SPIRIT - The Program for Counselors: July 18-30 2010

If you are a high school guidance counselor, the SPIRIT program will show you the wide-ranging opportunities that exist for students who pursue IT careers, especially young women.

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Description

This year, we are offering a two-week, residential, professional development program for high school guidance counselors. The program starts on Sunday, July 18, 2010. During the first week, you will learn to use the basic and advanced features of a software tool, Alice, to develop animated stories to support your counseling practices while high school teachers in the same sessions will create lessons in their subject areas, especially in STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) disciplines. During the second week, you will learn about how Information Technology is used to support a variety of disciplines through hands-on activities and career presentations. You will also have the opportunity to help students follow instructions on using Alice to tell their favorite story. You will have the opportunity to work with other counselors, teachers and SPIRIT staff to develop a slide-show that describes the interesting and varied career options that are available to students who pursue study in a computing program. During the school year you will use the materials you develop to provide career advice to students at your school. You will also return to the Purdue campus four times during the school year to share your experiences and lessons learned with SPIRIT staff and other teachers..

Benefits

Counselors selected for SPIRIT receive the following benefits:

Educational credit available (CRUs (free), CEUs (free) or graduate college course credit (participant pays all costs)
$100 honorarium per day of on-campus participation
No-cost lodging in air-conditioned single units
Breakfast and lunch are provided
Professional development, specifically in career education
Certificate of completion
Software on CD and textbook

Expectations

Counselors who apply to SPIRIT should meet the following requirements, if selected:

Submit required paperwork and a $50 deposit after receiving acceptance notification to guarantee a spot in the program. ($25 will be refunded after completion of all required SPIRIT activities.)
Attend the entire two weeks of the on-campus program and complete all activities
Bring current materials used to share computing career planning with students
Create an Alice-based career planning storyboard
Create a slide show describing the career options in computing
Create a plan for introducing computing career options to students
During the school year, maintain contact with SPIRIT staff. The minimal communication includes the following activities:
- Submit reflective log about the impact of the new career guidance materials on your student body.
- Attend four in-service conferences at Purdue
Make your Alice-based storyboard and slide-show available to SPIRIT staff and other counselors via the SPIRIT website
Agree to allow SPIRIT to use your likeness in promotional materials