Volume 3, Issue 2: January 2010

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, "Whatever your life's work is, do it well." Visit this site to find a short essay that takes what "Dr. King has presented [as] an astounding and reflective challenge."

Imagine what life would be like if we approached each important task with discipline and focus. If we always did our best. If we persevered even when things became difficult or discouraging. In this program we look at what it means to be diligent and what a potent force diligence brings into our lives. As a case in point we see the poignant story of a teenage girl with cerebral palsy, whose diligent approach to living has enabled her to pursue and attain ambitious goals despite her disability. This is what the Diligence program in the video series In Search of Character teaches students. Here is the discussion guide for that program.

The Mint is a site that "is designed to help you teach 6-12 graders how to manage money wisely. The need for such practical instruction is a serious one. Both test scores and the current money management behavior of young people indicate that they lack basic money management skills they need to learn as they grow up." This website features a variety of fun activities for students in the areas of earning, saving, spending, investing, and giving.

One of the things that a teenager most needs in life is to know how to deal with money in these hard economic times. Live Wire Media distributes a very useful video entitled "Stash That Cash" that teaches teens these important skills.

"When asked about the biggest mistakes job seekers are making, the three most-cited problems were 'too desperate/willing to take anything,' 'poor interview preparation' and 'weak resumes,' according to a survey of 500 executive recruiters..." This site provides some excellent guidelines for job seekers to help them avoid these mistakes and more.

Nextsteps.org bills themselves as "a full-featured employment, career development & job finding resource for youth." Fortunately, they provide a way to search their vast website by topic. They are based in Canada but their posted resources are very useful to any student in the US as well.
An example of just one of the valuable sections on this site are the guidelines for writing resumes and cover letters. There is even a link to cover-letters.com that includes a 200 page book of sample resumes and cover letters that will be especially helpful for your students.

Here is an article with some very helpful advice about job hunting in this difficult job market. It includes an informative short video laying out some information about resume writing.

This very valuable government website has free videos online for career training and staff development.

This school-to-work website has lesson plans for K-6 that are useful for young 'Bob the Builder' types, along with useful links which are much more general and comprehensive.

At Live Wire Media we offer two useful videos for teens to help them move into the world of work:
"Who Would You Hire?" is a two-DVD series that prepares your students to enter the job market. Students will learn the dos and dont's of interviewing and how to make a strong first impression. The DVDs have a fun game component that gives teens the opportunity to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the dramatized job applicants and decide who they think should get the job.
"Not For Sale" is a compelling school-to-work program about the experiences of four recent high school graduates who go to work in the same department store. This program helps prepare young people for the sorts of ethical situations and decisions they will face as they enter the work force. In discussing the issues portrayed, students learn to relate personal morality to professional ethics.

There is a lot of very bleak news about teen employment and unemployment. Here is a recent Time Magazine article that describes the teen job scene and discusses some policy options. Unfortunately, it doesn't suggest what individual teens can do except continue with their studies — always a good suggestion, but it doesn't help cover expenses in this difficult economy.

Here is news about a couple of things that students can do (if they can afford it): 1) be entrepreneurial, and start your own business. 2) spend time volunteering