Posts Tagged ‘national holidays’

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again (and again and again), there are hundreds of fabulous and fun ways to get kids excited about career exploration!

Today provides another one.

Did you know that National Donut Day began as a fundraiser for the Salvation Army in 1938? It’s held annually on the first Friday of June, in honor of the female volunteers of World War I who served donuts to soldiers.

Although we are all concerned about issues such as childhood obesity, nutrition, exercise and the like, we have to be realistic about the world we, and our kids, live in. A So whether it’s sharing a donut after an energetic game of soccer, a family bike ride or a walk around the block together, or taking a box of donuts to a local homeless shelter, you can use National Donut Day to talk about career options.

Here are some sample questions to get the conversations going:

• Who invented donuts? Why are they shaped like they are?
• Who comes up with all the different flavors? Who designs the fancy ones?
• Has anyone invented a healthy donut yet?
• What training does a professional baker need? Where would one get his or her training?
• Who manufactures and services all the big equipment needed to mass produce donuts?
• What does a donut franchise like Krispy Kreme cost and what do you have to know to run a business?
• What experts teach kids about nutrition and healthy eating? What education do you need for those jobs?
• Are there any interesting books at the library or bookstore about famous bakers, chefs or food franchise owners?
• What school subject provides information that is extremely important for a baker to know?
• What is the Salvation Army and what do they do?

You get the idea.

 Now, go get some exercise, reward yourself with a donut and then visit a neighborhood library or bookstore for more food for thought!

 CareerWise is the proud publisher of award winning kids-to-careers resources that creatively enable any adult to mentor kids about the importance of staying in school and becoming workforce ready. A poster with 1001 Job Titles from A to Z  fosters curiosity and valuable conversations. A 96-page workbook with free teaching guide helps kids connect-the-dots between their schoolwork, their interests and growing up to get a job someday. For more products & info, please visit our site.

 June is Abloom with Opportunities!

Opening kids’ eyes to the big wide world of career opportunities around them shouldn’t end with the school year.

Career exploration – which is all about helping kids connect-the-dots between their school work, their talents and interests, and getting a job someday – can be a creative and easy activity all year long.

For example, there are obviously many people in the world who love celebrations of every kind. I searched online and readily found many web sites listing ‘observances’ in June that range from the seemingly silly (June is Iced Tea Month) to the serious. (It is also Drivers’ Education Month.)

But, low and behold, investigating Iced Tea Month turned out to be pretty interesting.  It became a springboard for learning about the different kinds of teas and tea leaf growers around the world as well as the people who come up with new recipes for hot, bottled, iced and spiked teas. I read that there is a lot of research that goes into uncovering the health and nutritional benefits of different types of tea as well as how it can be used in cooking—as a rub, a marinade or for steaming. (I didn’t know that.) It can also be used as a beauty aid.

There are even schools that prepare professionals for relocation to Great Britain and Asian countries where tea services are a large part of the culture — so no one commits embarrassing faux pas on the job. Who knew? I found all this out by looking at observances in June and picking one to investigate.

You could keep connecting-the-dots:  What other types of jobs or businesses are connected to the tea and/or beverage industry?  Who hires these people? I have Lipton, Nestle and Wild Organics as brand names on the packages of teas in my cupboard.  What are these companies all about? Are they good employers? Who do they hire? What training or degrees are commonly required to work for them?

Dot. Dot. Dot. Wasn’t that easy?

I’m really excited now. June 20^th is Ice Cream Soda Day! I may just have to do some hands-on research for that one. I think I’ll go have an iced tea and start planning ahead.

For creative, fun and easy career exploration resources, including a fascinating poster with 1001 Job Titles from A to Z,  visit www.GetCareerWise.com.