Explorer Post Photo Gallery:
Exploring, a subsidiary organization of the Boy Scouts of America, is a career education program for youth. Color, race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, ethnic background, economic status, and citizenship are not criteria for participation. Exploring is the work-site based portion of the Boy Scout’s Learning for Life program. Learning for Life Executives facilitate school/business partnerships by organizing Career Specialty Explorer Posts to meet both the needs of students to experience the job-site first hand, and the needs of local businesses to recruit and attract future employees to a given career field. Our staff and volunteers work with teachers and school system administrators to match student career interests with local businesses who are willing to provide a regular schedule of work-based learning opportunities, including hands-on activities, career seminars, job skills training, departmental tours, campus tours and presentations and job shadowing.
How does Exploring work?
Exploring is based on a unique and dynamic relationship between youth and the organizations in their communities. Local community organizations are asked to offer an Explorer Post program by matching their employee and program resources to the career interests of young people in the community. Explorers will attend monthly meetings throughout the school year at the sponsoring work-site, to gain first-hand information about their career path, make valuable career contacts, and learn skills and information related to their chosen career field. Explorers apply to participate in a program related to their career path, and are selected based on criteria agreed upon by the sponsoring business as well as the school system, such as:
· Be a junior or senior on track for graduation and meet designated G.P.A. guidelines
· Provide own transportation to and from the worksite
· No history of disciplinary problems or excessive absences
How does an Explorer Post benefit employers?
Through Exploring, local employers are able to:
· Recruit and groom potential future employees for the needs of a given industry
· Have a direct impact on the employability skills of our future workforce
· Increase the probability that students will not only graduate from high school, but also pursue post-secondary education and/or training
· Develop school/business partnerships and have an impact on curriculum standards
· Have a positive impact on the educational process, as well as the future standard of living of our local students
How does an Explorer Post benefit students?
Through Exploring, students are able to:
· Explore career options within their career path of choice
· Strengthen employability skills
· Make valuable career contacts within their field of choice
· Increase their work-based learning opportunities
· Learn knowledge and skills related to their career path
· Receive additional information about post-secondary programs
· Receive special recognition for satisfactorily completing an Exploring program
For more information about Learning for Life and Exploring, contact Barbara Foley, Learning for Life Program Director at 912-308-7892.
