What is Exploring?
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Exploring |
Exploring is Learning for Life's career education program for young men and
women who are 14 (and have completed the eighth grade) or 15 through 20 years
old. Adults are selected by the participating organization for involvement in
the program. Color, race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, ethnic
background, economic status, and citizenship are not criteria for participation.
Exploring's purpose is to provide experiences to help young people mature and
to prepare them to become responsible and caring adults. Explorers are ready to
investigate the meaning of interdependence in their personal relationships and
communities.
Exploring is based on a unique and dynamic relationship between youth and the
organizations in their communities. Local community organizations initiate an
Explorer post by matching their people and program resources to the interests of
young people in the community. The result is a program of activities that helps
youth pursue their special interests, grow, and develop.
Explorer posts can specialize in a variety of career skills. Exploring
programs are based on five areas of emphasis: career opportunities, life skills,
citizenship, character education, and leadership experience.
- Career Opportunities
-
- Develop potential contacts that may broaden employment options
- Boost self-confidence and experience success at school and work
- Life Skills
-
- Build physical and mental fitness
- Experience positive social interaction
- Citizenship
-
- Encourage the skill and desire to help others
- Gain a keen respect for the basic rights of others
- Character Education
-
- Help make ethical choices
- Fulfill one's responsibility to society as a whole
- Leadership Experience
-
- Acquire leadership skills to fulfill one's responsibilities in
society
Goals
Young adults involved in Exploring will
- Gain practical knowledge of and experience in a career
- Engage in a program of activities centered on career opportunities, life
skills, service learning, character education, and leadership experience to
encourage the development of the whole person
- Experience positive leadership from adult and youth leaders and be given
opportunities to take on leadership roles
- Have a chance to learn and grow in a supportive, caring, and enjoyable
environment
Methods
The methods of Exploring have been carefully chosen to meet the needs of
young adults.
- Voluntary association between youth and adults. Because Exploring
is voluntary, youth are receptive to new ideas, experiences, and
relationships. For the Explorer, these relationships provide a connection to
new ways of thinking and acting as well as a new identity as a responsible
young adult.
- Ethical decision making. Exploring asks young people to be
responsible for themselves, for a program of activities and experiences, and
for other people, thereby providing numerous opportunities for youth to make
effective and ethical decisions. These opportunities are enhanced by the
influence of capable adults and structured activities.
- Group activities. Exploring activities are interdependent group
experiences. Success depends on the cooperation of all.
- Recognition of achievement. Recognition might come through formal
awards, but it also is achieved through the acknowledgment by peers and
adults of a young person's competence and abilities.
- Democratic process. Explorer posts provide exposure to democratic
ideals and skills that are needed throughout life.
- Curiosity, exploration, and adventure. Curiosity is encouraged
and a sense of exploration and adventure is developed through new
experiences that provide opportunities for youth to acquire new skills and
participate in action-oriented activities.
Post Specialties
Every Explorer post specializes in a specific career program area. More than
100 different specialties have been organized, ranging from accounting to
zoology. Some specialty programs, such as the following, have grown to include a
national committee, activities, and staff support.
- Arts and Humanities
- The Arts and Humanities specialty area includes posts that are organized
around interests in arts and hobbies, acting, commercial art, drama/theater,
fashion design/modeling/buying, interior design/decoration,
jewelry/watch-making, and movie directing/producing.
- Aviation
- The Aviation specialty encompasses a range of programs, including
maintenance, operations, construction, flight attendants, airport
management, and aerospace. The Federal Aviation Administration supports this
growth, along with aviation organizations, unions, and industries.
- Business
- Through the Business specialty area, young adults become prepared for
many types of careers, from accounting to financial planning. Many posts
organize their program around knowledge of business planning and practices
in addition to career preparation.
- Communications
- This specialty is endorsed by the Broadcast Education Association,
International Association of Business Communicators, National Association of
Broadcasters, National Press Photographers Association Inc., Public
Relations Society of America, and Women in Communications. The Exploring
program can serve as an effective outreach program that exposes high school
students to careers in communications and public relations.
- Engineering
- Many national engineering societies endorse this specialty area of
Exploring. Its goal is to promote post programs that open and expand
Explorers' understanding of the many opportunities in engineering and
technology.
- Fire/Emergency Services.
- This specialty is endorsed by International Association of Fire Chiefs,
National Volunteer Fire Council, U.S. Fire Administration National Fire
Academy, and local fire authorities. Posts are organized around interests in
fire/emergency services, civil defense, first aid/ambulance corps, fire
fighting, rescue service, paramedic, EMT, and volunteer fire fighting. The
national Fire/Emergency Services Exploring committee conducts every odd
number year the national Fire/Emergency Services Exploring conference, which
is open to all fire/emergency services Explorers and post Advisors.
