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| TFIM advisors begin mapping plans for 2009-2010; Consortium schedules second Digital Storytelling Symposium |
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The Consortium for Public Education expects to extend its career exploration program for high school students, The Future Is Mine (TFIM), to at least two or three more schools during the 2009-2010 school year and to host two more events to help students and teachers build skills using digital media.
Faculty advisors to TFIM, which already includes 24 districts, learned of the plans during a June meeting at Monroeville Community Park where they also shared ideas and strategies and compared notes on the projects their teams completed in 2008-2009.
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| Teen Oasis Honors Gateway TFIM Students |
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Kierra displays her award.
Teen Oasis, an organization based in Monroeville, recognized teens from the Monroeville and Pitcairn area who have exhibited leadership qualities in their schools, communities, on playing fields and in the lives of others.
Of the 21 young adults that were presented with awards, four were TFIM members of Gateway High School. Gateway TFIM's advisor, Leigh-Anne Weiss also received an award.
Ahmad, on left, received the NPV Production Award
Lindsey, winner of Representative Markosek Student Government Leader Award & Kierra, Pass It On Award winner display their certificates.
Natalie took home the Monroeville Area Chamber Business Legacy Award.
Leigh-Anne Weiss, TFIM Advisor for Gateway poses with Lindsey.
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| Digital Media Symposium gives students and teachers a chance to learn together |
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A student attending the Digital Media Symposium discusses photographs with Steve Mellon.
Carl Kurlander went to Duke University when he graduated from high school, declaring a pre-med major and fully expecting to go on to medical school once he finished his bachelor's degree. Instead, he wrote a screenplay that became a hit movie, St. Elmo's Fire, and set off for Hollywood and a career in filmmaking.
His professional life is somewhat of an object lesson for kids in high school, a showcase example that education and careers don't always follow straight-line paths.
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Jarred, a TFIM member from South Allegheny, completed an individual project that coincided with his Eagle Scout Project through the Boy Scouts of America. The project was to improve the appearance of the dugouts, equipment shed, the clubhouse and the batting cage of the Port Vue Athletic Association located in Port Vue, Pa.
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Students and teachers at Gateway High School have teamed up with the Susan G. Komen Race for a Cure, not only to sponsor runners, but to throw a fundraiser.
Visit Your Monroeville to read the full story.
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| Extreme Makeover: Steel Valley Edition! |
| Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Elementary Teachers |
| Elizabeth Forward Showcases Their Individual Projects |
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Garrett, a TFIM member from Elizabeth Forward chose to complete his individual project on the United States Navy's nuclear field (NF) because he has a contract to enter into it upon graduation from high school.
Click here to read the full story.
Did you know that Chemists use their knowledge of chemistry to search for more possible developments in their field? Click below to find out more!
Click here to download Brianna's Chemistry brochure.
To ensure that every American was protected from indecent acts, our founding fathers set up a system of laws. These laws have been studied by many men and women throughout history. The profession of these studies of law is that of an attorney. This is the profession that Kelsea hopes to peruse after graduating from high school.
Click here to read Kelsea's Law Report.
Kara's interest has always been focused on the natural sciences, which is why she chose to shadow someone pathology. She completed her project at Jefferson Regional Medical Center.
Click here to read Kara's Medical Report.
Music production is the most important aspect of the music creation process besides the artist themselves. This what Dylan found out while completing his Individual Project.
Click here to read Dylan's Report on the Music Industry.
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The EF TFIM team completed their P2YP project requirement at
Elizabeth Elementary school for the 4th and 5th graders. Their team researched
the many historical people and events that are special to their town, and then
wrote small skits which incorporated Waldo, lost in Elizabeth's history. The
concept was that Waldo gets lost in time in Elizabeth and keeps bumping into
famous people. Their TFIM kids played these famous people: Stephen Bayard,
founder of Elizabeth, John Walker, caretaker of Elizabeth, Lewis and Clark,
General Lighthorse Harry Lee, Marquis de Lafayette, General James Ekin,
Jacob Friend, Elizabeth's Women's Finishing School, and Eugene O'Neil. While
they were performing all of the skits, the elementary students were split
into groups of 10 or less. They were to listen to the skit and try to map on
their group map where in town this person/ event lived/ took place. Off to
the side of the skits, a photo slideshow coincided with the skits as an aid.
