Helping Students See What’s Possible: Our College & Career Readiness Program
What comes after high school?
For many students, answering that question starts with simply knowing what is possible.
This summer, Freedom City’s College & Career Readiness Program gave students opportunities to explore those possibilities, connect their interests to real careers, and begin thinking about the steps they can take toward their futures.
With funding from the NBA Foundation, Freedom City expanded our College & Career Readiness programming to reach 41 unique students through two complementary program experiences. We partnered with Securing the Bag to provide career and financial literacy programming to 21 students, while Freedom City provided an additional 20 students with college and career readiness opportunities through our Summer Learning Program at KIPP OKC and our partnership with the Boys & Girls Club of Oklahoma County.
From Career Interests to Real Conversations
One of the most meaningful parts of the program was helping students connect their interests to people who are actually working in those fields.
Students explored careers ranging from aviation and nursing to engineering, computer science, real estate, veterinary medicine, entrepreneurship, and culinary arts. Students had the opportunity to speak directly with professionals whose careers aligned with those interests.
Our students heard from an engineer, corporate pilot, information security specialist, real estate agent and investor, veterinarian, nurse, CEO, therapist, and chef.
These weren't just conversations about job titles. Students had the opportunity to ask questions and learn what different careers really look like, including the education, training, experiences, and decisions that can help them get there.
For a student interested in becoming a veterinarian, talking with a veterinarian can make that career feel less like an idea and more like a possibility. For a student interested in aviation, hearing directly from a corporate pilot can help them begin to understand the path from where they are now to where they want to go.
Exploring What Comes After High School
College and career readiness is also about helping students understand their options.
Through Freedom City's programming, students visited Rose State College and interacted with representatives from Rose State, the University of Central Oklahoma, Langston University, and Metro Tech. They learned about campus life, programs of study, enrollment, costs, scholarships, and resources available to help them transition after high school.
Students also participated in practical workforce-readiness activities, including resume development and mock interviews. These experiences gave students opportunities to practice skills they can use beyond the classroom.
Beginning to See the Next Step
The goal isn't for a student to have their entire future figured out by the end of a summer program.
It's about helping them take the next step.
Throughout the program, students began connecting their interests and aspirations to concrete actions. Students identified steps such as earning good grades, researching careers and job requirements, and thinking about what they want to pursue after high school.
That shift from “I think I might want to do this” to “Here is what I need to do next” is an important part of becoming college and career ready.
And that is what makes this work so meaningful to us at Freedom City.
Every student deserves the opportunity to explore what they are capable of, ask questions about their future, and have caring adults help them see what is possible.
Because preparing students for their future isn't about having all the answers today.
It's about helping them believe they have a future worth planning for and giving them the tools, relationships, and opportunities to begin building it.
We are grateful to the NBA Foundation for investing in these opportunities and to Securing the Bag for partnering with us to bring career exploration and financial literacy experiences to students.
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