Charles County Public Schools is looking for volunteers to participate in its job shadow program that pairs students and business leaders. The job shadowing experience is a chance for students to explore careers and employment prospects.

Kick-off for the job shadowing program is on Groundhog Day, Feb. 2, and continues through March 13. Students job shadow between 8:30 a.m. and noon; however, other arrangements can be made for unique experiences.

Last year, 9,702 students participated in job shadowing activities and the school systemโ€™s goal is to maintain this high level of student participation in 2009. Career readiness is one of the three focus areas of the Charles County Public Schools five-year-plan for students. Job shadowing experiences help heighten student awareness of the link between school work and the world of work, said Connie Jones-Mouton, coordinator of minority achievement for CCPS.

Call (301) 934-7245 or e-mail cmouton@ccboe.com for more information or to volunteer. The job shadowing experience can be tailored to meet the needs of the student and business. The deadline to volunteer is Jan. 16.

A CCPS job shadow volunteer form is available for download on the school system Web site at http://www2.ccboe.com/pr/enclosures/2008-12-29-JobShadowForm.pdf.

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