Original Article – http://www.hendersoncountypublicschoolsnc.org/blog/2018/05/15/career-academy-attends-first-jncg-state-event/
Henderson County Career Academy earned 1st Place in the “Display Boards” competition category at the the Jobs for North Carolina’s Graduates (JNCG) inaugural statewide Student Leadership Summit held last month at N.C. State University.
The Student Leadership Summit, bearing the theme, “When Opportunity Knocks,” was the first event which brought together students from each of the seven JNCG high schools for a day of competition, leadership development and team building. According to a JNCG press release, up to 60 high school juniors and seniors, along with their College and Career Specialists, school personnel, and business and community leaders engaged in a day of networking, on-site competitions, skill development, awards, and recognition.
Pam Hartley, CEO of Communities in Schools of North Carolina, opened the event followed by an official NCSU welcome from the Assistant Vice Provost for Student Diversity, Dr. Tracey Ray. Jamal Tate, CISNC Board member and CEO/Founder of B.Y.E. LLC, and his business partner Vernisha Crawford traveled from Charlotte, N.C. to engage students in a highly energetic and impactful keynote address.
Prior to the event, the Career Association from each school site created and submitted a Chapter Commercial for competition. The commercials were judged by a team of business leaders and board members affiliated with CISNC. Additionally, each school site created a display board based on the Summit theme, which were also judged and voted upon on-site by the students in attendance.
The press release states that the Student Leadership Summit is a precursor to the first annual JNCG Career Development Conference, which is scheduled for Spring 2019. The Career Development Conference is an initiative of Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG) National and an integral part of the JAG curriculum and program. The Career Development Conference is designed to provide an opportunity for JAG/JNCG students to participate in skills-based competitions in the areas of public speaking, teamwork, and job-readiness among other topics.
As a program of Communities in Schools of North Carolina, Jobs for North Carolina’s Graduates continues the JAG mission to achieve high outcomes in graduation and employment rates, resulting in increased college access and completion.