SPECIAL FOCUS
A group of students practice welding at SCTCC.
may (and – equally important – may not) want to do later in life. “We dive into the explorative side to help kids understand what they like and what they might be good at,” Brady DeGagne said. DeGagne is the director of training and development for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Minnesota, which serves about 6,000 youths in grades K-12. “Kids won’t have figured out what they want to do yet,” he said. “But these activities give them experiences they will remember. That’s why our big focus is on high-yield, hands-on
HANDS-ON, MINDS-ON CENTRAL MINNESOTA ORGANIZATIONS ARE HELPING SHAPE CAREER DREAMS THROUGH HANDS-ON EXPERIENCES. By Randy Krebs
“What the hand does, the mind remembers.”
A Members of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Central MN learn about EMT services.
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lthough about a century old, that quote from Italian physician and educator Maria Montessori aptly sums up the approach several Central Minnesota organizations embrace when they engage with area youth to help them determine potential careers. Whether it’s a summer robotics camp for grade schoolers or a oneday career fair for high schoolers, offering hands-on activities is the go-to technique for helping Central Minnesota youth learn what they
activities, and our goal is to help them understand who they want to become, not what they want to do.” Leaders of similar area organizations echoed those sentiments in explaining how their respective operations appeal to and connect with today’s younger generations, including exploring potential careers that could land them at local businesses. An EPIC Experience Emily Davis is coordinator of EPIC (Exploring Potential Interests in Careers), a community collaborative in partnership with the Greater St. Cloud Development Corporation, that helps connect area students with area businesses for hands-on career learning opportunities. Of its four main platforms for making those connections, its biggest draw is EPIC Student Day, held annually in the fall at the St. Cloud Technical