La Plata, MD- As part of National Groundhog Job Shadow Day (February 2nd), Akili Williams, a first-year student in the Interactive Media Production program at the Robert D. Stethem Educational Center visited the library. Because Akili is interested in graphic design, he spent the day with the marketing staff to become acquainted with the world of work through on-the-job experiences outside the school. It allowed Akili to participate in authentic, job-related tasks such as brainstorming concepts of the rebrand of the library.
Students in the Interactive Media Production program are learning the technical skills, including proficiency in the Adobe Creative Suite of applications such as Adobe Photoshop and Adobe InDesign that are used to create and lay out print media and Adobe Premiere to edit video segments.
Besides software experience, communication is critical to success, but it is also one of the biggest challenges. “I was nervous about speaking up in the brainstorming session,” Akili said. “I learned so much from the Charles County Library staff and I am very grateful to them for allowing me to shadow. The staff was generous with providing me with a clear connection between education and work.”
Job shadowing assists with the development and practice of positive work related habits and attitudes including the ability to think critically, solve problems, work in teams, and resolve issues that relate to possible careers. “Feedback from Ms. Tyler, Marketing and Development Manager at the Library, allowed me to reflect on my own teaching practice and provide my students with more opportunities for oral presentation, earlier in the curriculum,” explained Mrs. Clements, the Interactive Media Production teacher.
School-to-work programs link students with the workplace through school partnerships with employers, to help students develop the skills needed for the competitive job market.
For more information about the Interactive Media students with work-based opportunities, such as job shadowing and internships, please contact Mrs. Clements at kclements@ccboe.com.
About Charles County Public Library
Charles County Library System has four physical buildings. The Waldorf West and P.B. Brown Memorial branches are both located in Waldorf. The La Plata branch serves as the headquarters and in located in the town of La Plata. The western side of the county is served by the Potomac Branch located in Ruth B. Swann Park. A mobile library unit will be launching in the spring of 2017.