Video Gallery

BPHS Info Session 3

Go to Video Gallery Added Feb 25, 2021 •

Copy this URL:
Embed code:	<iframe class="edlio-embed-player" type="text/html" width="640" height="360" src="//bigpicture.durangoschools.org/apps/embed/?v=310611" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> Change dimensions

Go HD

Dave and Janae describe our highly successful internship program.

Show Transcript

Alright welcome my name is Bradley Hardin I'm the principal of Durango Big Picture High School and we are going to record this tonight so if you don't want to have your camera on that certainly finally understand except for the presenters so tonight we are here with two very important people and and before we get started I would say if you have any questions as they through just feel free to type them in the chat and then we will be able to read those questions out loud to them and have them answer then and then at the end also when they're done with their presentations you can also ask them questions if you if you want to do that as well so we're here tonight with Janae Hunderman and Dave Blau. Janae came to us this year trying to seek some clarity around internships for the Tire City of Durango including all three high school so it's really great that she's with us and Dave is a man of many talents he is our school counselor internship coordinator and just jack of all trades and a Swiss army knife kind of guy so we've got both people here tonight and I'm going to turn it over to them for their presentation thank you thank you Bradley well I'm not sure who's going first you are clearly thank you well welcome and thanks for being here as the I still a fairly do you know things my fourth year big picture I knew internships were really important in this concept of leaving to learn was also an important my first conference in that was repeated often but it didn't really sink in it seems I don't know and I have to say sitting down with a couple students today who Shadow they asked me what's the point what's the meaning we get that you want to have life experience that kind of do that we got that you want us out there you know China become adults and responsible us must don't have job so must you have jobs and so why do we need it and what I realize is I start to give a few answers and then what I said so maybe I should ask you if you were and I'm not going to tell you this but suffice to say it I just pick one example of one of our students in the way in which her education started the way it changed to our educational model how's that coupled with the internship experience really started to cut a coalesced into what became something meaningful for her for her life not just not just a class I feel right at 4 or hours I have to get or just check box instead it started to resonate with her and her internship started to mirror what she was passionate life which actually was somewhat related to a child Spirit which many of us there is that connection I didn't even know that until she had gone through these internship experiences and when they came together and there was a consistent sea between the word that you didn't classroom who works at she did in the internship in the last week when she chose take a college class that work they all were consistent and us had a depth of understanding and exposure that I didn't get us as a student in high school when I was going through high school you know how we do things different in our country than other countries and I think sometimes we do serve our students a bit of a disadvantage that we we Shield a little bit about real-world experience wasn't the educational model that was begun 200 years ago and so big picture is so different in that way that as I use this example today this students like it was changed because she went on. High School to do the next thing with confidence with certainty with still obviously fear and anxiety about what might come but she had enough in her in her background should enough basically Tools in your toolbox be able to go out there and succeed in and that's pretty daunting when you grow up sometimes a little Durango and feel pretty shelter until that was a story that I gave to the students today because that's really the truth it has the potential to start a change that not sort of it has the potential to death or change the direction of of your life and then when that happens by the time you're 18 or when those experiences happen by the time your 18 that's why it's so pretty answer sorry but your Nable still in those details from a hopefully I did grow up in in tiny little Durango High School Riley to Mexico with a couple times really opened my mind and since then I traveled in lived in a while I was in college and I wouldn't have done that if it weren't for that Facebook see it so that's why I do this work and I've been doing this work for 5 6 years now getting kids out of school I like to joke that my job is to work with schools to get kids out of class and what I finding over and over again is that the it comes down to this afternoon in educational background so you find your happiness through our values interests skills and and by getting students out into the world through workplace learning they are able to figure out what it is that truly interesting enough to them that they can do it all day long and what are the skills that they can learn what are the abilities of a natural when were tapping into these parts about who we are then we we find work that is more satisfying and yeah so that's why I do this I do work big picture high school and high school and high school and calling my program the business Education Connection and it is ideally the centralized hub for internships so that students can come to one place to find connections and then businesses they want to support education they can also come to one place and I can be the connection between ideally it will once I get the program for businesses to get engaged create more and more opportunities for students to get out there being more of it more variety in their internships so let me drive if it's a good time Bradley you can't reject describe a little bit of a details of that process so that the student might be wondering how they go about it feels like there's a process through this moment yes so what are students do from the minute they walk in the door engineering up I have a conversation about this is the pits the career exploration process is