May 24, 2022
Distance-learning program evolves into a huge classroom hit
It’s Friday at the Circuit Court for Baltimore City, but rather than presiding over a case, Judge Audrey J. S. is trying to recruit the next generation of legal professionals. City Schools students from across the district are tuned into a livestream tour of her courtroom and learning about career opportunities in courts and the law. The students have plenty of questions for Judge Carrion and her clerk Ni'Jah Richardson.
”What are the steps to becoming a judge?”
”What jobs outside the courtroom can you have if you're a lawyer?”
“How long does a court case take?”
“Does the winner of the case get money?”
It’s Career Ready Friday! Every month, a hundred students or more log onto virtual experiences to connect with professionals for tours, Q&A sessions, and presentations about rewarding, high-paying careers. Each month features different careers in industries such as healthcare, IT, manufacturing, human resources, and transportation.
The conversations also include hands-on demonstrations and the voices of future industry professionals from City Schools CTE (Career and Technical Education) classrooms, where high school students enrolled in CTE pathways share details about their studies and career plans.
For Matthew Jones, a 4th-grader at Eutaw-Marshburn, talking to the older students enrolled in CTE is a highlight: “I like hearing all the people talk about what they like to do, especially the students talking about what they want to be when they grow up. Now I know there are more than just doctors, police officers, or teachers. There are a lot of different careers I can pick.”
With the launch of the new Career Readiness strategic plan, A New Pathway Forward, City Schools is strengthening career readiness by better aligning student programming to in-demand jobs that earn a living wage. Part of this plan is to give K-8 students more opportunities to learn about possible careers and career pathways— exactly what Career Ready Fridays is all about.
“We originally launched during distance learning as a way to deliver career-focused content to students,'' says Albert Phillips, City Schools Work-Based Learning Specialist. “Luckily, professionals across the city stepped up to share their time and give students behind the scenes access to workplaces and job sites. Now, even with the return to in-person learning, it’s a hit. Teachers can give their students a virtual career field trip with a click.”
“Students are familiar with Instagram and TikTok videos, but this is a totally different experience,” says Tara Wyman, a 4th-grade teacher at Eutaw-Marshburn Elementary School. “Meeting and interacting live with professionals who look like them, who have exciting stories to share, who will answer their questions — the students are so excited to participate every month.”
“This is expanding their understanding of what life can be like after graduation,” says Barbara Drummonds-Gordon, a 4th-grade teacher at The Mount Washington School. “The students were especially excited about the automobile engineering event. Anything to do with cars really gets them engaged.”
Every Career Ready Fridays stream is available after the presentation on the City Schools Youtube channel. Check out the playlist here.
Watch the Career Ready Fridays tour of Judge Carrion’s courtroom below!