MAHS Career Readiness

Car and home repairs, taxes, health insurance, job promotions, job losses, vacation planning…these topics aren't necessarily on the forefront of the minds of most high school students, but this spring MAHS juniors got a glimpse into “adulting” thanks to Junior Achievement of South Central PA’s REAL Life.

REAL Life is a day-long financial literacy and career-readiness program that helps students understand topics like budgeting and interviewing through hands-on activities. MASD community business partners and volunteers facilitated activities and shared their real life experiences with students. Junior Achievement Real Life Seminar

Junior Achievement's financial literacy program called Budget Builder is unlike others in that each student is assigned their unique “life situation” which details their adult persona, including marital status, number of children (if any), education, employment, and income.

The life scenario might be a student as a single parent with two children with an associate’s degree, and a career as a sales representative receiving an income of $55,000 per year. Students determine how much of their income is available each month after taxes, and allocate money as they complete their budget.

The program is designed to make students aware of how the choices they make influence their lives for years to come, the importance of savings, and key concepts involved in financial decision making.

MASD’s collaboration with Junior Achievement and community business partners is part of the District’s mission and vision for all students to be life and career ready and graduate equipped with the knowledge and skills that will enable them to thrive in a rapidly changing world.

To get career ready, all MASD students must choose a Career Pathway which focuses their elective courses toward preparing for a specific goal area. A Pathway is a broad grouping of careers that share similar characteristics and whose employment requirements call for many common interests, strengths and competencies.

Read more about Career Pathways

Through research as early as middle school, career development activities, advice from parents, teachers and counselors, and self-assessments, students choose a Pathway as freshman. As they progress through high Students at a Career Expo

school students have opportunities to job shadow and obtain internships, as well as attend college and career expos to explore careers of interest within the various Pathways and talk with professionals about their careers, including education or training, work hours, and salaries.

As seniors students continue their coursework in their chosen Pathway and mid-year present their Career Action Plans (CAP) to panels of District administrators, faculty, and community business partners. Panel members engage with student presenters and provide encouragement and feedback regarding career choices and future plans. The CAP interviews are a graduation requirement and task students with presenting post-secondary plans. Presentations include an introduction to panel members, a description of their primary/secondary career pathway at MAHS, intended career path, short and long term plans, and influences in choosing their designated career or direction. Student at a career action plan presentation

Student at a career action plan presentation

The Class of 2024 presented their Career Action Plans this winter, where professions represented by our community business partners included health and sciences, law enforcement, insurance, and service industries.

Skip Sidebar Navigation

Last item for navigation

MAHS Pathways to Pride

Career Pathways

MAHS Transitional Opportunities

Middletown AreaSchool District

MAHS Career Readiness