the investigative process as you would do with your running a piece of paper that the questions are really more about the student what are they interested that you are they would have been in some of their past our passions are interest and what are some their experience has been in the explorer who they are and a little bit of maybe what they want to become we start to unpack a little bit of what's be potential interest for them and so their first thing to do is to take those questions to take those interest and generate them that they would have for a particular business and so they generate 6 to 12 questions anything about what's exciting day business what are some of your threats what have you done with your educational background and Durango versus Ravenna business house and so they might ask these type of questions and that is what we called the informational interview process and we don't right off the bat ask about it in Trash Dip we find out if it's this is prior perceptions are met reality upset by the job market and business they're calling and then they progressed. Goes well too and so then the student from Deep potential mentor advisor at their parents and they going to be a couple hours 5 hours that goes well then we set up set up meeting and that's when we we go ahead with more of the formalities and we make sure everyone's on board with what are the expectations and their responsibilities no roles and are they protected on the on the job do they have workman's comp Haitian in that kind of baggage we make sure we take care of all the logistics and we establish a good foundation so that it can operate as the other person was walking in ready to start the job tomorrow and then lastly the thing that is set up meeting and quickly follow thereafter is what we called project meeting and that's the beginning conversation to explore what project is student intern but want to perform and or produce to get back to the meant for and the internship site and it's something to hopefully a the business and the students reflect their learning which they may be taking some classes there take a picture and it will just sort of in parts example of the beginning stage of the internship process has been full the question is this sounds okay Dave but if I come to Big Picture do I have to do what if I don't want to do an internship I think the answer is is is no student knows for certain exactly what they want to do when they walk in the door and do they want that day and told Mayfield on 4th Ave Branford every day that a student is getting ready to do an informational interview myself or one of the staff has a phone in their ear and students around the corner calling calling us up as they pretend box business person to work on these communication skills skills and so we're not going to push shove the student into that process we have the hope and expectation that they will will get their butts with our mutual determination Janae yeah I what I was going to say is that especially for the the nervous students who aren't sure that they're ready to go out to in the world this skills that we are giving students by going through process they are the same stilt skills that adults need later on in life to get job so if you were to go to a career counselor as an adult looking for what is next in my life would I want to do with my life the first thing they're going to have you do is ask you a question who are you what are your interests what are your personal attributes and then from there a career counselor would have you started looking at different types of information and that's something that career counselors are having adults do as well and in general in the job search world as an adult it's becoming less and less common to just sign up on some Moana and online order something and apply and get jobs that weighs more often in this conversation piece and so by going through this whole process with students of self-discovery and then teaching them how to reach out to businesses skills that they need to be successful or not just that big picture high school but when they're in their twenties we have another question so the question is Galaxy it says so do you have a list that you make me look at to find the place that I need to go, I'm assuming like is there a set list of place is that students have two internet the answer is there is not a set place why that could depend on students interest Mystics of where the student rips therefore what is in their proximity living Durango and might be pretty tough for them to get all the way down to go well they're fortunate because great welding opportunity down and so obviously information on Where I Stood as it did in the past where we feel students might be sick that's what business is really look forward to being back to work and actually reach out to us but then again what the greatest schools as in they were saying is the ability to reach out to a new business site that somebody Ventura said this is not this is not I got to get my I just got to get my credit I just got up I just got up and so almost answering the previous question the real answer is is there's always going to be the site that is going to match where the student is at both of their interest but also comfort and so we have a lot of students that as an example they feel comfortable working with animals so that's their place to start that's their jumping off they made working in a medical facility where they never thought that's where they or they're going to be there maybe want to start in a help me out today what for shop and I'm not minimizing things in the least I'm trying to find Forsyth all the time that would take student begin with R list they start with their list we're going to kind of come together to figure out what matches down because it really is individualized process that Shanay was saying and as Bradley has said off in about the picture we are one student at a time so that means it's one internship experience at a time so the next question here is so what does my day look like on Tuesday or internship days what it what does my day look like with that give me a question and because I work at multiple schools on Tuesdays and Thursdays at big picture has don't have classes and one as long as they get their internship until you get the in you will be coming to the school so you get wraparound support help you find that internship experience that you're looking for and then