Participants in the JAG-K program are the beneficiaries of membership in the state Career Association, which operates as part of the JAG National Career Association (NCA). The purpose of the NCA is to help members explore career pathways, to assess the opportunities and appropriateness of pursuing further education, to connect members with representatives of their chosen pathway, to develop their knowledge and skills, to secure employment in a job, and to demonstrate their ability to enter and advance with the employer.
Career Associations across the nation celebrated NCA Week April 4-8. Through social media, activities and projects, associations focused on recognizing their five goal areas: Leadership Development, Career Development, Social Awareness, Civic Awareness and Service Learning.
Recently, two Augusta High School students traveled to South Dakota to help that state learn how to develop its career association.
"The value of the career association is that it helps us keep all of our activities in check with the entire JAG-K program,” said Jamie Cantrell (pictured at right). “It also helps us to come up with ideas that will benefit the community."
Devin Russell-Unger (pictured at left), who serves as president of the Kansas Career Association, has experience casting the vision for the potential of the organization.
“I presented a viewpoint and a way that JAG-K does their leadership skills hoping that it will help inspire South Dakota JAG,” Russell-Unger said. “This is important because I want to see their JAG programs get bigger to help more students. JAG-K has truly helped me, and it will help those students in South Dakota as well."
