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Drury High Career Readiness Program Recognized
Community Submission,
11:05AM / Tuesday, October 20, 2015
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Susan Quinones of the Workforce Professionals Association, left, with Drury High School's Michele Boyer-Vivori and Robert Bower of the Massachusetts AFL-CIO.

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Efforts at Drury High School to prepare students for working world were recently recognized by the Massachusetts Workforce Professionals Association.

The school's College and Career Readiness Program received the Youth Workforce Program of the Year Award for its strong local collaboration and active engagement with the community, its 2015 Summer Youth Works program and for its student access to career awareness software and career activities.

Career specialist Michele Boyer-Vivori was on hand to receive the award at the 2015 Job Summit at Fort Devens on Wednesday, Oct. 14.

"Drury High School's College/Career Readiness Program was selected as the Youth Workforce Program of the Year because it has developed a model program, which implements a myriad of innovative work and learning programs for the region's most at-risk youth, and fully embraces a career readiness culture," said Susan Quinones, the association's executive director.

The Summer Youth Works program, highlighted by the award, is coordinated by Boyer-Vivori with Bryan House with the Bryan House of Berkshire Community Action Council's Project Reconnect and Heather Williams from Berkshire County Regional Employment Board.

Boyer-Vivori with J.D. Cheslof of the Massachusetts Business Roundtable.

This summer program included eight students who completed more than 100 hours of work experience and 20 hours of workplace readiness preparation with local schools and organizations; to support this program, special funding was secured through the attorney general's office, Berkshire Bank Foundation and a donation from First Congregational Church of Williamstown.

Drury's career readiness program also includes awareness, exploration and immersion activities throughout the year for every student in Grades 8 through 12.  Activities include the use of Naviance, an individual student goal planning program, guest speaker panels, career fairs, internships and job shadow opportunities. Through the high school's blending of resources, strong local collaboration and active engagement with the business community, student participation in the program has resulted in a 5 percent increased graduation rate.

The college and career team is comprised of Boyer-Vivori, guidance counselors Jaime Hamilton and Kathy Morgan, and Molly Meczywor, college and career facilitator.

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