Job Shadow Day at TCS:
A Glimpse of the Future
By Martha Slater

On Wednesday, March 28, the nine eighth graders at the Tunbridge Central School joined nearly 700 eighth grade students from eight schools in shadowing workers in the community.

The TCS students who participated were Rachel Braley, Marshall Distel, Kody Fitzgerald, Lyndsay Galluzzo, Ella Hayslett, Tyler Hoyt, Dalton Kadar, Michael Landry and Morgan Tullar.

The Upper Valley Business and Education Partnership (UVBEP) coordinates Job Shadow Day for the Tunbridge Central School, as well as the Claremont Middle School, Frances C. Richmond School, Indian River School, Lebanon Junior High School, Lyme School, Rivendell Academy, and Thetford Academy.

"This is the third year we’ve done this and our past experiences have been fantastic," said TCS Principal Amos Kornfeld. "The kids find it very helpful and learn a lot. The organization really tries hard to match their interests and the kids this year were very excited."

Among the professionals that TCS students "shadowed" this year were a physical therapist, state police officer, staffers at the Valley News, Vermont Law School’s computer department, a pet store, an electronics store, and an architect. In the past, TCS students have had a chance to try many other types of things too, including working at horse farms, cooking, and working at the forestry department at Dartmouth.

Job Shadowing enables youth to observe workplace hosts as they go through a normal day on the job, providing an opportunity to see how skills taught in the classroom are applied beyond school walls. Students can also gain insight on careers they might pursue in the future.

Over 150 Upper Valley employers support this program by welcoming students into their workplaces. Hosts planned hands-on activities, facility tours and demonstrations to show students what it takes to be successful in their career field. UVBEP provided supporting information, such as job shadowing guidelines, suggested activities and evaluation forms.

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