At the end, they went over the answers to all of the places and all of the
students received a participation prize. It went AWESOME, and they were a HIT!
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| EA TFIM Member Job Shadows Office Coordinator |
| Inspired by Vietnam Vet, McKeesport's TFIM Team Used a Local Recycling Campaign for International Outreach |
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McKeesport Area School District's TFIM team took the theme from last year's Student Leadership Conference "Act Locally, Think Globally" over the top his year, with three projects aimed at helping kids a half a world away. To "act locally" they mounted a clean-up project, collecting discarded digital cameras, cell phones and ink cartridges. They recycled the electronic gear and used proceeds to fund scholarships and school supplies for Paul's Kids Vietnam Children's Charities. They also made donations toward the Save-a-Life program the charity sponsors.
Click here to read the full story.
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| Mapletown Holds Mock Interviews |
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On Wednesday, March 11, 2009, The Future Is Mine students from Mapletown Jr./Sr. High School participated in mock interviews with two school administrators.
Click here to read the full story.
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| EA Student Shadows Police |
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On Friday, March 6, 2009, the TFIM Team of Beth Center High School presented their Peer-to-Peer Project to the juniors and seniors of our school by facilitating a discussion panel on "Successful Transitions After High School".
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| East Allegheny Students Showcase Their Individual Projects With PowerPoints! |
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Would you like information on an elementary school teacher? Wondering what a nurse practitioner does? Click below to view these informative PowerPoints created by East Allegheny TFIM members.
Elementary School Teacher
Nurse Practitioner
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| Pittsburgh Brashear Hits the Ground Running! |
| Beth Center PowerPoint Individual Projects |
EF Seniors Are Prepared!
The Elizabeth Forward TFIM team completed their Peer to Peer Project for the
high school seniors. They focused on soft skills that the seniors will need
upon graduation. Topics covered were: Professional Body Language, Professional Business Attire, Job Interviews/ Applications, Resumes, Balancing a Budget, Workers' Rights, and completing a W-4 Form.
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Steel Valley Presents The Pencil Story
Thirty two TFIM members traveled to Franklin Primary yesterday to talk
to the 130 kids about careers. Initially they read The Pencil Story,
encouraging the students to be what they want and be the change. I've
attached a copy of the story. The TFIM kids then passed out pencils for the
kids to remember their message.
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Younger Students Introduced to Steel Center AVTS
On November 10, 2008, The Future Is Mine team from Steel Center AVTS went to New England Elementary School to discuss the career opportunities offered at Steel Center.
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Gateway Registers Voters
Often times, people overlook the significance of voting in presidential elections. They may say, "Oh, my vote won't count," or "Who ever becomes president really won't affect my life anyway." Both of these excuses are common misconceptions. Every opinion matters and contributes to the final count, even if each vote composes only a diminutive fraction of the input of the vast population.
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| Welcome The Future Is Mine |
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The Future Is Mine believes students should be given the tools they need to drive their careers - from the right academic opportunities, to navigating the world of work.
What is The Future Is Mine?
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| Website Design and Security Tools |
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"Is Facebook safe? How can I make my own web site? How does the Internet
even work?
If you've wondered about any of these things, click below to download
information developed especially for TFIM participants by IST students
at Penn State Greater Allegheny. These online workshops were created
especially with high school students like yourself in mind, and besides
explaining the basics of what a network is and how to create your own
professional-looking web site, they provide links to useful online
resources and career information."
Please visit the Penn State GA web site if you are interested in learning more about the IST program.
