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The University of West Alabama’s Division of Economic Development and Outreach (DEDO) hosted the 2018 Career Exploration Summer Camp (CESC) for students who will be sophomores and juniors during the 2018-2019 school year. The camps were held on June 17-22 and 24-29.

Students from Sweet Water High School and Demopolis High School participated in the 2018 Career Exploration Camp at the University of West Alabama in June.  James Smith, Madison Smith, and Cierra Smith represented Sweet Water and Price Smith was a representive of Demopolis High School. 

The CESC is a residential program in which students are offered the ability to explore career options and prepare for college through interactive and engaging hands-on activities, field trips and presentations. The event was sponsored by the DEDO and the Daniel Foundation of Alabama.

The CESC is an extremely intense and structured learning opportunity for youth in the secondary school systems of Alabama,” said DEDO Executive Director Dr. Tina Jones.

The curriculum offers students a thorough look into current and emerging career fields, highlights of the knowledge and skills needed for each career, essential information on projected employment—where the jobs are and will continue to grow, and steps that students can take now, while in high school, to prepare for the future. In addition, students participated in business etiquette training, team-building activities, academic enhancement activities, career-focused field trips, resume writing, and financial literacy training.

The CESC Program is scholarship based for all students and includes all program costs/room fees, equipment/supplies, workshops/handouts, field trips, room and board, lab fee, facility usage and speakers.

The CESC is a competitive selection process program limited to 12 male and 12 female students for each camp in Choctaw, Greene, Hale, Marengo, Perry, Pickens and Sumter counties. Camps for next year will be held on June 16-21 and June 23-28. An application packet will be available November 2018 at www.centerforblackbelt.org.

For more information, contact Program Director Sanquenetta Thompson at 205-652-3408/sthompson@uwa.edu or DEDO Secretary Monica Moore at 205-652-3828.

(This article originally appeared in the Wednesday, August 22 issue of the Demopolis Times.)