Middle School CTE Program Builds Life Skills and Provides Career Exploration Opportunities

February 24th, 2022

Do you remember where you first learned to cook? Or who taught you about saving money? Or how you came to know about different career options?

Thanks to HCPSS’ Career and Technical Education (CTE) program, students have the opportunity to do all of these things—and acquire other critical life skills—while they are in middle school.

In sixth grade, students can elect to take what Folly Quarter Middle School CTE teacher Tara Terry calls “a traditional FACS (Family and Consumer Science) class” where students learn about food and kitchen safety, nutrition, food preparation techniques, and knife skills. They also discuss different traditions and cultures and explore what it means to be a contributing member of a family and a community.

In seventh grade, students are required to take CTE Financial Literacy. That class is divided into several units, including income, saving/investing, debit and credit, risk management, and budgeting. Students learn about core financial concepts like net, gross and discretionary income, and engage in a variety of activities aimed at helping them think more critically about their finances.

In one such activity, students are assigned a set of life circumstances (e.g., marital status, income, children, etc.) and are tasked with creating a household budget that includes housing, transportation, a vacation, and other expenses.

The experience is eye-opening for students, says Terry.

“For many students, this is the first time they have ever done a budget. They are often surprised to learn how much things like food, insurance, and housing cost–and what a big percentage of one’s income those expenses can represent. They learn that sometimes compromises have to be made to stay within budget,” she explains.

Students also discuss the difference between needs and wants, says Mayfield Woods Middle School CTE teacher Cathleen LeBrun.

“We help students to better understand that difference and apply that understanding to their budgeting decisions,” she explains.

In eighth grade, the focus shifts to career exploration with the CTE Careers class. Students learn about different career clusters as well as HCPSS’ career academies through independent research, videos, guest speakers, and assorted hand-on activities. In the process, students begin to investigate how their strengths and interests can translate into careers.

“Our goal with the eighth grade curriculum is to raise students’ awareness about the possibilities that are out there and get them to start thinking about which one(s) would be a good fit,” explains LeBrun.

At the same time, Terry says, the eighth grade class aims to help students begin thinking about the classes they will take in high school.

“We make sure that they are familiar with the high school course catalog and understand what classes are available,” she says. “From there, we work with the students to map out a course plan, so that when they leave us, they’ve got a good idea of where they are heading next.”

Ultimately, Terry says, the middle school CTE program seeks to get students thinking about their future and equip them with basic skills and knowledge that they can use no matter what path they choose to pursue after high school.

LeBrun agrees. “The skills and concepts students learn in FACS/CTE are truly things they can carry with them for a lifetime.”