Usability & Website Design
Networking & Security
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| How TFIM Relates to PA State Standards |
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A common misconception about The Future Is Mine Student Project is that it is an extra-curricular activity and, therefore, the program's activities should not take place or interfere with the school day. In an effort to dispel that notion, a careful analysis of the Pennsylvania Academic Standards has been done in relation to the goals, activities, skills and concepts covered in TFIM.
The Consortium for Public Education wholly understands the academic challenges a student faces when not present in the classroom, as does your colleague(s) who acts/act as the TFIM Advisor in your school. However, TFIM is an equally valuable tool in preparing our young people for the real world and it is sometimes necessary for a student to be excused from class. Please help to support the work of the TFIM students as they create experiences for their peers in preparation for life after high school.
It's our hope that after reviewing this information, you will feel comfortable in supporting the efforts of the TFIM Student Project Team.
Click here to download the list of PA State Standards that relates to TFIM goals, activities, skills and concepts.
Click here to view the PA Academic Standards for Career Education and Work.
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Students attending this year's TFIM Student Leadership Conference huddle together during a breakout session.
This year's Annual Student Leadership Conference brought participants in The Consortium for Public Education?s career exploration program, The Future Is Mine (TFIM), plenty of chances to get their hands dirty, or at least keep them busy.
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| Monessen Shows Community Pride |
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The Monessen TFIM team took part in Monessen Community Pride Day by painting parking meter poles and street signs. They spread a lot of green and silver paint and a whole lot of good will as well.
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| Conference promotes career awareness |
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On March 20, 2009 The Steel Valley The Future is Mine hosted a Career Day.
Nine presenters and nine Alumni were invited to present to the Steel Valley
student body grades 9-12. The goal of this event was to expose our high
school students to various careers and work experiences and to introduce
them to notable community members, distinguished alumni, and professionals
within the Pittsburgh Region. All students heard a presentation on topics
such as: Career Aptitude, Budgeting, Diversity, Team Building, the Job
Application Process, Interviewing, Understanding Team Dynamics, and Being a
Responsible Citizen.
Click here to download a copy of the newsletter for the event.
Alumni ranging from an Assistant Superintendent for Hempfield Area School
District, to a Managing Partner for AEC Group, Inc, to the Director of
Marketing at Southside Works, and the Pharmacy District Manager with Rite
Aid (to name a few) attended to give the students a enlightening experience
with their accomplishments and pride in our community.
"The Alumni Panel was impressive. I really learned a lot and it gave me the
confidence boost I needed to know that one day, I too can achieve great
things!"~ Emily, Junior.
"It was a great project. I had the opportunity to see it begin as just a
thought and evolve into something that had an impact. I heard so many
positive remarks that day, I was proud to be a part of it."~ Brian,
Senior TFIM President.
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On Wednesday March 11th, East Allegheny The Future Is Mine team completed their peer to peer project. They held an event that combined a college fair, subject fair and health fair in one. The main objective was to present to the juniors and seniors some different options upon graduating. They had booths set up for such schools as Pitt, Slippery Rock, CCAC, Robert Morris and Duquesne. It gave the students an opportunity to check out some local colleges to see what programs they offer, along with cost, student population and campus life. The health booths were set up to try to get the students more involved with a healthy lifestyle such as exercising and eating healthy. The fair was a great experience and all students enjoyed looking at the different booths. Students also gave input as to how we can improve the fair next year.
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| Kennywood Interviews SA Students |
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The South Allegheny TFIM team arranged for representatives from Kennywood's Human Resources Department to conduct open interviews with SAHS students for summer employment.
South Allegheny High School is the only school in the Mon Valley that Kennywood visited for the purpose of hiring summer employees.
Click here to read the article from the McKeesport Daily News
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Well, Monster.com That Is!
