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What
is Exploring?
Exploring
is part of the Learning for Life career education program
for young men
and women who are 14 (and have completed the eighth grade)
or 15 through 20 years old.
Exploring's
purpose is to provide experiences to help young people
mature and to prepare them to become responsible and
caring adults. Explorers are ready to investigate the
meaning of interdependence in their personal relationships
and communities.
Exploring
is based on a unique and dynamic relationship between
youth and the organizations in their communities. Local
community organizations initiate an Explorer post by
matching their people and program resources to the
interests of young people in the community. The result is
a program of activities that helps youth pursue their
special interests, grow, and develop.
Explorer
posts can specialize in a variety of career skills.
Exploring programs are based on five areas of emphasis:
career opportunities, life skills, service learning,
character education, and leadership experience.
Career
Opportunities
- Develop
potential contacts that may broaden employment options
- Boost
self-confidence and experience success at school and
work
Life
Skills
- Build
physical and mental fitness
- Experience
positive social interaction
Service
Learning
- Encourage
the skill and desire to help others
- Gain a
keen respect for the basic rights of others
Character
Education
- Help
make ethical choices
- Fulfill
one's responsibility to society as a whole
Leadership
Experience
- Acquire
leadership skills to fulfill one's responsibilities in
society
Goals of
Exploring
Young
adults involved in Exploring will:
- Gain
practical knowledge of and experience in a career
- Engage
in a program of activities centered on career
opportunities, life skills, service learning,
character education, and leadership experience to
encourage the development of the whole person
- Experience
positive leadership from adult and youth leaders and
be given opportunities to take on leadership roles
- Have a
chance to learn and grow in a supportive, caring, and
enjoyable environment
Methods
of Exploring
The
methods of Exploring have been carefully chosen to meet
the needs of young adults.
- Voluntary
association between youth and adults. Because
Exploring is voluntary, youth are receptive to new
ideas, experiences, and relationships. For the
Explorer, these relationships provide a connection to
new ways of thinking and acting as well as a new
identity as a responsible young adult.
- Ethical
decision making. Exploring asks young people to be
responsible for themselves, for a program of
activities and experiences, and for other people,
thereby providing numerous opportunities for youth to
make effective and ethical decisions. These
opportunities are enhanced by the influence of capable
adults and structured activities.
- Group
activities. Exploring activities are
interdependent group experiences. Success depends on
the cooperation of all.
- Recognition
of achievement. Recognition might come through
formal awards, but it also is achieved through the
acknowledgment by peers and adults of a young person's
competence and abilities.
- Democratic
process. Explorer posts provide exposure to
democratic ideals and skills that are needed
throughout life.
- Curiosity,
exploration, and adventure. Curiosity is
encouraged and a sense of exploration and adventure is
developed through new experiences that provide
opportunities for youth to acquire new skills and
participate in action-oriented activities.
Post
Specialties
Every
Explorer post specializes in a specific career program
area. More than 100 different specialties have been
organized, ranging from accounting to zoology. Some
specialty programs, such as the following, have grown to
include a national committee, activities, and staff
support.
Medical and Health Careers
The
American Medical Association and other national health
organizations support the establishment of posts in
hospitals, clinics, medical centers, schools, and other
health-care organizations. These posts render valuable
community service and give members an insight into a
variety of career opportunities.
Law Enforcement
This
specialty is endorsed by the International Association of
Chiefs of Police and the National Sheriff's Association
and is helped by other national law enforcement
organizations and industries. Posts can provide assistance
in crime prevention and traffic control.
Aviation
The
aviation specialty encompasses a range of programs,
including maintenance, operations, construction, flight
attendants, airport management, and aerospace. The Federal
Aviation Administration supports this growth, along with
aviation organizations, unions, and industries.
Law and Government
The
American Bar Association and other organizations support
the high interest of many youth in law or government
participation through Exploring. Law Day activities, mock
trials, and other law-related activities provide firsthand
experience in America's legal and court system.
Engineering
Many
national engineering societies endorse this specialty area
of Exploring. Its goal is to promote post programs that
open and expand Explorers' understanding of the many
opportunities in engineering and technology.
Skilled Trades
The
Skilled Trades specialty area includes posts that are
organized around interests in auto repair, cosmetology,
electrical, carpentry, and construction, to name a few.
Business
Through
the Business specialty area, young adults become prepared
for many types of careers, from accounting to financial
planning. Many posts organize their program around
knowledge of business planning and practices in addition
to career preparation.
Communications
This
specialty is endorsed by the Broadcast Education
Association, International Association of Business
Communicators, National Association of Broadcasters,
National Press Photographers Association Inc., Public
Relations Society of America, and Women in Communications.
The Exploring program can serve as an effective outreach
program that exposes high school students to careers in
communications and public relations.
Others
In
addition to the above, other popular Explorer post
specialties include conservation, computers, firefighting,
music, science, rescue, radio-TV, architecture,
photography, and journalism.
Ethics
in Action
An
important goal of Exploring is to help young adults be
responsible and caring people, both now and in the future.
Exploring uses "character education activities"
to help young adults develop the ability to make
responsible choices that reflect their concern for what is
at risk and for the people involved. Because a character
education activity is a problem-solving situation, leaders
expect young adults to use empathy, invention, and
selection when they think through their position and work
toward a solution.
Post
Activities
What an
Explorer post does is limited only by the imagination and
involvement of its leader so build a glider, make an
electric car, produce a play, conduct a mock trial, or
teach disabled people to swim. Posts across the country
today are experiencing all these adventures and many more.
All that is needed are concerned adults who are willing to
share a little bit of themselves with today's
youth—tomorrow's citizens.
The above
information is from the 'Official Learning for Life /
Exploring' Web Site
http://www.learning-for-life.org
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