specified website, I came acrossthe York County Area Vocational-Technical High School located in York,

Pennsylvania. This school has a very unique way of involving vocationalstudents in their community. There are students from five Career Programs.They are: Building Trades Maintenance, Carpentry, Electrical Occupation,HVAC and Masonry and Concrete Technology. All five of these smallprograms combine to make one big program calledHabitat for Humanity.The students enroll in one or more of the five programs and then when theyhave had enough experience, they are allowed to work on a Habitat forHumanity project.

Habitat for Humanity is a great program because it involves both

vocational students and volunteer workers from the community. Bothgroups are working together to assists families in acq

youth apprenticeships: what teens want

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