WARREN, Ohio – A program kicking off next month aims to prepare students for life after high school regardless of what path they pursue.
Game Changers, established in 2013, is a nonprofit organization that provides guidance to high school students, offering programs to help them in school and as they prepare for the next step.
This summer, the organization is launching the Grad & Go Summer Academy.
“It’s our career readiness for rising seniors,” said Michael Engram, Game Changers executive officer.
Up to 50 students from high schools within Warren will be accepted. There is no charge to attend, but students will participate in fundraising activities to help offset costs. The first phase of the program will run from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Thursday in June. Those interested can apply HERE. The application deadline is May 22.
“It really is all about that career readiness, self-awareness, self-identity,” Engram said.
Participants will complete a personality test to show their strengths. It’s to give them a better understanding of their temperament, not for an adult to tell them what job they should do, Engram stressed. The importance of soft skills also will be emphasized, and students will share the kinds of careers they might be interested in pursuing.
“So it’s like reverse engineering,” he said. “What’s your dream job? Does that require that you have a PhD, an MD or a master’s or bachelor’s or associate’s, or maybe your certificate?”
That will help students chart what they need to do to achieve their career goals, whether that be college, a trade school, apprenticeship or something else. Throughout June, speakers from varied employment sectors, including business executives, tradespeople and military personnel, will talk to students about their careers.
For the next phase of the program, students will meet with mentors – Game Changers volunteers and people from the workforce – throughout their senior year of high school.
The program will conclude in June 2027 with a Disney Career Readiness Experience at the theme park, during which Engram said students will learn about the inner workings of Disney, its corporate culture and the importance it places on guest experience.
And Engram is looking for people in business, the trades and the military to volunteer too, both during the first phase and potentially throughout the year. People can volunteer or inquire about sponsorships to support Game Changers HERE.
“We want to make sure that we have a group of people who first care about young people,” Engram said. “Secondly, when we talk about community revitalization, that starts with the people, not necessarily just with the places and things. So it’s about, how do we make sure that we’re building that workforce and we contribute to that narrative rather than just talking about it – actually showing up to be a part of it.”
Pictured at top: Michael Engram, executive officer of Game Changers.