iJAG
Prerequisites: Students in grades 10-12. Eligibility is determined on a need/benefit basis through referrals and an interview.
Description: iiJAG (Iowa Jobs for America’s Graduates) is a career exploration and preparation program that provides a hands-on approach in exploring personal strengths and challenges as well as job attainment skills (cover letter, resume, job application, interviewing, etc.) and workplace “survival” skills (interpersonal relations, teamwork, etc.). Students will also work to build strengths in academic areas, time management, and communication. The individual and team project work will also help students come to an understanding of personality and temperament and the relationship between personal actions and consequences that follow. Students will make connections to their career interests, abilities, and aptitudes by determining their education and career goals through development of an Individual Career Development Plan. This full-year, credited course involves individual assignments, team activities/projects, academic remediation support, service learning opportunities, guest speakers, field trips (including a couple to state I-JAG events in Des Moines), and career exploration through job shadowing and/or an internship. Students will also participate in the I-JAG Career Association in various activities focused on Career and Leadership Development, Service Learning, and Civic/Social Awareness.