JAG-K Celebrates National Career Association Week
Participants in the Jobs for America’s Graduates-Kansas (JAG-K) program are the beneficiaries of membership in the state Career Association, which operates as part of the JAG National Career Association (NCA).
The purpose of the NCA is to help members explore career pathways, to assess the opportunities and appropriateness of pursuing further education, to connect members with representatives of their chosen pathway, to develop their knowledge and skills, to secure employment in a job, and to demonstrate their ability to enter and advance with the employer.
Career Associations across the nation celebrated NCA Week Jan. 23-27. Through social media, activities and projects, associations focused on the following throughout the week:
Monday – Leadership Day
Tuesday – Mindfulness Day
Wednesday – Career Day
Thursday – Teambuilding Day
Friday – Service Day
To kick off NCA Week, the national office of JAG circulated five videos celebrating leadership. The videos were hosted by JAG Youth Engagement Associate Linda Moyo, a graduate of the JAG-K program at Newton High School. Three of the videos featured Kansans:
“Chat with your JAG NCA Officers” featuring NCA National President Ryah Klima
“How to be a Good Leader” featuring JAG-K President/CEO Chuck Knapp
“Transitions: From a JAG Student to a Specialist” featuring Paige Parker
JAG-K is a multi-year, in-school program for students in grades 6-12 that offers tools to successfully transition students into post-secondary school, the military, or directly into the workforce with marketable skills. JAG-K provides opportunities for students to explore careers through employer engagement relationships. Those experiences may include field trips, job shadows, internships and summer or part-time employment.
The 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization is a state affiliate of the national JAG program network which operates in 38 different states and territories. It is primarily funded through the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families block grant to the State of Kansas administered by the Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF). In addition to school districts and DCF, JAG-K partners with the Kansas Department of Education. Other JAG-K funding sources include ADM, AT&T, Evergy, Goldstein Charitable Trust, John Deere, Kansas Gas Service, the Kansas Health Foundation, the Kansas Insurance Department, the Kansas State Bank Commissioner, Stormont Vail Health, Synchrony Financial, the Taco Bell Foundation, the City of Topeka, United Way of the Plains and Walmart.
To learn more about JAG-K, visit www.jagkansas.org, ‘Jobs for America’s Graduates-Kansas’ on Facebook, and on Twitter at @JAG_Kansas.