Students at Central Tree Middle School (CTMS) in Rutland will soon hear directly from the professionals who shape their own community. This spring, My Career and Academic Plan (MyCAP) is launching an exciting speaker series designed to connect students with the real-world experiences of local business leaders. 

The CTMS Speaker Series is bringing eight local business leaders into the classroom - ranging from a pharmacist to a facilities manager - each ready to share their career paths, challenges, and advice. The series helps students see the possibilities ahead of them, connect classroom learning to real-world careers, and discover how their interests today can grow into meaningful futures right here in their hometown.

According to the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, “My Career and Academic Plan (MyCAP) is a structured, student-driven, college, career, and civic readiness framework designed to ensure every student gains the knowledge, skills, and experiences in personal, social, emotional, and behavioral development, career development, and academic and technical learning to navigate an individual path to success.”

CTMS Assistant Principal Angela Greene explained that this program is available through School Links. School Links is accessed on a student’s Chrome Book and students answer various questions or complete a task that will, hopefully, help them to begin to shape a future career. 

“This is a district-wide initiative, and the hope is that students find something to be passionate about or identify with a future career so that they have a reason to attend school,” Greene said. “I have seen a few kids, while monitoring School Links sessions, where kids are both surprised and happy to learn about a career that they previously knew nothing about.”

Although this is not a direct path to introduce trades to the students, Greene said that they are trying to promote different career paths.

One of the goals of the program is to see more interest in students learning about and choosing a career path outside of the traditional with the awareness that comes from listening to different speakers from different occupations.

“So far, we don’t see more kids asking about or being interested in trades,” she said. “But we are definitely trying to promote trades as an opportunity.”

The eight speakers who have committed to share their career journey will describe a typical “day at the office,” talk about what education and training is needed, and answer student questions. The time commitment is one class period a month in person.

The CTMS Facebook page reads, “Middle school is the perfect time for students to begin discovering who they are and what they might want to do in the future. Through MyCAP, students explore their interests and strengths using online tools - - but hearing directly from professionals makes those lessons come alive.

“As with almost anything we ask kids to do, there are always kids who complain or state they do not like answering the questions [through School Link],’ Greene said. 

This program is meant to be an introduction that will continue into high school. 

“The high school is creating additional courses and pathways for students based on the data and interest [seen at the middle school],” Greene added. 

“Our hope is that we can help students find a path early no matter what the field and give them the knowledge and tools to move forward,” Career Development Education Coordinator Sabrina Heiniluoma added. 

If you are interested in knowing more about MyCAP, visit the CTMS Facebook page, or WRSD.net to learn more. 

Interested in becoming a speaker? Email [email protected] or fill out the form found on the CTMS Facebook page. W