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Achieving
Competence in Education A.C.E.
Achieving
Competence in Education, or A.C.E., directs its efforts as
a committee to the special populations of students within
our community and local educational systems. A.C.E. is in
touch with several groups of students, including learning
disabled students, behaviorally disordered students, and other
specifically grouped students needing individual and special
attention.
During
2000-2001, the A.C.E. program of the McLean County Community
Compact, focused primarily on concerned students in the final
step of education in McLean County. This population of students
could be near expulsion from public school, or the alternative
school, or could be a recovering gang member or recovering
from an addictive substance. He/she also could simply be a
student identified by a teacher, counselor, or administrator
as a student with a great deal of personal and academic potential
which was not being used. The student may be considering dropping
out of school altogether. These students are in need of individual
attention and mentoring which the group of school personnel
may be unable to seek out for the student.
A.C.E. has developed a strong connection with Youth Impact,
Inc., the Bloomington Area Vocational Center, the McLean-Dewitt
Regional Alternative School, area guidance counselors, and
school personnel. With these relationships being in place,
any among these groups may request an orientation and placement
in a job shadowing experience of the student's choice to reacquaint
the student with vocational goals of a positive nature.
Since
1997-98, A.C.E. has formalized a network of businesses willing
to participate with A.C.E. students specifically to offer
a two to three part job shadowing experience. Each student
is first matched with an A.C.E. Committee partner and completes
a personnel profile on his/her career preferences, personal
interests, and likes and dislikes. This profile is sent ahead
to each job-shadowing partner to introduce the student. Goals
of the job shadowing experience in A.C.E. targeting freshmen
and sophomores include:
- Building
a positive self-image by creation of a send-ahead profile
- Creating
an opportunity for expanded career awareness
- Creating
an opportunity for the student to hear from businesses regarding
positive employability skills
-
Creating a renewed awareness of the need for satisfactory
completion of current courses and achieving the graduation
goals
- Creating
an opportunity for a mentoring relationship to develop throughout
high school with the participating youth and business partner
.
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