LOYALSOCK TOWNSHIP, PA — A room is filled with students inside Loyalsock Township High School. They have signed up for a new program at the school called Career Cafe, where they can learn about different careers.
"Those people will present to them, talk to them about how they got to their career, something they can do while they're in school to set themselves up for a similar career, pros, and cons of that career," said Victoria Campman, Loyalsock Township School District career counselor.
Teachers started the program so students could be exposed to career opportunities. Sixth through 12th graders can meet with different professionals during their lunch period. Victoria Campman, the career counselor at Loyalsock Township School District, says middle students are more interested in content creation.
"The high school students we have a lot interested in stem fields, so a lot of science technology, engineering, math careers, but we do see a lot more students in the last few years who want to do something with more a creative outlet as well, so that's been fun to get to do various different careers," said Campman.
The Career Cafe gives middle and high school students a chance to explore their career options after graduation.
"But outside of that, unless they're exposed to it in situations like this, I don't know if they're considering that as a possibility or even knowing what's out there, so we don't know what we don't know, and my goal through this program is for students to just see all the opportunities and have the courage to follow their dreams if that's what they want to do," said Campman.
Some students who participate in the care cafe can also decide if college is the right move for them.
"Because there are a lot of great careers out there that don't require college, and they'll maybe have the courage to say, you know what, even though that's what a lot of my friends are doing, that's not the path for me, so and that's okay," said Campman.
Campman says she'd like to have career expos at Loyalsock Township Area School District in the future.