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Tim Anderson, Career Navigator at Liberty Public Schools, recently connected with a fellow educator to discuss career development resources, platforms, and how the Agilities© can seamlessly integrate into student programming. He was kind enough to share his thoughts with The Foundation, and in turn, any of you who might be considering incorporating the Agilities into your classroom or career development curriculum:
For about 14 of my educator years, I was in the middle school counselor role. We utilized various career resources as part of our systematic career education approach for all students at the middle level. I noticed that kids were reluctant to participate but I always felt the career development of kids was a game changer so I kept after it. I have always believed that, for some kids, career development could unlock their potential.
My experience with the Agilities started when I began to coordinate student internships. I was looking for a tool that could provide more personalized results and would boost student confidence and career interest. We had already been trying to align our professional skills with recognized KC industry terms and so when I learned that The DeBruce Foundation was also considering KC industry feedback within their Agilities programming, I was excited to learn more. Personally, I liked that it provided more relevance since it was based on both local and national research.
I work with a variety of students in the high school environment, all at different levels of career readiness. However, nearly all of my students light up when they learn their top Agilities. I also support two other school programs with the Agilities resources: a micro-school of about 100 kids as well as our AVID program of about 75 kids.
Here are the big takeaways based on my students’ responses to Agilities:
- Unlike many interest inventories, the results are celebrated and feel personalized for kids. The language is new to kids and empowering and therefore more engaging for students. For example, instead of “I like helping people,” students proudly say, “I’m good at Developing Others.” This language has been key for kids, and I’ve seen it translate into strong resumes as kids process the information and better understand their strengths.
- Unlike many interest inventories, the Agilities framework supports a growth mindset and identifies how these strengths support the various industry occupations.
- In working with other teachers, I found that teachers who took the Agile Work Profiler© themselves were the most receptive to the approach. It turns out that it empowers both students and adults, and I think that is in part because of the intentional growth mindset approach.
- Finally, when I can connect students to businesses via internships, it has been helpful for community businesses to know the top Agilities of students. This speaks to the idea that these are relevant and valuable skills in the eyes of local employers.
Ready to learn more? First, take the Agile Work Profiler to discover your top Agilities, then hear directly from students and their teachers how these resources work for them, then join us for an Agilities Tour for a free introduction to The DeBruce Foundation, our mission of expanding career pathways, and the Career Literacy tools available to you and your students.
