Clague students learn about challenges, careers during Abilities Awareness Day & Career Day

Video and photos by Jo Mathis/AAPS District News Editor

Teams from the Washtenaw Intermediate School District and the Ann Arbor Center for Independent Living visited Clague Middle School last week to raise awareness among sixth graders about differing abilities. 

At the same time, 30 Career Day presenters were in other classrooms talking about their jobs, skills, and career paths with seventh and eighth grade students.

Counselors support student development in three key areas: academic, career, and social/emotional learning, explained Clague eighth grade counselor Alison Muehlman.

“Career Day at Clague is one way in which counselors expose students to a variety of occupations and showcase the connections between learning and success in the workplace,” said Muehlman. “On Career Day, students learned from adults working within six career pathways set forth by the Michigan Department of Education.

“We had a strong turn out from adults within our community, with 30 Career Day speakers engaging seventh and eighth grade students in real-life lessons from their fields.  We all had a blast.”

Abilities Awareness Day at Clague is a fun opportunity for Clague sixth graders to learn what it might be like to be a person with an ability that differs from the mainstream population, she said. 

“On this special day, 15 caring adults visited our students to involve them in experiential learning to promote awareness,” said Muehlman, “and increase empathy towards numerous kinds of differing abilities.” 

 Dermatology Resident talks to students at Clague's Career Day.
Dermatology resident Dr. Marie Lyndsey talks to Clague students during Career Day.
Sixth graders get a sense of what it’s like to have a visual impairment during Abilities Awareness Day.

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