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Chester County Junior Palmetto Leadership
| Name | Robin Currence | | Situation | Chester County Adult Education approached me about curricula that might be useful for the students in two Adult Education programs. These programs are the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) and the Young Adult High School. Students in the WIA are between the ages of 17 and 21, and have enrolled in Adult Education in order to obtain a GED. While enrolled, they also participate in the WIA program, which gives them opportunities to explore career interests and learn work skills. Students in the Young Adult High School are between the ages of 13 and 16, and have experienced problems that have caused them to be removed from the regular classroom (repeated grades, disciplinary problems, unexcused absences).
| | Response | The WIA teacher and the Young Adult High School teachers reviewed several curriculum options and chose to sponsor the Extension Junior Palmetto Leadership program. Because of the flexibility of the program, we were able to integrate it into the in-school schedule. In Chester County, we normally implement this program in an after-school situation. We agreed to have weekly sessions with both WIA and Young Adult High School students meeting together.
The students participated in the following sessions:
- Understanding Self and Others (personality and effect on leadership)
- Ropes and Teams Course, Winthrop University
- Business Etiquette
- Chester County Council Meeting
- Tour of County Courthouse
- Community Service Project – labeling storm drains for Rocky Creek Watershed project
- Personal Finance
- Student Government Day (job shadowing of local government officials)
Six WIA students began the program in September 2003; all six completed it. Three of those had perfect attendance. (Students moving to other programs and disciplinary problems contributed to the lower number of completions with the Young Adult High School). Three of these had perfect attendance.
| | Impact | Students were exposed to new and different challenges (ropes and teams course), new information (leadership, personal finance, business etiquette), new career information (watershed project coordinator, local government officials), and a new appreciation for Chester County government. Two students were given a personal interview by the Chester County Human Resource manager on Student Government Day, and were taught how to correctly complete job application forms. Two students, one from WIA and one from the Young Adult High School, chose to attend other 4-H programs such as the 4-H retreat on the “Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens”. Both have given three volunteer hours to 4-H in order to organize the 4-H history files. Eighty percent rated the program from “good” to “excellent.”
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Last update7/21/2008
This website is maintained by Dawn Lee.
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