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A-Z Career Lab: Youth Program Director

THAT WOULD BE COOL TO SEE ASTRONAUTS IN SPACE, BUT IF YOU ARE MORE INTERESTED IN STAYING ON EARTH, THE CAREER OF YOUTH PROGRAM DIRECTOR MIGHT BE FOR YOU. AS WE SAW IN OUR BUCKEYE BEAT - IT TAKES SOME SMART ADULTS TO PUT TOGETHER FUN PROGRAMS FOR KIDS.

OUR FRIENDS AT C-T-V AND THINK-TV HAVE MORE TO SHARE ABOUT THE JOB IN THIS WEEK’S SPECIAL CAREER LAB.

CHARLEY: CHEMISTRY, BIOLOGY, GEOLOGY, AND PHYSICS. DID YOU KNOW SCIENCE TEACHERS

KNOW SOMETHING ABOUT ALL THESE DIFFERENT TYPES OF FIELDS? THEY’RE BASICALLY SCIENCE

EXPERTS WHO SHARE THEIR KNOWLEDGE WITH STUDENTS. AND EVERY SCHOOL HAS AT LEAST ONE!

TI: THAT IS COOL! BUT HOW ABOUT A CAREER THAT PUTS YOU ON THE PROPERTY MAP AND PUTS

YOUR PEOPLE SKILLS TO THE TEST? REAL ESTATE AGENTS HELP FAMILIES BUY AND SELL THEIR HOMES.

AND FOR MOST PEOPLE, THAT’S THE LARGEST FINANCIAL TRANSACTION OF THEIR LIVES.

FLASH: EVENT PLANNERS ALSO WORK WITH PEOPLE, BUT INSTEAD OF HELPING FAMILIES FIND THEIR

DREAM HOME, THEY ARE HIRED TO PULL OFF THE PERFECT PARTY, MEETING, OR EVEN BIG

CONVENTION. LIKE REAL ESTATE AGENTS, IT’S ALSO A VERY ENTREPRENEURIAL CAREER.

 

(A FRIENDLY CHIRPING SOUND, FOLLOWED BY AN ANNOUNCEMENT - WOMAN’S VOICE)

ATTENTION. ATTENTION. THE OFFICE OF THE ALPHABET IS CALLING WITH AN URGENT CAREER REQUEST.

TI: AND THAT’S THE SOUND WE’VE BEEN PLANNING TO HEAR ALL DAY.

WOMAN’S VOICE: PLEASE STAND BY.

FLASH: MUSIC TO MY EARS.

CHARLEY: Y! YOWSER! THAT’S A HARD ONE.

FLASH: YOGA INSTRUCTOR?

CHARLEY: YARD ENGINEER? TRANSPORTING ENGINES AND CARS TO THE RAILYARD.

TI: YO-YO DESIGNER?

FLASH: OH! YOUTH PROGRAM DIRECTOR. THAT MAKES MORE SENSE.

CHARLEY: SEEMS STRAIGHTFORWARD.

TI: ACTUALLY, THIS ONE IS. LAUREN ASQUITH IS GOING TO BREAK THIS ONE DOWN. SHE’S A YOUTH

PROGRAM DIRECTOR AT FIVE RIVERS METROPARKS.

CHARLEY: HI, LAUREN!

LAUREN ASQUITH: HELLO, LAB SQUAD KIDS!

FLASH: CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT YOU DO DAY-TO-DAY?

LAUREN ASQUITH: A YOUTH PROGRAM DIRECTOR GETS TO PLAN, DEVELOP, IMPLEMENT, AND

THEN EVALUATE PROGRAMS FOR KIDS OF ALL AGES. YOUTH PROGRAM DIRECTORS GET TO WORK ON

TEAMS AS WELL, SO YOU’RE NEVER WORKING ALL BY YOURSELF. SPECIFICALLY, AT FIVE RIVERS METRO

PARKS MY CLASSROOM DOESN’T HAVE ANY WALLS. I HAVE 16,000 ACRES OF FORESTS, PRAIRIES,

AND WETLANDS THAT I GET TO EXPLORE WITH KIDS.

CHARLEY: WORKING AT THE PARK SOUNDS FUN. WHERE ARE SOME OTHER PLACES THAT A YOUTH

PROGRAM DIRECTOR MIGHT WORK?

LAUREN ASQUITH: A YOUTH PROGRAM DIRECTOR MIGHT WORK AT A MUSEUM, A ZOO, AN

AQUARIUM, A PARK DISTRICT LIKE ME, OR MIGHT WORK AT A CAMP LIKE A YMCA CAMP, OR AN

OVERNIGHT CAMP WHERE KIDS COULD GO AND STAY FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME.

TI: LAUREN, DO YOU EVER GET TO WORK WITH WILD ANIMALS?

LAUREN ASQUITH: WE HAVE A BUTTERFLY HOUSE WITH A NUMBER OF WILD BUTTERFLIES. WE

ALSO HAVE LIVE ANIMAL AMBASSADORS. WE HAVE BOX TURTLES, A VARIETY OF NATIVE SNAKES, AS

WELL AS A RED-TAILED HAWK AND AN AMERICAN KESTREL, WHICH WE GET TO TAKE OUT AND

SHOWCASE TO KIDS JUST LIKE YOU, SO THAT YOU CAN GET TO KNOW SOME OF THE ANIMALS THAT ARE

RIGHT IN YOUR BACKYARD.

FLASH: THAT SOUNDS AWESOME! BUT BESIDES ANIMALS, WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE PART ABOUT

YOUR JOB?

LAUREN ASQUITH: MY FAVORITE PART OF THE JOB IS ACTUALLY BEING ABLE TO WORK WITH KIDS.

THERE’S NOTHING MORE SPECIAL THAN SHOWING A CHILD HOW TO HOLD A CRAWDAD FOR THE FIRST

TIME, CATCHING A BUTTERFLY, AND JUST REALIZING ALL THE COOL THINGS GOING ON IN NATURE.

TI: WE’LL LET YOU GO NOW, LAUREN, BUT WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOU TALKING TO US TODAY ABOUT

THIS CAREER!

LAUREN ASQUITH: BYE KIDS, THANKS FOR TALKING WITH ME TODAY AND I HOPE TO SEE YOU

OUT IN THE PARKS REAL SOON.

FLASH: YOUTH PROGRAM DIRECTORS PLAN FUN AND EDUCATIONAL EVENTS, SO KIDS LIKE US CAN

LEARN AND GROW. THAT’S SO COOL!

CHARLEY: EVEN MORE REASON TO GET THE WORD OUT. THE MORE PEOPLE WHO WANT TO HELP

EDUCATE KIDS, THE MORE KIDS WILL HAVE A HEAD-START ON THE CAREER OF THEIR DREAMS!

TI: NOW THIS IS ONE CAREER I’M SOLD ON! WHAT? WAS IT SOMETHING I SAID?

MUSIC


Instructional Links


Website Article: My Majors, Youth Program Director Career