Career Day Inc.™ brings career choice awareness to high school students in an exciting full day program. Working in partnership with a diverse group of professionals, Career Day Inc.’s program introduces students to the varied paths others have taken to reach their career goals and creates an atmosphere of acceptance and opportunity for all students at every academic level. The program emphasizes the importance of setting goals and using education to achieve aspirations by providing a forum for every student to feel valued and more confident. It is the philosophy of Career Day Inc. that when a student is presented with the opportunity to hear information directly from professionals about their experiences, it can have a significant impact on their confidence, direction, and long-term success.
Career Day Inc. began out of the desire of Beth Bucheister, its founder and Executive Director, to continue the legacy of her late husband, Arie, who was killed in 2003. His hope was for everyone he knew to find success through desire, opportunity, and hard work. And so,out of tragedy, came triumph, and the launch of CareerDay Inc. The program supports students with the Arie A. Bucheister Memorial Scholarship to help set them on their path to success. Career Day Inc. strives to provide programming to schools serving diverse communities often with over 60% of students of minority backgrounds. Established in 2016, Career Day Inc. has awarded $6,000 in scholarships to students, provided programming to over 5,000 students and has attracted local professionals as well as contributing speakers from as far as Las Vegas and Hawaii. Every program begins with a compelling keynote speaker. This year Renee Flagler, Executive Director of GirlsIncLI and author and coach will provide the students at Hicksville High School with a motivating and powerful opening.
Virtual and hybrid learning this year has been a challenge for parents, students and teachers. Because students have limited opportunities for after-school jobs and internships, it is more important than ever to prepare them for life after high school and introduce them to possibilities they may not have known existed. Career Day Inc. is working with professionals to highlight careers of the 21st century and is offering exposure to current, new fields including Women in STEM, cybersecurity, environmental/sustainability programs, and coaching as a profession for improved self-esteem and mental health. . Career Day Inc. professionals support classroom curriculum. For example, engineers support math lessons, authors and journalists support English classes, and artists and musicians can motivate students to incorporate their love of the arts into a meaningful career.
Career Day Inc. programs support the efforts of the professionals, too. “Thank you to you because participating in this program helped reinvigorate me – my purpose for what I do each and every day,” one presenter said. “Sometimes we get so lost in the day-to-day that we forget why we do what we do, and this helps me to go back to my roots and refocus some of my energy!” Eric B., Hospital Administrator at Northwell Health.
In addition, Career Day Inc. programs support the school-wide population. Efthymia RafaelidesChairperson for Guidance Services at Hicksville Public Schools stated, after the April 2020 virtual program, “The Career Day Inc. Program was fantastic!! Students were engaged and asked excellent and pertinent questions. Presenters represented various careers that many of our students have expressed an interest in learning more about. I have already recommended this program to many of my colleagues!!!”
Career Day Inc., a 501c3 organization recognized by the IRS as a nonprofit, is registered with all three Long Island BOCES Arts in Education, Exploratory Enrichment programs. Career Day Inc. seeks funding from anyone interested in supporting the mission of inspiring students through career choice awareness. While creating a successful virtual program, Career Day Inc.s looking forward to returning to schools and fostering in-person interaction between professionals and students as well as reimplementing the networking luncheons held prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