On February 23rd Mike Williams, a speaker from Monster.com, presented "Making It Count" at Steel Center AVTS for their Peer to Peer Project. Mr. Williams spoke to students about their plans to better themselves in the future. The Future Is Mine students assisted Mr. Williams by distributing informational packets as well as participating in an example activity. The presentation was broken down into two groups. The first group consisted of Juniors, and the second group, Seniors. The Juniors' presentation concentrated on post secondary options. Mr. Williams discussed choices like the military, a four-year college, and vocational schools. The Seniors' presentation touched mainly on choices that a student would have to make after high school and ways to act within a professional job environment. Photographs and video were taken of the event by The Future Is Mine students. The presentation was well received by both Juniors and Seniors who were actively engaged throughout.
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West Mifflin Showcases Uncommon Choices
The Future Is Mine Organization at West Mifflin Area High School conducted Out of the Box Careers, But In Your Reach on Friday, January 23, 2009 from 7:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. The purpose of the career experience was to expose students to future careers available to them. The goal for the day was to educate students to the realities of the various professions that they are contemplating, and to educate them to the necessity for the proper postsecondary preparation that would be required.
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| Doggie Lovin from the Oven! |
East Allegheny Future Is Mine team reaches out to the youth.
On Wednesday December 10th, the East Allegheny High School Future Is Mine team went to Logan Middle School to talk to the 6th grade students about some possible future careers that they would like to pursue.
The students had filled out surveys, and the TFIM students choose the top 10 careers to present. Some of the careers that were discussed were teacher, armed forces, FBI, nurse, video game designer and physical therapist. Both the 6th graders and the TFIM members said that it was a great experience and look forward to working together in the future.
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Touchdown!
The California Area TFIM team decided to keep things the same and do the individual project as a whole. This way everyone is introduced into a variety of different careers available in one area of work. This also helps the TFIM veterans give the newer TFIM members a little guidance.
On October 28, 2008 the group visited Heinz Field. They not only got information on the variety of careers available working at a professional sports stadium, but also partook in a lengthy tour of all different areas of the stadium.
They also learned about the history of the stadium. The tour guide informed the group of all the different events that happen at the stadium in addition to explaining the requirements needed in the majority of all career opportunities that Heinz Field has to offer.
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Belle Vernon TFIM Team Hosts Luncheon to Present Projects to Faculty
Students from Belle Vernon High School's chapter of The Future Is Mine (TFIM) told teachers and others at a December luncheon there's sometimes no substitute for a first-hand look for helping make a difficult choice or change a little easier.
For example, as part of their individual projects, all 22 TFIM participants got a close-up look at possible career options by either shadowing or interviewing people already working in those jobs. For some, it tipped decisions in favor of a particular occupational pursuit. For others, it meant a change of heart.
Allison found out that "patience," which she feels she has in abundance, is an essential trait for working in speech therapy and wanted all the more to pursue the career after a close-up look at the job. By shadowing a nurse, however, Haylie realized that while healthcare occupations offer great job security, nursing may require more assertiveness than she has.
TFIM students organized the luncheon to give faculty and administrators a better understanding of the work their chapter does, said their advisor Jamie Brooks. Just as adults helped them get a better understanding of different careers, the TFIM team now plans to help their younger peers-ninth graders in Belle Vernon's middle school-understand what changes they can expect when they move on to high school next year. The TFIM team will prepare a program to describe high school clubs, sporting events and other aspects of high school life and will present it to the middle school students later this year.
Another big undertaking for Belle Vernon's TFIM team has been instituting a recycling program at their school. They did the research and made the contacts needed to get regular "single stream" collections at their school. They also placed the in-school bins for recyclables.
All of them are looking forward to TFIM's year-end Student Leadership Conference, the chapter's president said. "The people who go there really come out with a plan for their life," he said.
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Two teams of Steel Valley students who participate in the Consortium for Public Education's The Future Is Mine (TFIM) initiative and the school's Work Study program won prizes last week for their one-minute video entries in the fifth annual Greater Pittsburgh Civics Fair.
