Bliss Elementary Hosts second Career Day Event

Photo By Sgt. Marcie Wright | U.S. Customs and Border Protection K-9 officer Carmen Meza demonstrates with her canine parter, Yates, how the organization uses dogs to detect illegal substances at Bliss Elementary School, Oct. 23, at the Career Day event.  

UNITED STATES

10.23.2009

Story by Sgt. Marcie Wright 

Division West PAO

Third, fourth and fifth graders shuffled through the cafeteria at Bliss Elementary School to learn about jobs in the El Paso community, opening their minds and encouraging a brighter future, during the Career Day held there Oct. 23. This is the second year the school hosted the affair and desires to continue this as an annual event.

The reason for having a career day at the elementary school is to expose the children to careers outside of the military, said Bonnie R. Logsdon, parental engagement leader at Bliss Elementary School.

"Most of our students are military. ... We are trying to show them other careers that they can be looking at."

Guests and staff members agree this is an impressionable age for children and it is not too early to start them on the path of considering what they want to be when they grow up.

"This is the age group to make them start thinking," said Logsdon. "Then when they are moving from place to place they can carry this with them: 'this is what I want to do; this is what I need to do [to get there].'"

"You got to get 'em young. These days, the kids are exposed to so much and — even from the best of parents — it is so easy for them to go down the wrong path," said Nicole M. Moreno, nursing student with University of Texas El Paso nursing program.
"I think getting them young, is really important — even from elementary school."

Scott R. Einberger, park ranger with National Park Service at Chamizal National Memorial, said he asked the children a lot of questions to get their minds spinning. He offered guidance to the children and "promoted the fact that 'if you want to be a park ranger, or probably any of these jobs, you need to stay in school, and specifically get a college education.'"

Each station had career-related demonstrations to excite and obtain interest from the children as part of the program. The U.S. Customs brought a trained dog out to educate on how dogs help detect illegal substances. The 4-1 Field Artillery Brigade brought protective gear for the children to try on; the Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms agency started with handcuff demonstrations, some of the children were able to get fingerprinted by the El Paso police department, and each child had an opportunity to listen to bodily sounds through stethoscopes provided by the UTEP nursing program.

"The stethoscope was a big thing. We also brought the baby that we practice on, 'baby dolly,'" said Moreno. "Baby dolly is a simulation baby with real heart sounds, real lung sounds, and real bowel sounds."

This is a doll that the nurses actually use and practice on and they brought it here for the children to experience. Children were also seen practicing on the nursing students and the doctor accompanying them, holding a stethoscope to their hearts and abdomens.

The event exposed children to a variety of career fields and also served as a learning tool. Facts about the tallest tree on earth, the California Redwood, were introduced along with a picture of it. They learned when and how to break down doors from the Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agency. Students also learned how to use the stethoscope to their best advantage.

"They never understood why we listen to the back, and we would tell them all 'because it's louder back there' and that's when we can hear the best lung sounds,'" explained Moreno.

Not only was this a rewarding experience for the children, but for the presenters as well.

Logsdon explained that some of the presenters Oct. 23 participated in last year's event and the children remembered them.

"I think our presenters were really excited about that aspect, because they feel like, 'wow, they were listening; or, they were paying attention,' and the kids were excited because they saw somebody that they recognize."

Einberger said the best part for him was "that there were a couple of groups, and maybe a few kids that stood out — that really got that spark in the eye when I was talking about parks. ... That always makes me feel good."

"The primary focus was just to explain the careers and get the kids interested in those careers," said Logsdon.

• Date Taken: 10.23.2009
• Date Posted: 10.29.2009 13:42
• Story ID: 40823
• Location: US