Children study careers in special summer classes

Shayla Armour and Marissa Williamson are looking at women's clothing and jewelry as a possibility for a career.

"We see 'Lil Momma's Inc.' headquartered in Los Angeles, Calif.," said the two enterprising sixth-graders.

Frederick Sparks and Cantrell Andrews are not looking as far away.

"We'd like to see our ICE Club and Recreation Center at the St. Louis Arch," said Sparks and Andrews.

A pet shop, computer tech store, beauty salon, firecracker sales and other career opportunities were discussed this week by fifth- and sixth-grade students during a special power-point presentation at the Cape Girardeau Civic Center Boys and Girls Club Inc. in downtown Cape Girardeau.

"It's all part of a special summer program being conducted at the center this summer," said Harry L. Schuler, the center's executive director.

The program runs seven weeks, ending July 26.

Seventy students, from ages 5 to 15, are participating, said Schuler. The focus of the daily program, which operates from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, is career development.

The goal, said Schuler, is to prepare participants for the working world by exploring careers that will assist them in making sound decisions about their education.

"It's important to mix career training with the 3 R's of education -- reading, 'ritin and 'rithmetic," said Schuler. "To go along with career development is art."

A second component of this week's project was to build a model business.

The models were on display as part of the student presentations.

Students researched their projects, and with the help of staffer Candice Murrell, computer counselor for the class, helped prepare the power-point presentations.

"I'm pleased with the students' progress," she said. "All of them did a good job."

A total of 18 students participated in the project.

Funding for computers used in the presentations was provided by a recent appropriation from Congress to Boys and Girls Clubs of America for the creation of wireless computers technology centers.

The estimated cost of the computer center is about $30,000, plus an estimated $16,000 of software donation by Microsoft. The Civic Center has 11 operating computers in its technology center.