PRESS RELEASE
The Vision of Simpson County Schools is to prepare our graduates for life! An important part of preparation for life is being ready for college and careers. To impact the college/career readiness of our students, we need your help in our Operation Preparation initiative. In 2011, Operation Preparation was started to bring community volunteers into our schools to encourage and advise 8th and 10th grade students on college and careers. Our ultimate goal is to graduate 100 percent of our students meeting the college/career ready benchmarks. According to the Center for Education and the Workforce, in the next 7-10 years, more than half the jobs in Kentucky and more than 60 percent of jobs nationwide will require postsecondary education (either a two-year or four-year degree). Most of the remaining jobs will require at least some training after high school. With a statewide student-to-counselor ratio of about 450:1, many school counselors are overloaded with the number of students to whom they must provide services.
Operation Preparation will support school counselors in the advising process and will help focus students on preparing for their future and becoming college/career ready. In 2012, FSHS held Operation Preparation for 10th graders in November. This year, we will hold our Operation Preparation for 8th grade students March 5th-7th, 2013. Operation Preparation is a joint initiative of Simpson County Schools, the Franklin-Simpson community, the Kentucky Department of Education and the Department of Workforce Development. It provides a powerful opportunity for schools, students, parents and communities to collaborate in the college- and career-planning and advising process. Using a student’s Individual Learning Plan (ILP), including career interest inventory and EXPLORE/PLAN results, trained volunteers will meet one-on-one with every 8th grade student in a public setting at school to talk about the student’s career aspirations and required education/training; whether the student is on track to meet their goals; and whether the student is taking the courses recommended to prepare for a successful future.
Volunteer advisors will be required to complete a 30 minute onsite training, sign a nondisclosure form and follow all school district policies and procedures. Each advising session will take approximately 20 minutes. The session is designed to provide both information and inspiration for the student to achieve college/career-readiness. An hour of your time can make a difference for a Simpson County student! REGISTER TODAY BY CLICKING THIS LINK: