Career Exploration Credit?

[Blue Hen]

Has anyone given high school credit, we're talking 1/2 credit, for a career exploration class? What's your opinion about this?

Later today we'll be going on a tour of the Microbiology Labs at UD, later in the month we'll head over to UPenn for a tour of their genetics labs and have discussions with two medical scientists about their genetics research work. I'm also working on lining up some other tours related to biology / genetics / microbiology... These aren't college campus tours but tours and discussions with folks practicing in the area DS is considering entering.

Which got me wondering if I should call this an actual course on his high school transcript? Include additional reading and research into biology and chemistry fields and call it a course? Is there some other way to document this on his high school transcript or would you include it as part of his portfolio?

Thanks for your insight!

Carole

[Kareni]

Hello Carole,

I think you might want to decide based on whether or not your son needs or wants more science credit on his transcript. If so, you might label the course "Explorations in Genetics and Microbiology" and add in more readings in the area.

Alternatively, it would make a nice extracurricular interest to play up on his applications. The common application and others ask for amount of time spent on various interests. You could then include these visits with readings in the area as corroboration.

Regards,
Kareni

[Ruth in Canada]

DD will have this too--although it will be earned over several years. Anytime she does something that is related to figuring out where she's going after high school, we record it in a notebook.

[mooooom]

My dd is going to do a semester of "animal careers" as this is her interest. She is going to read a bunch of books written by people in various careers (a naturalist, farm vet, hollywood animal trainer, zoo vet, aquarium owner, etc) She also goes to our vet to "assist" w/ surgery, and is going to look for a volunteer position at a horse farm for the summer. As soon as she is old enough, she will volunteer at our Animal Rescue League. I think most of the volunteer hours will go seperate as such, but I'd love to come up w/ a good title for the rest of it.

[Veronica in VA]

I had planned to do this, and bought the Sonlight course on life planning, or something like that, but then dd decided what to do before we started the course.;). Instead we are doing a course I'm calling Life Skills which includes driver's ed, a finance workbook, some home ec, and a little bit of career exploration just in case she changes her mind. I'm only giving .5 of a credit, but we probably have more hours than that in it.

Veronica

[Julie in MN]

we are doing a course I'm calling Life Skills which includes driver's ed, a finance workbook, some home ec, and a little bit of career exploration just in case she changes her mind.

:iagree:

A good way to combine all those smaller learning experiences.

[HollyinNNV]

Hmmm. Life skills and career explorations were both "slacker" classes at my high school. And what you guys are talking about aren't "slacker" experiences. So, I'd be really careful in how I named these classes.

Carole,
If it were me, I'd either
1. Add more work and call it something like Intro to Genetics or Biology Applications etc.
2. Add it to my extracurriculars and call it Biology Explorations Club or something like that.

Actually, I'm sure that I'd do the first option.:001_smile:
Holly