The Bradford Area High School Guidance Department strives to maintain a balance in serving the career, academic, social and emotional needs of all of our students.
From a career perspective, counselors engage students in a variety of career related activities designed to generate and promote exploration, research and discussion about the various career paths available to students beyond high school. Students are exposed to career batteries that provide students with career paths that match their current interests,abilities, and aptitudes and are further engaged in activities that are designed to learn more about their chosen career path(s). Salary, education, skills, education, and work conditions are among the items researched and explored inside and outside the classroom setting including: targeted trips to colleges and technical schools, meetings with college representatives at BAHS, visits to College Fairs, classroom presentations by college representatives, employer interviews, and job shadowing experiences. Lastly, individual and classroom discussions stimulate realistic and meaningful conversations about whether or not a child's chosen career path is a "high priority occupation" and if not, what back-up or secondary career paths should be considered.
From an academic perspective, counselors assist and often design student schedules that align with their career goals and help students gain the most out of their high school experience. Counselors serve as a valuable resource to students and their parents by encouraging meetings, discussions and conversations about student coursework, future goals and aspirations. Counselors also serve as a liaison between students, parents, and their teachers when problems arise and a viable solution needs to be developed in order to improve academic performance. All in all, counselors admire and respect individual differences and regularly assist and support students in solving or improving academic issues, continually selecting the most challenging academic coursework available, and preparing them best for their chosen career path.
From a social and emotional perspective, counselors are readily available to students who are dealing or coping with difficult situations that may include: peer issues, family problems, mental health issues, drug and alcohol problems, bullying, divorce/separation, and grief issues. Counselors strive to maintain student confidentiality and identify student safety as their number one priority. Using a team centered approach in most situations, counselors utilize the SAP (Student Assistance Program) program, consult or refer to outside agencies when appropriate and necessary, and involve parents in the decision-making and supportive processes. Most importantly, counselors assess individual student situations and strive to actively listen and empathize with student issues, assess the severity and duration of the current problem(s), and work diligently to put a plan in place that stabilizes and moves a student into a more healthy social and emotional state of mind which ultimately helps the student to function at his/her highest level inside and outside the classroom.