EVOLVE Business and Entrepreneur Magazine Greater Daytona Region - August 2022 | Page 24

Sparking Inspiration

Volusia County Helping Students Define Career Path While Retaining Talent

by Danielle Anderson

The youth of today don ’ t dream of entering a career field that makes them unhappy or unfulfilled . But without guidance or the necessary skills required , they can easily find themselves in such a circumstance .

Defining Student Focus
Starting from an early age , the Volusia County school district is helping put students on the path to discovering a career field not only suited to their skills but also suited to their interests . Working closely with the Daytona Regional Chamber of Commerce , Career Source Flagler Volusia and regional businesses , in 2021 , the school district implemented the YouScience Discovery skills assessment program to the delight of educators like Volusia County Schools ’ Career & Technical Education Coordinator Bree Castelli . The program uses 11 different four to 15-minute brain game-like exercises taking about 90 minutes to complete that can be broken up into sessions . These sessions help students discover their aptitudes and interests and the careers best suited for both .
“ We implemented YouScience this year in all of our high schools . Five of our 10 high schools ranked in the top eight nationally for usage . Next year we look to expand the platform to our 8th graders to help us find high school pathways that meet their aptitude results ,” shared Castelli .
Bree Castelli
| 22 | EVOLVE BUSINESS AND ENTREPRENEUR MAGAZINE