February 17, 2025

January 2025 Recap: Kicking off the New Year!

January was an exciting month for Pathways to Partnerships as we launched Pathway to Dreams Cohort 2 in both Polk County Schools and Houston County Schools! Our team had an incredible time engaging with students through Meet and Greet sessions and impactful lessons designed to foster self-awareness, career exploration, and future success.

Polk County Schools Highlights

At Cedartown Middle School, our 6th graders explored "Superhero Strengths: Uncovering Your Interests," a lesson designed to help students identify their personal strengths and passions. Meanwhile, 7th graders participated in "Unleash Your Inner Hero: Discover Your Strengths and Passions," connecting the idea of superheroes to their own unique skills and interests.

Student at a computer taking an assessment.
Polk County student takes part in an online career assessment.

At Rockmart Middle School, our 8th graders engaged in "Unlock Your Potential: Embrace Your Strengths and Explore Your Interests." This session encouraged self-exploration, helping students understand how their personal strengths and interests shape their future potential.

Additionally, Pathways to Partnerships classes in Polk County took exciting steps toward career discovery.

  • 6th Grade: "Career Quest: Discover Your Future" introduced students to career interests through a survey and a video, "All About Working."
  • 7th Grade: "Ready to Dream Big? Exploring Your Ideal Career" guided students through an online career assessment, matching their strengths and interests to career categories.
  • 8th Grade: "Pathway to Success: Dream Job Quest" used career interest inventories to help students explore vocational opportunities and key entry-level jobs related to their dream careers.

To round out the month, Pathways to Partnerships participants became career explorers, discovering careers and enhancing self-advocacy skills!

  • 6th Graders explored Georgia's 17 Career Clusters, uncovering their unique interests and identifying potential career paths to set a strong foundation for their future.
  • 7th Graders focused on self-advocacy with the lesson, "Empower Yourself: Finding Your Voice," where they discovered the importance of self-advocacy, practiced key strategies, and discussed how to confidently navigate various real-life situations.
  • 8th Graders tackled self-advocacy in the workplace with the lesson, "Rise Up and Speak Out! Mastering Self-Advocacy in the Workplace." They explored key concepts such as workplace disclosure and requesting reasonable accommodations, equipping them with tools to confidently navigate future career environments.

Together, Polk County Schools, NWGACIL, and GVRA are creating meaningful pathways to success for students and families.

Houston County Schools Highlights

The launch of Pathway to Dreams Cohort 2 in Houston County Schools was met with enthusiasm as students at Feagin Mill Middle and Warner Robins Middle embarked on an exciting journey of career exploration.

Feagin Mill Middle School students collaborating on their dreams packet
Students participate in a Networking BINGO, where they discovered connections with others.

Through engaging Pathway to Dreams lessons, students started thinking about potential future careers while enhancing their knowledge of soft skills and early career exploration. These lessons provided an opportunity for self-reflection and preparation for their future goals.

Last week, Pathways to Partnerships participants in Houston County Schools engaged in an intriguing lesson discovering their preferred career areas. Feagin Mill Middle and Warner Robins Middle students completed a career interest inventory and learned how to align personal strengths and interests to potential career options. They also explored related jobs in career areas of interest that may provide knowledge or experience to help them achieve their dream job! It’s inspiring to see students so enthusiastic about their future career possibilities. Great job, FMMS and WRMS students!

We are so grateful to one of our awesome P2P partners, Disability Connections, for continuing to deliver engaging, impactful "Pathway to Dreams" lessons while also building positive relationships with participating students and outreaching to families. Houston County Schools + Disability Connections + GVRA = Pathways to Partnerships as we work together to support students in developing essential soft skills, ensuring a smooth transition to high school, and paving the way for positive post-secondary outcomes and dream careers!

Exciting News from Columbia Middle School

We’re thrilled to announce the implementation of the Pathway to Dreams curriculum at Columbia Middle School in Grovetown this January! The instructors at Walton Options started the week building relationships and engaging students in meaningful discussions to help them discover their personal strengths and interests. A huge thank you goes out to the CMS staff along with the district and school administration for welcoming the P2P/CIL Teams and for their support of the program. It’s exciting to see students gaining the tools and knowledge they need to achieve their dream careers and prepare for competitive integrated employment (CIE). Stay tuned for more updates as we continue this journey! #Pathway to Dreams #EmpoweringFutures #ColumbiaRaiders

A man who is blind facilitating a classroom session with students
Students take part in a discussion to identify their personal "superpowers" by reflecting on their strengths, interests and hobbies.

Program Impact - January 2025

  • Total Enrollment (Cumulative): 176
  • Schools Participating in Implementation: 5 (Columbia Middle, Warner Robins Middle, Feagin Mill Middle, Cedartown Middle, Rockmart Middle)
  • Grades Served: 6th, 7th, 8th, and Adaptive
  • Number of Children Served (6th-8th Grade) in January: 122
  • Number of P2P Services Delivered: 452 (FY25 YTD: 966)
  • P2P Family Contacts (Emails and Phone Calls): 695
  • Outreach Events: 1
  • Facebook P2P Post Views: 4,996
  • P2P Website Homepage Views: 477

Looking Ahead

As we move forward, we encourage families to stay connected and take advantage of the upcoming events for children and youth at:

  • NWAGACIL in Rome, GA
  • Walton Options in Augusta, GA
  • Disability Connections in Macon, GA
  • P2P Virtual Monthly Family Learning Sessions

We are committed to providing valuable resources and opportunities to help students and families navigate their pathways to success.

Pathways to Partnerships is proud to be part of this journey, and we look forward to sharing more success stories in the coming months. Together, we are truly One Team, One Dream, Better Together!