With a video titled "It Affects Me" that illustrated how political issues hit home for youth voters, one of the Steel Valley teams took second place in a the Voter Education (Video Public Service Announcement) category. Another team took third place in the same category for "Open Your Eyes," a video highlighting important political and social issues.
TFIM is a project-based learning program that fosters civic engagement while helping ninth and tenth grade students explore career opportunities.
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...we felt like a million dollars.
Courtesy of Bill Campbell, Steel Valley Alumnus and great community
supporter, 10 Steel Valley The Future is Mine Students were permitted to
attend Steel Valley Hall of Fame Banquet at St. John's Center in Munhall, PA. last month.
Ten students joined over 220 guests ranging from prestigious business
men to local community members to honor notable alumnus and community
members within the Steel Valley School District Community, "The Best of the
Valley". This banquet inducted the following people into its hall of fame:
Jack Butler, The Campbell Family, David Lewis, George Nama, Cumberland
Posey, Tamara Tunie, and Lynn Yanyo into the Hall of Fame. Guest of Honor
Charlie Batch, Adam Walker, and Melvin Anderson were also in attendance.
This event was sponsored by the I-TEAM, The Best of The Batch Foundation,
and the Carnegie Library of Homestead.
"It was a great opportunity for these students to have the chance to dine
and hear from such remarkable citizens. It truly made you proud of the
community in which we live. Opportunities like this don't come around too
often and to say you actually had the chance to meet Mr. Campbell himself,
remarkable." said Ms. Ryan Dunmire, TFIM Advisor who was also in attendance.
"It was awesome, said senior TFIM President Brian Hreha, we felt like a
million dollars. Everyone was so kind and willing to go out of their way
for us. We truly enjoyed our time there and appreciate all that Mr.
Campbell has done for us."
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So much to see!
The Future Is Mine team from Gateway Senior High School recently toured the WYEP radio station/offices and the Carnegie Science Center in Pittsburgh, PA. TFIM members chose these activities in preparing for their future careers.
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EF Students As Tour Guides
The Elizabeth Forward TFIM members completed their two day historical walking tour for visiting high school students involved in the annual architectural design competition hosted by the Pittsburgh Historical Landmark Foundation.
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| Does TFIM Help Students Get Into College? |
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Only in the sense that TFIM encourages all students to pursue some kind of post-secondary education, whether it's a bachelor's degree, associates degree, apprenticeship program, or other training/certification. We are dispelling the myth that 'getting into a good college' insures success. TFIM believes that knowledge of one's learning style, work style, passion in life, aptitudes, and creating a tool kit of skills to be added to and transferred during one's career path is the foundation of preparing for life after high school.
Go to the What's Out There For Me page to find out more information about FastWeb. FastWeb can help students make the decisions that shape their lives: choosing a college, paying for college, and finding jobs and internships.
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Calling All TFIM Alumni:
What are you wearing now? |
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We would like to create a database with TFIM Alumni contact, employment, and education information. This information will be used in a database to help better meet the career exploration needs of our current TFIM students. If you are interested in connecting with TFIM students to share some insight on your career exploration journey, serve as a panelist or guest speaker at a TFIM participating school, or even allow a student/s to interview you, please complete the TFIM Alumni registration form.
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Do you have a question, comment, or suggestion that might fall under one of these categories:
- Ask the Graduate
- Career Stats
- Is It TFIM Worthy?
- Networking Opportunities
- Technical Assistance
- Volunteer Opportunities
- Who Can I Contact in My Community
If so, Student's Forum is a place for you to share your ideas and questions about TFIM with other TFIM students. We created this area to provide a place for TFIM students to share best practices, ask for help and keep in touch with fellow TFIM students. The message boards are updated within 24 hours. All questions and comments are approved by a staff member and then will be posted. Please read the rules before you post on the Student's Forum page.
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| TFIM Participating Schools |
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