- Law and Government
- The American Bar Association and other organizations support the high
interest of many youth in law or government participation through Exploring.
Law Day activities, mock trials, and other law-related activities provide
firsthand experience in America's legal and court system.
- Law Enforcement
- This specialty is endorsed by the International Association of Chiefs of
Police and the National Sheriffs' Association and is helped by other
national law enforcement organizations and industries. Departments and
Explorers gain firsthand knowledge of each other. Explorers can support many
community-based programs of the department. The post program is supported by
national law enforcement competitions and academies.
- Medical and Health Careers
- The American Medical Association and other national health organizations
support the establishment of posts in hospitals, clinics, medical centers,
schools, and other health-care organizations. These posts render valuable
community service and give members an insight into a variety of career
opportunities.
- Science
- The Science specialty area includes posts that are organized around
interests in general science, anthropology, archaeology, a career as an
astronaut, astronomy, biochemistry, biology, chemistry,
computers/programming, conservation/ecology, environmental science,
wildlife/fish management, and zoology/zoo direction.
- Skilled Trades
- The Skilled Trades specialty area includes posts that are organized
around interests in auto repair, cosmetology, electrical, carpentry, and
construction, to name a few.
- Social Services
- The Social Services area includes posts that are organized around
interests in social service, adult care, child care, drug/alcohol
counseling, exercise attending, funeral direction, home economy, librarian
work, museum curation, school counseling, social work, teaching, volunteer
work, youth organization volunteerism, and disabled career profession.
- Others
- In addition to the above, other popular Explorer post specialties
include conservation, computers, music, rescue, radio-TV, architecture,
photography, and journalism.
Character Education
An important goal of Exploring is to help young adults be responsible and
caring people, both now and in the future. Exploring uses "character education
activities" to help young adults develop the ability to make responsible choices
that reflect their concern for what is at risk and for the people involved.
Because a character education activity is a problem-solving situation, leaders
expect young adults to use empathy, invention, and selection when they think
through their position and work toward a solution.
Post Activities
What an Explorer post does is limited only by the imagination and involvement
of its leaders — build a glider, make an electric car, produce a play, conduct a
mock trial, or teach disabled people to swim. Posts across the country today are
experiencing all these adventures and many more. All that is needed are
concerned adults who are willing to share a little bit of themselves with
today's youth —tomorrow's citizens.
Getting Your Post Up and Running
Organizing an Explorer post (group) in your organization is easy! Just follow
the Five-Step Plan for Post Program Development:
- Organization's Commitment: Secure a commitment from the chief executive
officer of the participating organization.
- Career Opportunities Development Meeting: A training and program
development meeting for post adult leaders conducted by an Exploring program
representative.
- Post Firstnighter Meeting: A special and exciting hands-on meeting held
annually by each post to recruit new youth participants.
- Post Activities Development Meeting: A program planning meeting with
Explorers' input to reach agreement on post monthly activities.
- Explorer Post Officers' Seminar: Training meeting for elected post
officers.
What Youth Want
Exploring research has revealed these major points:
- High school students are interested in careers/vocations.
- Teenagers want a broader experience that supplements career information
with practical, "hands-on" experience and is tailored to their cultural
backgrounds.
- Teenagers want to belong to a group that provides a supportive place
from which they can address the issues that affect them as they grow and
develop. These issues include becoming more independent, developing social
relationships, undergoing psychological changes, reaching sexual maturity,
and re-evaluating values.
Program Support
Learning for Life provides Explorer posts with the following support:
- Professional and volunteer staff to help the post succeed
- Recruiting, training, and guiding of a volunteer district/division
support staff organization
- An annual Explorer program planning conference
- An annual career interest survey of all high schools in the community
- Activity planning and the use of Learning for Life facilities, such as
camp
Learning for Life Web Site—www.learningforlife.org
Visit the Learning for Life Web site for ideas on how your business can connect
with today's Explorers.
Liability Insurance for Participating Organizations
General liability insurance covers the participating organization on a primary
basis for any responsibility they may have on Exploring-related matters without
asking the participating organization or its own insurance to be involved.
Adult and Youth Leader Training
Learning for Life provides basic and advanced adult leader training sessions
along with an annual post leader workshop, quarterly Advisor meetings, and an
annual Learning for Life program planning conference.
