Innovative Engagement: The Story of Lebanon High's Career Day Success
As the 2023-2024 school year comes to a close, so does the first-ever Communities In Schools® (CIS®) Scaling for Success cohort. Launched in the summer of 2023, the $165 million investment provided by the Ballmer Group aims to expand integrated student supports to 1,000 new majority low-income schools over the next five years.
Participating affiliate CIS of Pennsylvania has seen amazing progress in implementing the CIS model at four expansion sites and one deepening site. The affiliate currently has 164 program sites serving over 40,000 students throughout the state.
The addition of Lebanon High School at the beginning of the school year has enabled the affiliate to create a K-12 pipeline of service in the Lebanon School District.
Engaging with a new high school can be challenging, especially in the first year. CIS site coordinators must cultivate relationships with school leadership and build trust with students by understanding urgent needs and opportunities.
Jefferey Suarez is a first-year site coordinator with CIS of Pennsylvania. He is connected to the Lebanon community as an alumnus of Lebanon High School and current coach of a local recreation soccer league. The 2023-2024 school year was Jeff’s first year at Lebanon High School. Tasked with onboarding a new school to the CIS of Pennsylvania network, Jeff had a significant amount of work in front of him.
Early on, he noticed a need for programming that engaged students in making plans for after graduation.
Jeff launched a career day program at Lebanon High School for students of all grade levels. This program is unique in that local business owners have honest conversations about their careers and living in the community.
“As the site coordinator of Lebanon High School, I saw a need for representation in college and career initiatives to inspire the students of the community to dream further. I leveraged my connections in the community to reach out to local alumni and community mentors who represent the idea of success.” - Jeff Suarez, site coordinator CIS of Pennsylvania
So far, Jeff has hosted four career day events with presentations from local barbers, tattoo artists, and entrepreneurs. After each presentation, 10-15 students will stay behind to speak to the featured career day guest. The program is already successful, with four career days hosted so far and a peak attendance of 60 students.
Students can see business owners and entrepreneurs who came from the same neighborhoods and have endured the same barriers. Attendance has been solely voluntary, and we have been able to have a good turnout which I believe can be attributed to the targeted representation.
- Jeff Suarez, site coordinator CIS of Pennsylvania
The career day program has not only engaged students but has also motivated one student to lay the groundwork for their post-graduation career. High school senior Gabriel is currently enrolled in a barbershop apprenticeship program. He attends school while completing his barber certification, clipper work training, etc.
"Having Mr. Suarez at the high school helped me feel like someone understood me and saw my vision and where I want to be in life." -Gabriel
CIS of Pennsylvania has made amazing strides in its first year at Lebanon High School. Jeff’s initiative to connect with students as young as ninth grade with this career day program will cultivate engagement as they progress through high school and look ahead to post-graduation success. The opportunity to expand CIS supports into more schools is reaching more students and communities to ensure students achieve in life.
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