Greater Peoria JobSpark 2017 Presented by Mary Pille, President - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Greater Peoria JobSpark 2017 Presented by Mary Pille, President Junior Achievement of Central Illinois

Agenda  What is GP JobSpark?  Why is it important?  What is the impact?  Ways you can get involved  Q & A 1

What is GP JobSpark?  Imagine the Peoria Civic Center Exhibit Hall filled with hands-on learning experiences that are designed by individual industry teams to align with what that industry will need from its employees in the near future.  Imagine the experience of an 8th grader who walks into the expo with mostly abstract notions and walks out physically and intellectually activated, with real insights on what industries interest them, what specific jobs are like, and what education is required to do them successfully.

What is GP JobSpark?  Hands on career expo for Greater Peoria 8 th graders across five counties in Central Illinois – Peoria, Woodford, Tazewell, Logan and Mason  The event is meant to “spark” an interest in students and get them excited for their future  Students will learn about and experience skills needed for jobs that will be in demand when they graduate, while utilizing equipment used in those jobs daily

What is JobSpark?  http://www.jajobspark.org/highlights/

Proven Model - Measurable Outcomes * * JA JobSpark Outcomes – JA of Central Indiana 5

Why GP JobSpark? • Supports the Illinois Postsecondary and Career Expectation (PaCE) Framework – Attend a career exploration day by the end of 8 th grade – Learning about career clusters for further exploration – Exploring possible career clusters of interest  Opportunity for Greater Peoria communities to collaborate in order to maximize collective impact to positively impact our youth. 6

Why GP JobSpark?  Completed survey of 30 schools in 5 counties to assess interest: Logan, Mason, Peoria, Tazewell, and Woodford  18 schools (90% of those that replied) have confirmed that they are potentially interested in participating this fall  The 18 schools estimated they would bring nearly 1,000 students to the event  10% of schools (2) that replied were interested but felt transportation logistics could be an obstacle  Tentative pilot goal 2,000-3,000 students 7

Why 8 th Grade? Eighth grade is a critical year for students as they are deciding on coursework pathways for their high school years and beyond 8

Why 8 th Grade?  Based on research, the key intervention time is middle school.  The gap between highest- and lowest-performing students widens considerably during this time.  Students who fall off track in 6th grade typically remain in school for approximately five more years before dropping out of school.  During middle school, environmental challenges emerge, including more competition among peers, less personal environments, more autonomy, and more challenging/abstract school work.  Based on recent research, approximately 40 percent of potential dropouts could be identified as early as sixth grade based on grade, attendance, and behavioral indicators. Interventions with these students could prevent future disengagement from school. 9

Industry Clusters  Agriculture  Architecture  Art, Technology, & Communication  Business & Finance  Construction  Government, Law, & Public Safety  Health & Life Sciences  Hospitality  Manufacturing 10

Ways You Can Get Involved!  Become an Industry Cluster Volunteer o Plan fun, interactive activities to show off your industry Directly influence future of 8 th graders o  Sponsor GP JobSpark o Choose your sponsorship level o Sponsorship levels coming soon BE THE SPARK! 11

Questions? 12