Title of Effective Practice: - California Postsecondary Education ...

Direct Connection to Policy Area 2 of The Illinois Commitment
CSI: Career Scene Investigation
Danville Area Community College
What issue or need is addressed by the effective practice?
CSI: Career Scene Investigation is a new career awareness activity that has been implemented on the Danville Area
Community College (DACC) campus. In the fall of 2004, a request from the county’s school districts came via the
Tech Prep Steering Committee. It was a request that DACC provide some type of educational activity for students
who are not testing during the annual PSAE testing dates. Students who are required to take the PSAE test are 11th
graders. While the testing is going on, remaining high school students and faculty are expected to conduct regular
school business with very minimal noise so not to disrupt the testing environment. Easier said than done!
In response to the request, a planning committee designed an activity to meet the high schools’ need and accomplish
several goals established by the committee. Many times students are still uncertain of their career path even upon
high school graduation. With this in mind, the committee decided to take advantage of having the students on the
DACC campus and offer a career awareness activity. This activity would highlight many of the programs offered at
DACC. This event eventually became known as CSI: Career Scene Investigation. With this activity, the goals were
to 1) increase career awareness with high school students (Preparatory Services, Guidance/Recruitment); 2) increase
collaboration between secondary and postsecondary institutions (Consortium-Level Articulation/Secondary and
Postsecondary Collaboration); and 3) increase awareness in program sequences, especially in what is taught at the
postsecondary level (Tech Prep Program Sequences). DACC was thrilled to showcase its different programs,
highlight the different career options within each program, and help the students make informed career choices
Description of the effective practice:
The day’s agenda is as follows:
9:00 a.m. --- Arrival
9:00 - 9:10 a.m. --- Welcome and Orientation
9:10 - 9:15 a.m. --- Travel to First Session
9:15 - 10:00 a.m. --- First Session
10:00 - 10:30 a.m. --- Break, Snack, and Travel to Second Session
10:30 - 11:15 a.m. --- Second Session
11:15 - 11:20 a.m. --- Travel to Bus
11:30 a.m. --- Depart Campus
Prior to the event, students pre-register at their high school for three 45-minute sessions from a list of thirty-eight
different programs. The third choice is actually an alternate selection. The form the students use to pre-register has
the sessions listed under six different career pathways. The number of sessions offered depends on the number of
students attending. Most of the sessions have a maximum limit of 24 per classroom. The sessions include thirty-five
college programs, plus three general topics. Unfortunately popular topics fill up very quickly. When a student¡¦s
three choices are filled, every effort is made to choose a session in a similar career pathway.
This year Vermilion Advantage collaborated with DACC and Vermilion Vocational Educational Delivery System
(VVEDS) on this project. Due to the involvement of Vermilion Advantage, 22 businesses participated. The majority
of businesses were arranged in two different areas. Maze I included businesses in the industrial and engineering field.
Maze II included businesses in the business and administrative field. Students could choose to visit Maze I or Maze
II as one of their 45-minute sessions. Once in the maze, students would rotate to three different businesses during
that 45-minute time frame.
Once the students are registered, nametags are made for the students indicating name, school, and sessions to attend.
The nametags along with a letter detailing the day, is sent to the high school. The letter addresses such details as
arrival and departure time, drop off and pick up point, bus parking, cell phone use, etc., and encourages high school
teachers to attend sessions also.
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