The middle school’s Student Futures Team has worked throughout the school year to host events that provide opportunities for students to explore future opportunities for college and careers.

The SFT – consisting of counselors Kelly Doheny, Barbara Gould and Sara Laudani; teachers Melissa Ford and Nicole McHale; and Assistant Principal Bryan Miltenberg – hosted a College and Career Day at the end of each of the first three marking periods, with students wearing college- or career-related attire and participating in activities such as a schoolwide scavenger hunt in which students had to find and speak to staff members about their college and career experiences in order to complete the activity and be entered for a prize.

The team also created an advisory theme, “Exploring Our Futures,” for one recent month. Throughout the month, students worked on activities to help them explore their own dreams and goals as well as to understand the wide variety of existing college or career options. On the culminating day, each advisory posted the pennant of the college they had researched, and students moved throughout the building to find the college that corresponded with different questions on a bingo board.

The faculty also collaborated on a bulletin board in which staff members posted their own pictures from middle school as well as the other jobs or careers they’ve held prior to or in addition to working at the middle school, under the banner, “If we can do it, so can you!”

“College and career exploration is a continual process for students,” said Laudani. “At the middle school level, it’s all about self-exploration. We want to provide students with the knowledge and resources to help them achieve success. These activities allowed students to learn about all types of future opportunities.”

“It’s never too early for students to dream big and explore the opportunities available to them,” said Miltenberg. “Our goal is to empower students with knowledge now, so they are better equipped to navigate the landscape they’ll encounter in just a few short years.”