• NEW 2011 Virginia Career Week proclamation by Governor McDonnell. Copy and post in your school and distribute to other government agencies and business partners .
• Four-page Career Planning Guide
• NEW PowerPoint presentation Navigating Career Planning 2011-2012 Emphasis is on career clusters, career pathways, academic and career plans, and options for high school and beyond.
• NEW Career Terms & Resources 2011-2012 Bookmark of career terms and Web sites for additional information. Prints 2 per page (8 1/2″ x 11″)
• NEW College Costs 2011-2012 . Chart showing tuition/fees and average room and board for colleges in VA. Includes tw0-year college and community colleges.
• A PowerPoint presentation CTE Presentation on Life After HS 10-11 – great resource for students and adults with current data on postsecondary options, costs, job trends

  5th-Grader-VCEFTemplate 2011 ”Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader? – Career Version” PowerPoint version with game show format. Play by the game show rules or make up your own. Download and save the template to create your own version.

  Career Quiz Questions 2011- a low-risk question and multiple choice answers game developed from data in the PowerPoint presentation. Updated for 2010-11.

• “Living Statistics” – national data on high school freshmen 4 and 8 years out, designed for 10 volunteers and audience participation to represent all US freshmen.
• Podcastabout VIRGINIA CAREER WEEK by Dr. Thomas Brewster, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Virginia Career Education FoundationCOMING SOON:
  Online Contest with prizes for Students and Teachers

SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES FOR SCHOOLS:

* Publicize VIRGINIA CAREER WEEK on the school MARQUEE

* Use the  VCW logo 

* Plan a special recognition event for school business partners

* Sponsor “Dress for Success” Days – in CTE classes once a week or month

* Sponsor “Dress for Your Future Career” Day – Pre-K – Grade 5

* Publish ads (see TOOL KIT FOR BUSINESSES ) in school newsletter and school paper

* Promote VCW on your school Web site and cable television

HOSTING A CAREER EVENT?  In addition to basics about the event, the following are very helpful to your presentors:
   1. Exactly where to unload and and enter the building
   2. Specific directions for parking - a parking pass to display in the window and reserved parking are nice extras
   3. Student helpers to assist with unloading and loading
   4. Expedited sign-in for visitors if possible
   5. Notification in advance if table covers will be provided
   6. The number of students/visitors expected in attendance

ITEMS TO REQUEST: contact vcef [at] cox [dot] net

* Book covers / Posters – 7 designs based on 7 of 16 Career Clusters. Use for bulletin boards, covers for career papers, games, etc.

* Bookmarks – 250 per package (also available as download; customize with your message on one side)

* Postcards, printed on both sides; message to parents on one and to students on the other  (available as download ONLY; customize with your message on one side)

* Recycled (thinking GREEN!) 12 CTE Success Stories and 4-pp. Career Planning Guide. Great for bulletin boards, discussion starters, Web site research projects, lessons, and games.

SHARE “WHAT’S WORKING” IN YOUR COMMUNITY:

• Send us information on Proven Practices in your area with contact information. (SEE LIST BELOW FOR IDEAS)
• Give us feedback about your involvement in career education – frequency, numbers, age groups, numbers of presentations, links to your Web site.
• Report to VCEF

PROVEN PRACTICES & LINKS:
Here are some great ideas for career-related programs that work. Follow the links for more information.

* Career Café (Peninsula Council for Workforce Development)

* Future Focus Expo, Virginia’s Region 2000 Technology Council EXPO

* Hanover Career Student Resource, Inc.

* Seventh Grade Career Expo (multiple school districts in the Charlottesville Area) Business recruitment by PIEDMONT FUTURES — Connecting Commerce to Classroom, A Piedmont Virginia Business-Education Alliance.

* Virginia Beach Advance Technology Center Career Connections. Contact:  Anne Marie Garvey
 
* “Other Options” Night for parents of 9th graders (Bethel High School, Hampton, VA ).

* VHHA Health Career Camps, sponsored in conjunction with local hospitals

* Tech Prep Summer Camps and Job Fairs at Paul D. Camp Community College

* Tech Tour, Virginia Piedmont Technology Council

* Virtual field trips via Internet video

* Internships for students, teachers, counselors (Peninsula model for summer internship for teachers/counselors).

* Mentorships (model curriculum at Williamsburg-James City County Schools)  Contact: Dr. Sharmaine Groves

* Practice Interview Sessions with feedback from employers in the area. Contact: Gail Bess

* Roanoke Regional Chamber of Commerce “Business Dinners” brings teachers into area business and industry site for information about the company, hiring requirements, etc. Contact: Beth Doughty, President

* Host “Women in ________” or “Men in ________” to promote nontraditional employment (Northern VA, “Women in IT Day” ) Contact: Carroll McGillin

* Chesterfield Department of Career and Technical Education Web site.

* John Tyler Community College Quick Connect

LINKS
* Trailblazers - for step-by-step guides to planning your career event

* KnowHowVirginia

* ruReady?

* VA Career VIEW

* Career Planning Guide

* VDOE - Virginia Department of Education

* VCCS - Virginia Community College System

* SCHEV - State Council of Higher Education for Virginia

* VEC - Virginia Employment Commission

* DOLI - Virginia Department of Labor