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On May 2, SEMCA hosted the Education Module for the Southern Wayne County Chamber of Commerce Student Leadership group. The Youth Leadership program, initiated by the Chamber in October 1998, was designed to give Southern Wayne County high school students an understanding of the issues facing their communities and an awareness of the resources available to those who wish to affect a positive change in the Southern Wayne County region of Michigan. The program provides an excellent opportunity for students to gain leadership skills and knowledge. Downriver schools were asked to select one 11th grade student who exhibited leadership qualities. These students meet once a month to participate in a series of modules covering issues in the areas of education, government, health care and quality of life. |
 Renée Haveman from SEMCA (left) helps Mary McCausland (right) with the internet scavenger hunt. |
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The students who participated in the SEMCA Education Module were: Mary McCausland from Allen Park; Mike Kaczmarek from Grosse Ile; Dan Riordan from St. Francis Cabrini in Allen Park; Samantha Buck from Kennedy High; Susan M. Balogh from Our Lady of Mt. Carmel and Brian D. Smith II from Ecorse. The morning began with an internet scavenger hunt. The exercise was designed to inform the students about the current job market in Southeast Michigan, introduce them to web sites that can help them develop their own career pathway and show the students the types of educational and job training programs that are currently available in Michigan. Each student had their own computer to conduct their scavenger hunt and a printer to print out the results so that they could continue their career planning efforts at a later date. SEMCA Education Advisory Group Chairman, Charlie Mahoney, gave a presentation to the students about what SEMCA is and the results of the Southeast Michigan Graduate Follow Up Study. |
 The high school students of the SWCCC Student Leadership program participated in several hands-on activities designed to help them learn about Career Pathways and choosing a vocation that is right for them. (left to right) Dr. Halyna Bialczyk; Mike Kaczmarek; Susan Balogh; Brian Smith; Renée Haveman (seated front); Mary McCausland; Dan Riordan and Samantha Buck. |
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Dr. Halyna Bialczyk, Educational Consultant for Wayne County RESA, introduced the students to several web sites that are available for students of the Wayne and Monroe region that are designed to help them prepare an Educational Development Plan (EDP). Next, Dr. Bialczyk conducted a series of exercises with the students to get them thinking about True Colors and how their knowledge of that personality analysis program can help them to determine career paths that may suit their personality and interests. She spoke about the importance of computers to our society and the role that they will play in the future of our workforce. When she asked the students how many of their school courses had computers available for their use, the reply was only two: Accounting and Government courses. A lively lunch time discussion was led by SEMCA’s Executive Director, Jack O’Reilly. The topics included the up coming MEAP test, careers that some of the students were considering for themselves and the school policy of judging a school’s success by how many of their graduating students had been accepted to a college or university. The last speaker was SEMCA Board Member Marilyn Opdyke who lead a discussion of what people can expect from jobs of the future and how the work environment will change in the next decade. |
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