BY WHITNEY POMEROY
Los Alamos High School
Editor’s note: Whitney Pomeroy is a Literature teacher, School of Choice Department Chair, Gifted and Talented Education Case Manager, XP and MAPS contact person. She is a National Board Certified Teacher.
Did you know? Los Alamos High School has a course available to sophomores, juniors and seniors that allows them to spend a period learning about a career that might interest them. The program is called MAPS: Mentorship, Apprenticeship, Partnership, Service. Students work closely with a mentor at a worksite and learn the ins-and-outs of the career. Students volunteer; they shadow; they set goals; and they reflect on their learning and progress. Often, MAPS students, upon graduation, even become employed where they’ve volunteered. This not only helps the students themselves but also helps our local community’s businesses. Clearly, it’s a win-win.
While this program is incredibly successful for the students who are enrolled, it only works if we have enough mentors.
That’s where you come in.
If you are employed at a local business and have an interest in helping an LAHS student learn about your career–and at the same time getting some extra volunteer help around your workplace–please consider being a mentor. Students would come to your business during their MAPS period, which is typically a 90-minute block every other day, and would work with you. Under your guidance and leadership, they would learn what it takes to be successful in your career.
So . . . Are you interested? If so, please send me an email at w.pomeroy@laschools.net letting me know what career(s) a student might learn about if they were to volunteer at your workplace. I’ll add your name and information to my contact sheet, and when a student registers for MAPS, they’ll receive a copy of the sheet. If you’d like more information before deciding if this is right for you, just contact me, and I’ll be happy to send you the MAPS program handbook for your perusal.
Together, we can make a difference in our community’s future.
*Below are what some of our past MAPS students have said about their experience:
“I will be honest, I didn’t learn what I thought I was going to learn, I actually learned more.” “I enjoyed being able to be off campus but feeling like I was still learning and being exposed to new environments. “
“My mentor did a good job showing me things and explaining why she would do certain things.” “During the process, I realized that I love service and helping people. The program helped me to further decide how I want to go on with my life.”
“This experience was one of the best I could ever have.”
Editor’s note: Whitney Pomeroy is a Literature teacher, School of Choice Department Chair, Gifted and Talented Education Case Manager, XP and MAPS contact person. She is a National Board Certified Teacher.