Groton High School Career Center: From vision to reality

It was December 2022 when Billie Downs, Groton Central School’s (GCS) K-12 district administrator and Groton Career Center (GCC) director, first brought  GCS Superintendent Margo Martin her vision to add a career center to the high school. Now, just over a year later, that vision has been brought to fruition and is evident in numerous ways.  

In fall 2018, the long-awaited STEAM Learning Center (SLC) was created within Groton Jr./Sr. High School (GHS) and has proved to be an incredible resource for its students. 

While the offerings in the SLC are primarily geared toward juniors and seniors, the GCC exposes younger students to the possibilities for their adult lives. bSixth- through eighth-graders can explore who they are and receive early guidance about their futures.  

“It’s about creating time and space to have meaningful conversations with students about life after high school, be it college, career or life’s other challenges and opportunities,” Downs said. “They don’t know what they don’t know, so we are trying to expose them to all the opportunities that are out there for them, matched to their interests, values, strengths and personalities so they can be thoughtful and reflective in their decision making — planning with intention today so they can have a better tomorrow.” 

To that end, the GCC launched this past fall, not only with a focus for students to look within themselves, but also with many opportunities to explore careers so that they can be more intentional about careers that match their attributes. 

The GCC hosted several lunch-and-learns and mini career fairs to bring professionals into the building. The program also took interested students to career-specific events off campus, such as Construction Day in Syracuse and the Health Expo at Ithaca College.  

Nathyn Ford, a seventh-grade student, said, “I loved the fun educational activities at the mini health care career fair.” Nattalie Lombardi, another seventh grader, said, “I liked the tech gallery most because it made me reconsider a career in ecofriendly engineering.” 

“I think the whole idea of the career center is great because so many high school students have no idea what they are going to do in college, so giving them the opportunity to see what certain jobs are all about may inspire them,” Lombardi said. 

Downs also spoke about the impact of the industry leaders and members of the workforce who came into the GCC to conduct workshops and lunch-and-learn sessions. Some of the older high school students also shared their expertise. 

“We had the unions come in to talk about their trades and allowed the students to do some of the things they had demonstrated for them,” Downs said. “TST BOCES came in with their ‘Library of Things’ and showed the students things like coding and robots, and even took them to Spain and Egypt with the VR [virtual reality] device. In our ‘Focus on Tech’ session, our senior students, Brynn Blasz and Julez Garcia, ran a Canva workshop. The students who attend all these sessions are asking good questions and are always asking when the next one is going to be!” 

Coming up in the spring semester, the GCC has a host of fun activities planned for students to explore different career clusters and talk with industry professionals, such as Wellness Week, with a focus on human services; Money $marts Expo, which will be a real-life personal finance simulation wherein students choose a career, get a salary and be charged with budgeting for all of their expenses; Ag Olympics, in partnership with the GHS Ag STEAM program for Agricultural Week; Police & Military Week; Teacher Appreciation Week, to learn about the education and training required for educators;, a high school Internship Fair for seniors interested in finding summer jobs, with workshops on resumes and mock interviews; a Future FocusED student conference on college, career, leadership and life, hosted by the GCS Student Ambassadors (a partnership between the GCC and the Early College High School program); and so much more.  

But that’s not all! The GCC is hosting a career academy this summer — a five-week program for 10th through 12th graders that explores various career clusters in a fun, hands-on and engaging way. It will feature career experts as guest speakers to gain insights into what their jobs are really like. Students will also be taken out into the field to tour businesses, attend events and network with professionals to gain a better understanding of the different workplace environments and career options within each industry. Students will learn fundamental workplace skills such as communication, professionalism and teamwork; create a professional resume and conduct a mock interview; and learn more about the college process as it relates to their career interests. 

And that’s still not all! The GCC will also run an entrepreneurship academy. This five-week summer program for 10th through 12th graders teaches students how to build and run their own business. The GCC will host entrepreneurs as guest speakers to gain insights into different businesses and what it takes to start and run a successful business. Those students will go out to meet with entrepreneurs, visit start-up resource centers, tour local colleges with strong entrepreneurship programs and attend events to gain a better understanding of the various options and resources. Students will also learn fundamental workplace skills such as communication, professionalism and teamwork; create a business plan; and pitch their own business idea to a panel of investors.  

Each of these academies involves focused sessions each week, with five to six hours of either work readiness or entrepreneurship training, four to six hours of work-based learning experience, and two hours of college and career prep counseling. Students will also receive a $150 stipend per session that is totally grant-funded!  

“This is a great opportunity for Groton students,”  said Martin. “The career center will allow students to explore career paths through workshops, guest speakers with potential employers, field trips and job shadowing opportunities. It is a place where they can begin to discover who they are, what they value, what their strengths are and what type of career they may wish to pursue. In addition, our students can get one-on-one assistance with resume writing, interview training and other professional skills necessary for them to be successful in the workforce.”  

The GCC continues to create ways to empower all students to reach their fullest potential and find their unique pathway to success through personal development and career awareness, exploration and preparation. They are always looking for creative ideas and career connections; interested professionals may contact GCC Director Billie Downs at bdowns@grotoncs.org. 

Groton on the Inside appears every week in Tompkins Weekly. Submit story ideas to editorial@vizellamedia.com or text or call Linda at 607-227-4922.  

In brief: 

Town of Groton taxes 

A reminder that town and county tax bills must be paid in full by January 31 to avoid the accrual of interest. See your tax bill for applicable interest charges thereafter. There is an extended deadline of Feb. 7 for qualifying senior citizens who pay their bill in full by that date. Qualifications are listed on your tax bill, or you may call the Groton town clerk’s office at 607-898-5035 to inquire. 

Taxes may be paid by mail, in person or via the drop box next to the town clerk’s office entrance at 101 Conger Blvd., or with credit card or e-check online at townofgrotonny.org. 

Tax payments can be received at the office from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. The office will be open additional hours from 8 a.m. until noon Saturday, Jan. 27 and 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 30, and Wednesday, Jan. 31.  

GPL Book Club 

The GPL Book Club will meet at Groton Public Library at 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 18. The book of discussion is “Lessons in Chemistry” by Bonnie Garmus. The library has a few copies available to check out. The next book for February is “Miracle Creek” by Angie Kim. For more information, call 607-898-5055 or email director@grotonpubliclibrary.org. 

Vendor applications for Cabin Fever 

Groton Recreation is now accepting vendor applications for Groton Cabin Fever. Event organizers are shifting the focus of vendors to activities for families, and therefore are prioritizing vendors who will offer family-centered activities and products.  

Ideal vendors would offer low-cost and interactive opportunities. If you feel your business meets the needs of the event and you would like an application or have any questions, email recreation@grotonny.org. Applications will be accepted until Tuesday, Feb. 6.