Helping Students Find Their Future

It's not too early for high school students to start exploring their interests. The difficulty is, students often don't know what educational opportunities and career paths are available to them. Nexus Academy of Cleveland and its Principal, Brittiany Sanford, are making it a priority to help students visualize their futures, both in successful careers and as contributing members of the community.

Career

For the last three years, Nexus Academy of Cleveland has worked with the Youth Opportunities Unlimited Pathways Internship Program (Y.O.U.), placing students in 4-8 week internships that allow them to apply what they've learned in the classroom to a professional work environment. Internships can also help students explore community involvement interests and further their personal growth. Six Nexus Academy students are currently participating in the program at organizations that include WVIZ Ideastream, Hands On Northeast Ohio and Case Western University Social Justice Institute.

The blended school recently took part in a Manufacturing Day event, where local companies showcased several jobs available in manufacturing. One Nexus Academy student had the opportunity to try welding during the event, and did very well. Participating companies also helped students understand what certifications are needed for various positions. Knowing what type of additional education will be needed for a particular career is very helpful to students considering their options after high school.

Nexus Academy knows that success in an internship or a job can require certain skills that students may need help learning. This month, a representative from the Cleveland Treatment Center will visit the school to speak about the Let It Ride · Game Ready 4 Life initiative, which attempts to bridge employment readiness gaps between economically-challenged families and their counterparts. The program focuses on work readiness skills and occupational skills students need to succeed in the workplace. It also includes life skills needed to be productive as an individual, within one’s family and in the community at large.

Community

Nexus Academy of Cleveland doesn’t just want to prepare students for a career though; it wants to ensure students are active, contributing members of their communities. While Nexus Academy has a diverse student population, the school’s faculty believed there could be more done to foster acceptance of others. For the last three years, the school has worked with the Diversity Center of Northeast Ohio to engage students in activities that promote understanding and acceptance among people who are different from one another. Recently, students took part in an overnight retreat to engage with other students from other schools. They discussed issues such as cyberbullying and conflict resolution and how to be leaders on those issues in their own schools.

To support local non-profits in the community, students also choose to support local organizations and help raise money or awareness for that cause. Each May, students walk nearly 3.5 miles from the blended high school down Superior Avenue to Public Square in conjunction with the "Walk to Cure Diabetes, " to honor math teacher Rebecca Corbin who died from complications of diabetes. Nexus Academy of Cleveland also recently participated in the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's service learning project where students collected coins to support the cause.

Specific opportunities to engage with one another and the community also present themselves to the school. When Principal Sanford learned some students were uncomfortable with recent issues regarding law enforcement, the staff invited Officer Anthony Harper of the Cleveland Police Department to speak about recent events in Cleveland and the rights and responsibilities of young adults. Students had a meaningful dialog with Officer Harper and gained an additional perspective on how law enforcement operates within the community.

“Taking the initiative to help others and make the community a better place is an important priority for our school and our students,” said Sanford. “Our faculty and staff are amazed by how the students share in this commitment and sincerely believe that they can make a difference.”

Nexus Academy schools are public, tuition-free blended schools and offer students a comprehensive college-preparatory high school experience including AP courses, foreign languages, core academics and more. At Nexus Academy, students are provided with a mobile computer and other technology tools; allowing them to work anywhere within the school building and beyond, 24/7.

For more information about Nexus Academy of Cleveland visit http://www.nexusacademyschool....