“Students get motivated to take their future into their own hands when they see for themselves that their goals are attainable,” says Jeralyn Mire, Sandpoint High’s postsecondary transition counselor.

Mire, who heads the school’s effort to encourage students to make plans for careers and/or college, is talking about her Panhandle Alliance for Education grant called “College and Careers in Motion.” This grant has enabled Mire and her staff to expand field trip opportunities for students considering their postsecondary plans.

These field trips have included the NACAC College Fair, professional/technical field trips and college campus visits. Another trip is Hard Hats, Hammer and Hot Dogs, a hands-on showcase in Coeur d’Alene of professional/technical programs and careers available in areas such as construction, welding and carpentry. Mire tells of a mom who wrote after her son attended, “My son arrived home with a silk screened shirt he’d made, a welded piece of art he had made, and photos of him driving several huge pieces of machinery. His renewed sense of excitement about future possibilities made him feel empowered for the first time in several years. This field trip made him feel he had a future in the ‘real’ world.”

Mire says, “Students come away from these field trips realizing that they can enter a previously unknown job field, or work somewhere they didn’t know about, or attend a college they might not have considered. The feedback we received after the last College Fair was extremely positive. Ninety-four percent of attending students said they felt better prepared for planning their post-secondary options and 100% would recommend the trip to other students.”

She adds, “Since the State Department of Education has cut all field trip reimbursements, without this PAFE grant we wouldn’t be able to offer these opportunities for free. And with 42% of our students eligible for free and reduced lunch, grant funding has a great impact on who gets to experience these trips. In many instances PAFE’s grants and community support are the reasons students become motivated to create a plan, pursue their goals and eventually watch their dreams become reality.”

The Panhandle Alliance for Education is a non-profit organization composed of local citizens, businesses, and educators. The organization’s mission is to promote excellence in education and broad-based community support for the Lake Pend Oreille School District. Donations are distributed as a working pool of money used to fund local teacher grants as well as a variety of other strategic programs.

Information: www.panhandlealliance.org or Executive Director Marcia Wilson, 208-263-7040