National Studies
In 1969, a study was made of the special-interest posts being organized by
William H. Spurgeon III, a businessman from California, and the newly completed
research project for Exploring by Daniel Yankelovich. The study indicated that
83 percent of youth surveyed wanted more information on careers than they were
getting at home or in school, and 94 percent wanted adult associations. Coed
participation, sports, and adult-like recognition were found necessary to
attract young adults to Exploring.
As a result of this study, special-interest Explorer posts were organized by
businesses and professional and trade organizations. The career interest survey
of high school students was developed to identify and recruit members.
In 1971, the upper age limit in Exploring was changed to age 20 for young men
and women.
In 1981, the rapid growth of Exploring led to the development of national
specialty programs in arts and humanities, aviation, business, communications,
engineering, fire/emergency services, health careers, law and government, law
enforcement, science, skilled trades, and social services.
In 1998, Louis Harris & Associates of New York was commissioned to undertake
the challenge of identifying and uncovering the aspects of the Exploring program
that serve as indicators of positive outcomes. They found the program
contributes to the healthy development of today's young adults by providing them
with the environment, resources, and relationships they need to learn and grow.
Today, Exploring is Learning for Life's career education program and exists
to accomplish a major goal: to provide the structure and resources needed for
the youth of America to learn about career opportunities, make ethical choices,
and achieve their full potentials as individuals.
National Awards, Activities, and Scholarships
- Awards
-
- Career Achievement Award Program—certificate for career proficiency
achievement giving students distinguished credentials for their resume
in the following Exploring career clusters: arts and humanities,
aviation, business, communications, engineering, fire and emergency
services, health, law and government, law enforcement, science, skilled
trades, and social services
- Council Young American Award—plaque for youth between the ages of 15
and 25
- Congressional Awards—bronze/silver/gold medal for youth between the
ages of 14-23
- Law Enforcement Exploring Proficiency Awards—ribbon awards in 13
proficiency component programs
- Learning for Life Leadership Award—for youth and adults
- National Exploring Excellence Award—for posts
- William H. Spurgeon III Award—for individuals and organizations in
Exploring
- Activities
-
- Aviation Explorer Base Camp at EAA AirVenture, Oshkosh, Wis
- Character Education Activities—26 components
- Character Education in Exploring—four components
- Challenge Initiative Games—nine components
- Cooperative Initiative Games—21 components
- Engineering Explorer Academy at Georgia Tech University, Atlanta,
Ga.
- Engineering Explorer Academy at Georgia Tech, Savannah, Ga.
- Engineering Explorer Academy at Marshall University, Huntington,
W.Va.
- Engineering Explorer Camp at The University of Alabama, Huntsville,
Ala.
- Health Careers Exploring Exposition at the National Institutes of
Health and the Uniformed Service University, Bethesda, Md.
- Law Explorer National Mock Trial Competition
- Law Enforcement Explorer National Law Enforcement Conference
- Law Enforcement Exploring, FBI Academy
- Law Enforcement Exploring, DEA Academy
- Law Enforcement Exploring, U.S. Marshals Academy
- Law Enforcement Exploring, U.S. Army Military Police Academy
- Leadership Workshop Series—16 components
- Scholarships
-
- AFL-CIO Skilled Trades Explorer Scholarship, 2/$1,000
- ATFRA Special Agents' Law Enforcement Explorer Scholarship, 2/$1,000
- Capt. James T. Regan Memorial Law Enforcement Explorer Scholarship,
2/$500
- DEA Drug Abuse Prevention Service Award, $1,000
- Federal Criminal Investigators Law Enforcement Explorer Service
Award, $500
- Floyd Boring Law Enforcement Explorer Scholarship, 2/$2,000
- International Association of Fire Chiefs Foundation Fire Service
Explorer Scholarship, ,$500
- National Young American Award, 5/$5,000
- Sheryl A. Horak Memorial Law Enforcement Explorer Scholarship,
$1,000
- Spartan School of Aeronautics Scholarship, 4/$2,000
- Sporty's Pilot Shop Aviation Explorer Scholarship, 2/$1,000
For More Information
Exploring Program, Learning for Life National Office, P.O. Box 152079,
Irving, TX 75015-2079. Phone: 972-580-2433. Fax: 972-580-2137.
Please mail a postcard with your name, address, and telephone number.
Indicate your interest in
| ____ Youth—Scholarship Information |
____ Youth—How to Join Exploring |
| ____ Company—How to Organize a Post |
____ Adult—Helping Mentor |
| ____
Other—________________________________________________ |