FROM THE EDITOR: Get on the Bus for Success
Stafford Schools is making it possible for students to connect with professionals across the region. The Advance visited today - learn how you can take part.
By Martin Davis
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
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Stafford’s new blue bus is named SCOUT, and its mission isn’t to shuttle kids to school, but rather to deliver on-the-go access to school resources, programs, and support.
That can take a lot of forms. Tuesday morning, the Advance was honored to meet the bus at North Stafford High School, where six students were inside waiting to talk about applying for jobs and college, and preparing for an up-and-coming veterans’ recognition ceremony.
We were there for an hour, but it’s amazing how much can get done in that time.
From helping a student looking for a part-time job navigate an online application, to helping three college-bound students think more clearly about what pathways they’re going to choose, and helping two JROTC students figure out how to promote their program to middle school students, the SCOUT bus created a conducive environment that allowed a lot of work to get done in a short amount of time.
The Advance writes a great deal about the challenging educational environment we are all currently facing, and the struggles that schools face.
What can get lost in that discussion is how amazing the students navigating that system truly are.
They dream big, and that latch onto ideas that will help them reach their goals.
Today, simple tips like introducing a young man who wants to become a Realtor to the Fredericksburg Area Association of Realtors; helping a young woman interested in architecture and construction find the colleges in Virginia that offer that training (can you name them?) and introducing her to the Fredericksburg Area Builders Association; and helping JROTC students find a quicker solution to identify and contact veterans in their community were not just welcomed, but motivated them to get after their goals.
One doesn’t need to be an expert to help — sharing your life experiences will open connections and pathways that these students may have never considered before.
The Advance is proud to volunteer for the SCOUT bus, and we encourage our readers to give an hour of time to help students discover the pathways to reaching their goals.
Want to get involved? Contact Stafford County Public Schools’ Chief of Communications Sandra Osborne for more information.
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