| Information on special classes: | First Semester
CHOICE Program Courses
21st Century Skills I: CHOI 1001
Communication Skills: Social, Leisure, and Self-Advocacy
Humanities (3 Credits)
Room request J528
This is the first of two courses designed to provide students with the opportunity to gain effective interpersonal and intrapersonal communication techniques for success in college, career, and life. Well-developed social interaction skills are critical for developing positive self-esteem, building relationships, and for acceptance into society. Students will learn to communicate effectively with others, establish friendships, and develop positive social relationships. Students will also begin the process of developing their Person-Centered Plan. Students will receive guidance from CHOICE Staff and family members to develop a "toolbox" of methods and resources that enable the student to choose their own pathways to success.
Tool-Box skills
First Semester
Learning and Technology: CHOI 1002
Strategies for success in college
Social Science (3 Credits)
Room Request J531
This course emphasizes learning and innovation skills, information, media and technology skills and life and career skills. This interactive learning course provides opportunities for learners to explore and build skills for college work and develop a foundation of behaviors, habits and skills that will enable students to succeed and thrive in the working world.
Topics for discussion include:
• Succeeding Inside and Outside the Classroom
• Differences between High School and College
• General Study Strategies
• Effectively Using College Resources
Second Semester
Workplace Readiness CHOI 1003
Humanities (3 Credits)
Through the instruction of soft skills associated with employment, students will gain an understanding of job management skills and building employee/employer relationships. Students will increase their understanding of workplace protocols and expectations, as well as ethical conduct, including social media. Students will also become aware of the evaluation process of job performance and the effective strategies for conflict resolution, problem solving, and resigning from a job.
Students will also have the opportunity for work-based learning experiences. Students will be placed on campus or in the community at various sites from two to three hours per week for six to eight weeks. They will be supervised by program staff. This course gives students initial exposure to work in the community and allows for exploration in several career areas.
With CHOICE Work-Based Training Experiences
This experience provides students with opportunities to gather information on a wide variety of career possibilities before deciding where they want to focus their attention. Students visit a variety of workplaces during which time students observe and ask questions of individual workers. Work-based training experiences are designed so students take an active role in learning. Course activities conducted prior to and following the work-based training experience are designed to help students connect their experience to their course work and relate the visits directly to career pathways, and related skill requirements.
Goals of the Shadowing Program:
• Demonstrate the connections between academics and careers and help students learn by making their course work more relevant.
• Builds community partnerships between East Georgia State College and businesses that enhance the educational experience of all students.
• Introduces students to the requirements of professions and industries to help them prepare to join the workforce of the 21st century.
• Encourages an ongoing relationship between students and caring adults.
Second Semester
21st Century Skills II: CHOI 1004
Career Exploration and Planning
Humanities (3 Credits)
The course is designed to introduce students to the process of career decision-making, educational planning, and job searching. Students will evaluate their personal career interests, values, skills, and aptitudes. Students will understand the importance of matching career options to their personal preferences and how those preferences may change over time due to maturity and experiences. This is a very interactive course, and students will frequently use online search tools and applications including multi-media programs, career assessments and research. Students will develop a job search portfolio and participate in a mock job interview.
Third Semester
Independent Living Skills I: CHOI 2005
Learning and Earning
Social Science (3 Credits)
This course blends academic, daily living, personal/social, and occupational skills into integrated lessons designed to help students learn to function independently in society. The course highlights techniques beneficial to helping students analyze their current level of balance between work and life responsibilities and overcome internal and external obstacles to achieving balance. Strategies covered in this course include:
• Recognizing the behaviors of passiveness, aggressiveness, and assertiveness and how those affect a person's ability to find balance in life,
• Signs and symptoms of stress, where stresses can come from, and strategies for coping with stress and avoiding burnout.
• How to positively change your responses to stress.
• Relaxation techniques
Third Semester
Career Planning CHOI 2006
Social Science (3 Credits)
This course focuses on instructional methods, materials, and curricula to introduce students to the fundamentals of planning, organizing, and implementing a comprehensive job search campaign. Emphasis is placed on identification of individual career goals, assessments of skills and abilities, exploration of career options, analysis of the job market, and effective use of employment search tools (e.g., resumes, cover letters, interviewing, networking, and management of career pathways and resources. Discussion and debate are encouraged and includes presentations by Recruiters and Employer Representatives. This course is focused on helping CHOICE students to successfully implement their career plans.
This course also embeds Pre-Employment Training service methods, materials, and curricula to introduce students to the fundamentals of planning, organizing, and implementing a comprehensive job search campaign. Emphasis is placed on identification of individual career goals, assessments of skills and abilities, exploration of career options, analysis of the job market, and effective use of employment search tools (e.g., resumes, cover letters, interviewing, networking, and management of career pathways and resources.
Final Semester
Independent Living Skills II: Empowered Transition CHOI 2007
Social Science
With a Work Component (4 Credits)
This course is designed to provide students with the opportunity to show case skills learned during the entire program. Students are asked to demonstrate their ability to apply key knowledge and skills by planning, completing, and presenting a culminating project linked to one or more areas of personal interest and the individual's Person-Centered Plan. Students will be engaged in a project/experience that focuses on an interest, career path or academic pursuit that synthesizes course of study and real world. The capstone experience may include an in-depth project, reflective portfolio, community service and/or work-based internship experience. As part of the experience, the student will demonstrate research, communication and technology skills including additional relevant 21st century skills.
CHOICE Work-based Internship
The work component of the course provides students with on-the-job training opportunities that are directly related to their career goal and course of study identified through their Person-Centered Plan and Career Portfolio. This learning experience is designed to bridge the gap between program and work. Appropriate supervision by CHOICE Staff will be maintained.
The goals of the work-based internship program are to help the student:
• Develop excellent work habits.
• Experience personal growth.
• Strengthen communication skills.
• Gain an awareness of the community's vast resources and the world of work.
Expected outcomes of this experience for the students include:
• Increased self-esteem and personal growth derived from successfully meeting new interpersonal and intellectual challenges.
• Acquired new skills and knowledge.
• Increased exposure to various work roles and career choices.
• Increased understanding of the relationship between school-based learning and work experience.
• Increased opportunities for high school students to explore areas of academic career, or service interests.
• Development of positive relationships between the CHOICE work-based internship program, the school, and the community.
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