once you have it you're at internship whatever it whatever your internship site looks like that's where you'll be spending your time with specific person that is accurate and again as I said is that student is needing to get to I don't know half an hour away that and the logistics makes sense that the isn't going to drive into town and then have to get a ride from their parent or something like that then they're going to get a ride from their parents so it's essentially like they're at they're at their site that day there are there independent that Tech they're not in school doing school work they are I've got another question here Dave origin a what is the what is the coolest internship that a student is done I got a couple today while I think we should all we should all offer up some rather you as well so how much in are you go first I head you're what what makes an internship cool is the students connection to it not that the the job itself was so different or unique it was the experience the student had so one of my favorite stories is a student who did an intern it was a physical therapist in this student had wanted to be physical therapist her whole life she was a dancer who was always very active physical therapist here in town you left the office with great but while she was there she realized that physical therapy but she looked around the office and she saw the person who's doing marketing and just thought that was the coolest thing the next year she came back and did another interested in marketing and really found her fit and now the student is in college marketing rather than physical therapy and I love that story because I had the experience to try something the land that it wasn't the right thing then she could likely be in college now studying something that doesn't fit her is a really great answer but it's wrong the correct answer question was a student at Highland helicopter to fly a helicopter and get to do a drill for an emergency landing now you set every other inch if Side Up Drear and I knew you were going to say that one I just want everyone to know let's keep our expectations you know realistic we don't we all do get the fly helicopters you know but you know you asked everyone to forget you're asking for it Bradley what about you I'm thinking of a current student we have who is a sophomore and this student you know so kind of like Dave said that there's equal value in when a student goes to an internship and then realizes that's not what they want to do like that's just as valuable especially if you want to go to college and you're going to pay $3,000 a year to go to university for a degree that you might not then want in 4 years and so having these experiences and really knowing you I've done this in an internship no this is what I want to do and yes I did need to go to college maybe for that that is valuable I mean that has real value they're the one I'm thinking about right now is a sophomore we have who came to us last year of the 9th grader and said I'm really in the automotive and we were able to get him at the Nissan dealership in town and he's done a great job he he loved it right away so he's an example of a person who came in did his first internship and said yes this is what I want to do and so now is a 10th grader he's back at Nissan again and you know they he just got up big huge tool chest given to him he's starting to put tools in it and so that's a really neat one for me just because he he thought that's what he wanted to do and after year he's realized it is and now he yeah the pathway the next couple years in high school so he's already talked to me about junior year I want to start working on my certifications in automotive so that by the time I'm graduated I will be Nate f certified or whatever certified so he can just be tired like the next day I graduate today and I can start making money tomorrow so that was a pretty cool one as well I'll offer up the I don't know I guess maybe The Eclectic nature do we want student right now we're on one day a week she insurance wolfwood Refuge helping take care of the wolves and then on the following internship guys on Thursday she then goes that works for the women does animal Chiropractic work those we're both just recently kind of established one of the sites we have never had it before and and it's it's it's really looking like a really great match and so is he good match for the mentor who was really really excited not sure she could handle two days a week but could offer one and really exciting for the for the students so I guess I use a sample because it's just the beginning for the student but I think the combination is really going to work wonderful first for both sites who really could benefit from an intern and feel great about providing that the guidance that mentorship and Leadership book that students but also wonderful experience eating wolves that's not that's not your typical that's right up there the Dave this is this isn't a question that was put in the chat but it's Quest I have which is can you talk for a minute about in past years pre covered we've had Mentor appreciation dinners and I've heard mentors talk about their experience their point of view with this and I think that might be good to share as well and I will try to keep it to her because I struggle with that. Of course an engine a I think I was business liaison community and that really becoming the primary focus of your job I would want to hear from you as well from the mentor side for us where this massive Sansa varmint and so our students and and so not only do we contact them throughout the mentor experience but we will what size base with them we'll see how the projects do in the cell the site visits by the school district is called and we hope to form a really good lasting relationship with the with the mentor and so the mentors grow on students because they can become auxiliary teachers and and some matter-of-fact end up writing letters recommendation for the for the students skip to the students appeal to put towards their college applications because the experience is as such we have a mentor appreciation dinner at the end of the year where we celebrate the experiences of both the students and we celebrate the mentors committing their time and energy to to our school at to our for students as well and so if you need for them to stand up during this course of this meal at the students will Express their