EDUCATORS, PARENTS & FAMILY, STUDENTS! WHAT IS AN MCC?
Meaningful Career Conversation (MCC)
The following is the work of Lauren Jones, CTE Program Director for Special Populations, Counseling & Middle School, in partnership with the CDE Office of Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness.
start an MCC today... Ask your friend, your student, your child, YOURSELF!
Excerpts from Experts
CTE in Colorado, the Colorado Department of Education's PWR Playbook, and the American School Counselor Association (ASCA). Interactive MCC Activity
What do you consider your greatest strengths and weaknesses?
What motivates you to try your best?
What are two or three accomplishments that have given you the most satisfaction - and why?
Describe your favorite teacher or favorite supervisor.
How do you think your favorite teacher would describe you? Your least favorite teacher?
How are your grades? Are you happy with how you're doing in school?
Do you have plans to continue your education?
What is one of the biggest mistakes you've made in school?
What did you learn from your mistakes?
How well do you work with people? Do you prefer working alone or in teams?
How would you describe your leadership skills?
What changes would you make in your school?
How well do you adapt to new situations?
How do I start making career connections for my students?
Community Career Presentations
Career Cluster-Based Discussions
Community Career Presentations
Description: Schools invite professionals in their community to tell their career story, starting with when they were youth to now being the professional they are. Consider asking speakers to include lessons learned along their journey, and ending with Q&A. The professional(s) can be related to one of the career panels that day, but not necessarily.
ICAP Focus
Career Cluster-Based Discussions
Community Career Presentations
Description: Assign students specific ICAP work: e.g., take career interest surveys, answer career aspiration questions, complete a portfolio, seek an apprenticeship, etc. Students sign up for particular panel sessions based on their ICAP work. Students complete a task related to what they learned/heard during the panel(s).
Career Cluster-Based Discussions
Career Cluster-Based Discussions
Parent/Guardian/Family Career Forum and MCC
Description: Schools and districts who have access to specific cluster professionals can set up roundtable or classroom style discussions to share particular career pathway stories and lessons learned along the way. Did they think they’d be where they are when they were students’ age?
Parent/Guardian/Family Career Forum and MCC
Career-Focused, Future-Focused ESSENTIAL SKILLS Workshop
Parent/Guardian/Family Career Forum and MCC
Description: A panel of parents discussing their career journeys with descriptions of their current career. Parents share their own career journey and lessons learned with the group in a roundtable session or panel. Q&A session at the end. This can also be a small groups setting, or a homework/take-home assignment.
Career-Focused, Future-Focused ESSENTIAL SKILLS Workshop
Career-Focused, Future-Focused ESSENTIAL SKILLS Workshop
Career-Focused, Future-Focused ESSENTIAL SKILLS Workshop
Please contact the Colorado Youth Career Fair @ admin@youthcareerfair.org to help design the right experience for you and your students.
CDE Standards and Instruction: https://www.cde.state.co.us/standardsandinstruction/revisedcoloradoessentialskills
KEY RESOURCES
Career-Focused, Future-Focused ESSENTIAL SKILLS Workshop
Career-Focused, Future-Focused ESSENTIAL SKILLS Workshop
Your easy connection to local industry and professionals:
Jobs for Youth: work-based learning (WBL) opportunities
Need a conversation starter for your students? CLICK HERE
Reflection: At the end of each activity, reflection is recommended as a time for youth to sit, think, respond, and reflect... They can draw it, act it, write it, type it, speak it, whichever way you and your students would like to reflect on the experience and what was learned. (Lauren Jones, CTE in CO)
COMPREHENSIVE MCC MATERIALS AND GUIDANCE BELOW
High School level
Middle School level
Middle School level
Middle School level
Middle School level
Middle School level
ASCA Guide
Middle School level
ASCA Guide
Meaningful Career Conversation guidance from the American School Counselor Association (ASCA)
also useful for College Advisors & Mentors