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PERSONAL AND CAREER EXPLORATIONS PROGRAM
Submitted by: Pinnacle Charter High School, Tempe, AZ
Pinnacle Charter High School provides real-world personal and social skill development through a Personal and Career Explorations program.
The personal and social skill development program is an integral component of the Pinnacle Charter High School program. Based on experiences over the last 20 years, it seems obvious to school leaders that many high school students who are not successful in traditional schools are often failing due to poorly developed social skills, or upheaval in the student's home life. For that reason, when students arrive at school, they are not prepared to learn and are often emotionally distraught. This situation is further complicated by the prominence of drug and alcohol abuse among teens. To combat this trend, Pinnacle Charter High School incorporates PCE into its formal instructional sequence and offers support groups in the areas of substance abuse recovery, grief and loss, teen parenting, and other topics.
The Personal and Career Explorations program has been in process since 1996.
PERSONAL AND CAREER Explorations (PCE) is a required course at Pinnacle Charter High School. The course was designed as a complement to the school's computer-assisted classroom, as interaction among students is often minimal due to the nature of self-paced, computer-based instruction. PCE is held two times per week for one hour, and students receive one-half an elective credit per semester in PCE. PCE allows students to interact and discuss topics that are facing
teenagers in today's society. The instructor introduces real-life topics
to students and assists them in processing issues through problem-solving
and decision-making skills. Students examine issues such as teen pregnancy,
death and grieving, goal setting, dating, career planning, gang issues,
and health-related issues. Lessons are created as units, and the instructor
bases the sequence of instruction on the needs of the school environment.
Competency is based on quizzes, classroom discussions, and journals.
Often times, the topics that are discussed in PCE will lead students
to explore deeper personal issues they may be facing. For this reason,
an extensive series of support groups are offered to explore these issues
further.
The Personal and Career Explorations course is a fluid, living course. It is imperative that the instructor be aware of the current needs of the students and be able to adapt the curriculum as needed. If a specific issue, such as substance abuse, is very prevalent during a certain time of the year, it is important to face it immediately rather than waiting until the unit may be scheduled.
Pinnacle Charter High School: http://www.pin-ed.com
Janell Bolen Telephone: 480-755-8222
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