Know your audience
It’s no surprise that one size does not fit all. The same goes for communicating with students of different ages. Keep this in mind when you coordinate your introductory/planning visits with teachers and administrators. Go in to these visits with some ideas for activities, and be prepared to learn how to work best with the teachers, class schedules, etc. so your message is heard loud and clear by the students.
Here are some activity ideas for different age groups:
K-5th Grade – Keep your visits short and full of hands-on activity!
- Build structures with marshmallows and toothpicks, or legos.
- Construction-related coloring pages.
- Bring equipment to the school for the children to see and touch.
- Give the children plastic hardhats to wear.
- Crafts with concrete.
- Provide short tours of construction sites.
- Tell students about fun things they could do in construction jobs. (get dirty, drive heavy equipment, build bridges, and more)
6th – 8th Grade – Be prepared to provide more information than for younger students, but again, keep the students actively involved.
- Provide tours of work sites, talk about jobs at site.
- Bring drones, etc. to the school and talk about technology in the construction industry.
- Teach a simple construction math class.
- Visit an industrial arts class to help students with welding, carpentry projects.
- Share information about different construction career paths.
9th – 12th Grade – Show students what is involved in jobs in construction, and help them understand how to pursue that career path.
- Provide tours of work sites, talk about jobs at site.
- Bring drones, etc. to the school and talk about technology in the construction industry.
- Teach a construction math class.
- Visit an industrial arts class to help students with welding, carpentry projects.
- Share information about different construction career paths, how to get necessary training.
- Volunteer to provide job shadowing opportunities on your work sites.
- Establish an internship program. Laws are in place governing this, so work closely with your HR staff and the Montana Department of Labor and Industry to iron out the details.
It’s also helpful to bring age-appropriate giveaway items to keep the students engaged, like logoed water bottles, pens, phone accessories, etc. Plus, websites like Build Your Future – www.byf.org – offer posters and handouts related to careers in construction.