DiscoverU isn’t just for schools and colleges – community organizations like the Renton/Skyway Boys & Girls Club get into the DiscoverU spirit as well!
Dorina Calderon-McHenry, Club Executive Director for the Renton/Skyway Boys & Girls Club, says her and her staff work hard year-round to help their kids discover all the pathways available to them, but DiscoverU offers the opportunity for a week full of college and career focused activities. They mostly focus on their 6th, 7th and 8th graders, and also engage the high school students that come in as junior staff. Using activities available on the DiscoverU website, along with some of their own creative thinking, there was certainly no shortage of exploratory activities last year and there won’t be this year, either.
Last year, the club organized guest speakers ranging from former club kids, to a technical sergeant in the Air Force and even a couple Seattle Seahawks to talk about their education and career journeys. Kids got to hear about how they ended up in their current positions and how education impacts their long-term plans for life, like what Seahawk players plan to do with their degrees after they are done playing football.
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Kids at the Boys & Girls Club also created dream boards. These featured a photo of the student, surrounded by information each student wrote about their talents/skills, favorite subject, a future college they are considering and what careers they are interested in. They kept last year’s dream boards and plan to show them to returning club kids so they can see how their plans have changed and discuss how they are making progress toward their aspirations.
Dream boards, guest speakers, deconstructing and demystifying college and career pathways – the team at the Renton/Skyway Boys & Girls Club is doing everything they can to engage kids in exploring college and career pathways at an early age! Thanks Dorina and staff for all the hard work you put into DiscoverU!