SENCAP highlights 2015-2016 programs & accomplishments
Lauren Crockett named North Region's "Outstanding Student of the Year"
High School participants in the Southeast Nebraska Career Academy Partnership (SENCAP) program had a busy year. All SENCAP students are enrolled in a dual credit college course of their choosing through Southeast Community College. Students choose an introductory course from one of six career fields to explore. Currently, the SENCAP North Region offers courses in Business, Education, Health, Information Technology, Green Energy and Welding. Next fall the region will add courses in Agriculture and Criminal Justice.
In conjunction to the college course, students complete additional career exploration assignments and in return get discounted tuition for participating in the program. Some area high schools even cover the other part of tuition, making the price to participate very reasonable.
SENCAP assignments focus on helping students learn what their strengths are and how to use them to sell themselves to employers or other competitive panels, such as for scholarships or entrance into college programs. All students build a resume and participate in a mock interview. Other events include job shadows, profession panels, speakers from different colleges and career fields, and career specific field trips.
“Field trips are one of the most meaningful ways we help students validate that the career path they are considering is the correct one,” said Lana Robinson, the SENCAP coordinator for the North Region. Some of the field trips students participated in this year were to Firespring, Hudl, Sirius Computer Solutions, Lincoln Industries, Sheldon Coal Plant, Doane College’s Cadaver Lab, BryanLGH’s Center for Excellence in Simulation and four schools in Omaha and Lincoln. “Seeing what an employee does every day, and the work environment, can impact whether or not students want to explore further or start looking at a different career path.”
Students also set up their own job shadows at businesses that they want to explore deeper. This give students some independence to transition from high school students, into college students. They also work independently to complete SENCAP assignments. Many of the college courses are exclusively online, so time management and self-discipline skills are needed for students to stay on track. “This program helps students prepare for what college course work is like, as well as provide experience with online classes,” Robinson said. High school students must be able to work independently and also know how to communicate with their instructors.
The regional SENCAP coordinator assists students with the transitioning process. Students learn how to maneuver SCC’s online courses, communicate with instructors they may never meet, and complete courses with college level rigor. Robinson added, “Some students struggle at the very beginning, but when they adjust their studying methods, they see success. We are glad to provide a program that offers the transition experience to students before they leave home and go through these adjustments on their own at college.”
All SENCAP students attended Professional Development Day at SCC’s Lincoln Campus this spring. Each of the six regions in the 15 county service area chose a students that participated in SENCAP for two years and displayed characteristics that went above and beyond those of their peers. This year’s North Region SENCAP Outstanding Student of the Year is Lauren Crockett from Wahoo High School. Lauren plans on attending UNL in the fall in their pre-med program. Registration is open for the fall. All public, private and homeschool students are welcome to participate. Contact Lana Robinson at lrobinson@southeast.edu or your local high school for more information.