their appreciation and then was always really great is what you get out of the back porch and it's eclectic and it's different but it it it really does sometimes and not the time started match the depth of that relationship and that's the meds for that really feels like they've made a great impact on somebody's life and and they wanted to continue it Unite Here is that we keep you the word Mentor we're not calling these people are our business sponsors or anything like that because there really is such value in that word of what it is to be a mentor and that is something that we asked about our business partners Dementors in really do to bond with the students and create that relationship and the other piece that that I just like to speak on here is that the the mentors afterwards will often speak to you how impressed they are the student's ability to contribute I think that's something that is sometimes surprises the mentors when they're not used to having an intern that high school students can really do a lot more than businesses think they can do so they're able to have you been able to to do things that make a difference at the business and I think that's a really important pieces that it's a win-win right there is getting this is helping them grow the hard and soft skills giving back there's a minute she didn't introduce myself I'm 3 Robertson I'm the assistant principal advisor for a very long time in this building and I listen to them talk about the appreciation piece I still have a mentor from my first class at big picture who gives me updates about a student that they worked with 9 years ago answer this dude I had a decent relationship but we don't talk that much very often but the but the mentor is a friend still calls me and text me and let me know how this kid is do except their relationship from one internship it lasted 12 has lasted longer and had more depth of meaning than the relationship I had with the student that I worked with look for 4 years so I don't know if that's speaks to have my mediocrity as an advisor how excellent this Mentor was but I'm at work decade out and they still talk so that's pretty powerful thing we don't we don't have any more questions in the chat room so I'd like to open it up to anybody who hear see if anybody wants to ask a question would like to speak to being a mentor because she be back from the mentors mouth but she might Act maybe far away from the screen right now thanks Janae I've loved being a mentor I've mentored I've had them in a high school in turn on most all of my professional job at the PowerHouse Science Center I had a couple and then at Animas High School I also had a couple and now in my role as executive director for the children I've had some too and I feel like the connection that you make with the student is huge it's often times it becomes a lifelong Bond I still talk to some of the kids who are now in their twenties and I've always kind of taken the approach to it that it's so much more than the job so much more than the task at hand and it's so much more than the job description and what the student is doing you're teaching them about life and Jhene you and I've had this conversation a lot about work-life integration and I think it's so important for students that's how we roll that's how life is and being an adult and going to work isn't just showing up and clocking in at 8 p.m. or 8 a.m. and leaving at 5 p.m. there's so much more to it and young people getting to know them has been probably my career and almost all of my positions that I've been in so I'm super grateful to hear about this program and it won't reach out to me and let me know that they're real life experience is so huge I love it I love being a mentor why I think that speaks of the the reason why we do this no matter what side you're on its did Mentor or the student intern it's a I want to overuse the word but it but it it's a holistic reciprocal process and an at the more the student grows in the thin the experience I think the more than that to work I was their role bond is created and so that's one of the pieces of big picture I think that's that's so valuable is that often times in education we can become very myopic and not focus I take picture with looking at things from afar wider Lance and looking at the characteristics of how to act affectional how to communicate effectively how to receive feedback is a lot of Social and emotional growth that comes with these expiry that's why coupled with the in class work in school work I think really grows a better student and truthfully a human being cuz they're they're better prepared for the stage that's coming coming very close in their future Independence and so they approach that with the difference a different set of skills it and it in a different set of Readiness then if otherwise would be there I'd like to I'd like to now wrap up so if Janae could begin just some last thoughts and then we'll finish with Dave oh my last thoughts let it be for me to say it again cuz I love this way of thinking so much but High School is not will the school in general it's not about getting 9th graders ready for 10th grade and getting every student ready for what comes after it's getting them ready for being professional adults in in their twenties and thirties and forties in a big picture model if students so much experience out there in the working world that when they they really know how to navigate getting the job and stay in a job and be professional everything the fact that often times in education we talk of the concept of acting like an adult or going to start practicing this the concept of of used to be when you want to come is really a and yet we expand our education and yet the difference that happens with this experience and with big picture and experience is the person does it get to they plan to become it is not conceptual it's reality and then that the shapes them and that's why I think the value of the BLT are leaving to learn experience text Dave thanks Janae I want to thank everybody for coming out tonight I guess the snow is finally gone so thanks for coming out tonight and again we will get this posted on the website and social media all the people to see as well so if you know someone who wasn't here tonight but you want to let them know that that would be great as well so thanks for coming out we appreciate you and I will see you soon

Video Gallery

BPHS Info Session 3

Popular Videos