Archive: Around Town

Throughout Wednesday and Thursday this week students at Lansing Middle School held the 5th annual Career Fair.  Family & Consumer Science Teacher Audrey Hummel's students set up booths to display what they learned about a career they chose.  Parents and teachers were invited to view the booths, and other students were required to ask questions of the exhibitors.

"There was more interest in farming this year, and careers that have to do with farming," Hummel says.  "We have crop dusters and people interested in having both crop and dairy farms.  There was also a large interest in physical therapy. There are not as many physicians this year as in past years.  It seemed like this year there was more interest in hands-on careers that kids chose to research."


Hummel has conducted career fairs as part of her middle school career unit for eight years, five in Lansing, and before that in Ithaca and Groton.  The unit starts with a self-evaluation test that places each student in one or more of four career clusters.  They research two careers from those clusters in the library and on the Internet.  The results of that research is presented in a paper for one career, and a brochure for the second.  Finally students pick one of the two to create a display for the career fair.

"They learn what a career cluster is, and how they might combine them," Hummel explains.  "If you were in Law and Safety and Health Sciences you could be a forensic scientist.  The kids did a really good job of being serious about the research and getting it done.  They came up with some nice brochures. They did some quality work this year.  It's nice to see the bar raised to that level."

After the Career Fair Hummel brings in professionals to speak about their own careers. This year she has lined up a nutritionist, and a Physical Therapist.  In past years she has had policemen had people from the Police Department, and has taken her students to see the career program at BOCES.   Dawn Kleeschulte, who runs the 'High School Helpers' program for Lansing Youth Services also speaks.


Hummel says that she likes the unit because it gives students a variety of experiences that not only prepare them for the workplace, but for high school and life skills.  They submit their papers electronically as they will in high school, presentation skills, computer skills, and gain confidence in public speaking with the reduced pressure of talking to small groups as they visit the students' booths.  She credits Librarian Kathy McHugh, Library Clerk Dee Ann Calhoun  and Library Media Specialist Patty Heaton at the High school pulling together the books for the research and helping the kids do the research.

"It's a chance for kids to shine in front of adults, their teachers, and their peers," she says.  "They take a lot of pride in what they do.  You can't buy that."

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