Humanities and Career Exploration: A Natural Fit

When a high school student reads Herman Melville's Moby Dick, its significance doesn't necessarily end when English class is over. The classic novel can be used as a springboard from which students can examine the lives of whalers, the impact of whaling on the economy, and the subsequent near-extinction of whales. The novel can also introduce lessons in oceanography, navigational techniques, and astronomy.

In this spirit of subject integration, the latest guide from NWREL's Education and Work program focuses on blending humanities coursework with career exploration. In Balancing Life and Work: The Humanities as an Essential Part of Career Exploration, authors Leslie Haynes and Amy Blake highlight programs that approach the study of humanities in one of two ways: The first approach treats the humanities as a way to enrich the world of work; the second explores the humanities as career fields in their own right.

School-to-work advocates say that career exploration and other programs linking the classroom with the workplace can spark young people's interest in learning. Making a connection between academic education and success in the world beyond school brings a vitality to learning that is difficult to achieve in any other way, say officials at the U.S. Department of Education. School-to-work programs can help every student-whether college-bound or on the verge of dropping out -see the vital connection between school success and a satisfying career. These programs can also help students apply what they have learned in real-life situations.

"Until all the academic disciplines are connected in some way to career preparation or exploration programs, we cannot consider our schools successful," says Lynn Simons of the Education Department. "Every discipline contributes to the lifelong skills and knowledge of students."

Many parents are willing to involve their child in a school-to-work program only if the child also gets a good basic education. It is crucial, therefore, that the learning in these programs be based on rigorous academic standards, Education Department officials stress. Integrating the humanities-literature, history, philosophy, ethics, art, and economics-into career paths is essential to creating a curriculum that is both challenging and relevant. These disciplines not only provide pathways for students to explore, but also help them understand the many facets of the career path they are considering.

Much of the guide is devoted to profiles of successful programs in humanities education, ranging from small units to semester-long projects to models for schoolwide reform. The authors share programs that successfully integrate the humanities and school-to-work programs. Also provided are resources such as planning documents, Web sites, and recommended reading for implementing programs like these in schools.

Teachers in comprehensive high schools, regional occupational programs, and alternative schools throughout the West and Pacific were invited by the departments of Education and Labor to submit locally developed or commercially available curricula and instructional strategies that integrate humanities coursework and career exploration. Of the 400 submissions, three were chosen as "lighthouse" sites for demonstrating clearly defined academic and career-related standards, rigorous humanities content, and connections to their respective communities. (See the sidebar for descriptions of these three exemplary programs, located in Montana, Hawaii, and Idaho.)

Other programs, courses, and schools that were nominated for recognition in this 15-state survey are included as honorable-mention sites. These programs illustrate unique, insightful ways to combine humanities coursework with community resources, career exploration, and work-based learning.

Many of the teachers involved in these programs are finding ways to bridge subject-matter disciplines to show students that successful employment today requires graduates with new and different kinds of skills-skills that are often taught through the humanities. The schools that are implementing these programs most effectively are doing so by forming partnerships with practitioners in the field. This might involve community experts coming into the classroom. Or students could participate in job-shadow programs or internships to see for themselves how the humanities are a crucial part of the world beyond school. The students involved are active participants, not mere spectators, in these programs.

Because today's students will live and work in a global economy, the final section of the guide is devoted to this subject. Global economics encompasses many humanities-related topics, from civil rights issues and environmental balance to the history of labor unions and the artistic legacy of different cultures. Understanding the forces of globalization can help students make rational economic choices in their own lives and better prepare them for the policy decisions they will make as citizens.

The authors found that few curriculum guides exist for teachers who want to address global economics at the high school level.

If students are to understand the effects of increased globalization on career opportunities, more tools are needed, the authors say. To help fill the gap, the guide contains ideas for a series of lessons and units for both short- and long-term projects.

"The projects and resources featured thrive on the power of collaboration and integration between departments, schools, businesses, and communities," the authors stress. "Our aim is to remind all educators of their interdependence and mutual goals."

To order a copy of the guide, Balancing Life and Work: The Humanities as an Essential Part of Career Exploration, please turn to the Order Form in this newsletter.

The three "lighthouse" sites described in the new publication Balancing Life and Work: The Humanities as an Essential Part of Career Exploration were chosen by U.S. Department of Education reprsentatives for Regions VIII, IX, and X, Loni Hancock, Lynn Simons, and Carla Nuxoll. The sites are:

Insights Through Exploration—Corvallis High School/Corvallis, Montana: Students in this rural school district work with the community, local organizations, and state and national agencies in the preservation and documentation of Montana's physical and historical heritage. Through direct experience, mentor relationships with professionals, and optional course offerings, students explore how humanities coursework can lead to careers in their chosen field. In the process, they acquire career-related skills. Among the agencies students work with are: soil biologists from federal fisheries, museum preservationists from the Montana Historical Society, anthropologists from the Bureau of Land Management, staff from the University of Montana, and researchers from the Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks Department.
Ho'ala Na Pua ("Awaken the Children")—Kealakekua, Hawaii: This four-year academy centers on Hawaiian culture with an emphasis on strengthening the bonds between the land, the sea, and the island people. The program offers hands-on learning activities tied to careers related to the environment. Course offerings include navigational math and science as well as ethnic and environmental studies. The program culminates in a voyaging unit in which students explore 200 miles of coastline in a double-hulled canoe, or E'ala, over a two-week period and learn firsthand the value of teamwork, communication, leadership, self-confidence, and personal responsibility.
From Shakespeare to Studs Terkel—St. Maries High School/St. Maries, Idaho: At this rural school on the banks on Lake Coeur d'Alene, a popular senior English class gives students an opportunity to explore various career options while preparing to face reading and writing challenges in college and the workforce. This team-taught course uses novels, short stories, and poems to reflect various aspects of—and attitudes toward—the workforce, the job market, specific jobs, and national trends. Students also develop future goals by using career information software and composing autobiographies.