Shelby Shopper Shelby NC
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/1010645
"The Area's Only WEEKLY SHOPPER" 704-484-1047 www.shelbyinfo.com Our 35th Year • Issue No. 31 • August 2, 2018 BGCCC teens learn about career options High school students at the Mable Hamrick Whisnant Teen Center (MHWTC) are thoroughly enjoying their summer break with lots of sports and games, field trips, swimming, ice cream and more. But they experience a lot more than just fun and games during their time at MHWTC. "We at the Boys and Girls Club expect all participants to develop a responsible plan for their future," says Joshua Propst, execu- tive director of the Boys and Girls Club of Cleveland County (BGCCC), which oper- ates the MHWTC. "That means that they thoughtfully consider what path they will take after graduation from high school. Will it be college? A skilled trade? Or maybe a career in the military?" To help students along in their deci- sion making, the BGCCC arranged tours of several area colleges and universities this summer, including Johnson C. Smith, Mars Hill, High Point, North Carolina A&T, Lenoir- Rhyne and Clemson. The teens also took a tour of the Owens & Minor Distribution Facility in Kings Mountain and heard from guest speakers on a variety of career topics. Prior to the summer, during the school year, teens attended a Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) conference in Raleigh, NC, where they toured Google Fiber, the North Carolina Museum of Science and NC State University. Middle school BGCCC students are also encouraged to start thinking about the future. Some students from those grades recently had the opportunity to visit Career & Technical Education (CTE) programs at local high schools to get a glimpse of poten- tial job preparation classes they can take in the future. "These activities are a part of the Boys and Girls Club's ongoing career develop- ment program designed to help students discover their interests, set realistic career goals and create a plan for achieving those goals," says Propst. "Combined with money management training and life skills training at the club, it creates a potent recipe for student success." Propst says that when thinking about their future, some teenagers can get ideas in their head that aren't realistic or based on facts. "This program allows them to see college life firsthand and explore cam- puses they have only heard or read about. It allows them to see what it might be like to learn a skilled trade and enter the workforce directly out of high school or to think about poten- tial careers in the military," says Propst. "Students can then make carefully informed decisions about their future rather than whimsical choices." Participants agree that this aspect of the BGCCC programming is very helpful. "Visiting colleges and learning about different careers have given me more confi- dence to know that my dreams can become reality and that the success I want is within my reach," says Antonio Harrison, a rising junior at Shelby High School. "These pro- grams at the Teen Center have really given us the opportunity to show the young people we serve that their current situation does not have to dictate their future outcomes," says Keeynan Pharr, teen outreach coordinator at the BGCCC. The Mabel Hamrick Whisnant Teen Center serves approximately 60 teenag- ers per day. Located at 351 W. Sumter St. in Shelby, it is one of three youth centers operated by the BGCCC. For more infor- mation about the BGCCC, visit the club website at www.bgcclevelandcounty.org or search for "Boys and Girls Club of Cleveland County" on Facebook. A group of BGCCC teens pause for a group photo while touring the campus of Lenoir Rhyne University in Hickory, NC. BGCCC Middle school students learn about possible career fields and future CTE classes they can take in high school. Da'Leion Hopper (left) and Noah Jenkins (right) strike a pose in front of a giant fossil during the Teen STEM Summit in Raleigh, NC. Teens look on as a worker explains a surgery kit during a tour of Owens & Minor in Kings Mountain. 2018 August 16-21 Veterans Field @ Keeter Stadium General Admission Tickets $35 ON SALE NOW! UPCOMING SHOWS UPCOMING SHOWS 704-487-8114 • DonGibsonTheatre.com 704-487-8114 • DonGibsonTheatre.com See Page 7