Career-Connected Learning
Franklin High School College & Career Center
You have found the home for all things careers at Franklin, including important contacts for coaching and support, information on internships and jobs, college and scholarships, career exploration and preparation resources, and the weekly Career Connections newsletter archive.
Coaching and Support
If you are looking for a coach to help you plan for your future after high school – including training programs and career pathways that meet your needs and interests, or if you need assistance finding a job or internship or completing financial aid and scholarship applications, you can reach out to our Career Connected Learning staff.
Daniel Ruiz, Career-Connected Learning Coordinator
College & Career Center, Room 205a
11:15 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. M, Tu, Th, Fri
206-252-6166
Mr. Ruiz can help with finding a job or internship; creating a resume and cover letter; interviewing practice; finding the right college or post-high school training program; completing your High School and Beyond Plan; and exploring and planning for your future career
Katherine Meyer, Career-Connected Learning Coordinator
kemeyer@seattleschools.org
Serves multiple locations, at Franklin on Tuesdays
206-252-0744
Ms. Meyer is a transitional and vocational education job coach and XIP-eXploratory Internship Program primarily working with students with IEPs and 504 Plans.
Seattle Promise
- 2 years of FREE TUITION at any of three Seattle Colleges
- Support to succeed
- No GPA, income, ability, or country of birth requirement
- Regardless of GPA or family income
- Deadline: February 14, 2025
- Apply for Seattle Promise
- Find out more at Seattle Promise Website
- Connect with Nancy Le, Seattle Promise Outreach Specialist at nancy.le2@seattlecolleges.edu for more information or help completing your application.
- Or make an appointment with her:
Career Connections Newsletter
The Career Connections newsletter comes out bi-weekly every other Tuesday and includes information on upcoming college and career related events, college visits, career exploration/preparation programs, jobs and internships, volunteer opportunities, and other career-connected topics.
The current edition is posted below and directly to the home page of the Franklin High School website. Past editions can also be found below.
Email Mr. Ruiz dpruiz@seattleschools.org if you would like to be added to the newsletter reminder mailing list.
What is Career-Connected Learning?
Career-Connected Learning is a is combination of career exploration and preparation programming for students to discover and research careers, meet a variety of industry professionals, and build an initial career prep pathway and education plan. Business partners and students can become involved through service-learning projects, work experience, and internships.
Career-Connected Learning can be (but is not limited to):
- taking the Career Connect class
- a businessperson visiting a classroom to talk about what they do
- a job shadow where a young person learns more about an occupation or business.
- an internship or a registered apprenticeship where youth are paid while they learn hands-on skills.
The Role of Career-Connected Learning Coordinator (CCLC)
Career-Connected Learning Coordinators provide students with information about jobs, internships, worksite learning, career pathways and post-secondary education opportunities. These certificated teachers can administer career assessments such as Naviance, plan on site presentations and workshops, manage schoolwide internship communication, recruit pathway speaker panels and implement career fairs.
The CCLCs offer a variety of services and training to help students correlate classroom learning with the world of work in order to make informed life planning decisions.
- Provide opportunities for students to attend approved internship programs leading to enhanced career opportunities with priority placement in high wage high demand careers.
- Enhance employability and industry transferrable skills and increase student awareness of career opportunities and pathways.
- Reduce barriers for students by providing access to CTE programs through flexibility in scheduling and program locations.
- Support students in developing their High School and Beyond Plans.
Career Connect Class
Career Connect 1 and 2 are two semester long courses designed to teach you the processes and strategies involved with successful career exploration and preparation.
Whether you are contemplating starting a career, trying to choose a career path, or are looking to make changes or improvements to your career goals, this course will provide you with the information you need on your way to achieving success.
- Career Connect 1 (9th and 10 grade) covers the basics of career exploration, 21st Century Skills development, self-assessment, and broad understanding of college and career readiness. The main goal is for students to begin connecting their skills, talents, and interests to career types that can help them achieve the life they want and developing a success plan to graduate ready for the next step in life.
- Career Connect 2 (11th and 12th grade) provides students with a deeper understanding of career pathways and workplace readiness including in-depth career preparation, professional brand, portfolio development (resume, cover letter, online profile), interviewing skills, and how to prepare for the first day on the job. This course also includes an industry-recognized credential in Financial Literacy.
For each course, students earn .5 credit toward their 2-credit Career & Technical Education (CTE) graduation pathway or 1-credit CTE elective graduation requirement.
If you are interested in taking Career Connect, please contact your school counselor to register for next semester’s classes.
Internship and Jobs Program
Career Quest (CQ) is the SPS program where students get CTE credit for participating in a worksite learning experience. This could be a local part-time job, an internship, or a Career Quest summer course.
Learn more about Career Quest and see a complete listing of available internship opportunities.
If a student, age 16 or over, wants to earn high school graduation credit for working, they will need to secure paid employment or apply to one of the district’s approved internship programs. A parent or legal guardian will need to give written permission for a student to participate, and Mr. Ruiz will visit the site to help make sure all policies are followed and to supervise student progress.
180 documented work hours are required to earn .5 CTE credit per semester. If a student works 360 hours they can earn 1 full credit. Hours can only be counted toward credit after the student, parent, employer and CCLC have signed the necessary forms.
For more information please email dpruiz@seattleschools.org or stop by Room 205a. If you are certain you want to participate, please Schedule an Appointment with Mr. Ruiz to begin the process.
Seeking Business Partnerships
Franklin High School is seeking business and industry partners to engage with us in facilitating the following opportunities to students.
- Participate as a Career Speaker. Visit a class or form part of a professional panel at a school career event to inform students about your field and training path.
- Provide a Student Internship. An internship is a paid or unpaid work experience where students deepen their understanding of a particular field of work while applying skills learned in the classroom. This can also include real world projects where students can be engaged in developing and presenting solutions to on the job challenges.
- Host a Job Shadow. Usually a one-time visit by a student to the workplace to learn about the environment and professional activities involved in particular career.
- Host an Industry tour. Small student groups with chaperones are invited to tour the workplace to get a feel for the nature of the career field and the work environment.
- Employ a High School Student. Provide summer or entry level employment to students with appropriate skills and training.
In addition to community partners, we welcome Franklin parents and guardians who have work-based opportunities to present/share with students. We also seek partners to assist with school-based Mock Interviews and CTE Program Advisory Committees. Please connect with Career Connected Learning Coordinator Daniel Ruiz at dpruiz@seattleschools.org if you would like to get involved.
Career and Post-High School Training Program Resources
A collection of resources to help you find the right post-high school training program and plan for your future career.
Career Pathways – Road maps for for getting from where you are now to the career you want to have, including apprenticeships and professional/technical college programs
Jobs – If you are interested in finding a job, this directory of companies that hire teens is a good start to your search
Military – Interested in joining the military? Start here for guidance.
Naviance – The district’s tool for students to explore colleges and career paths, analyze skills and talents with career and personality assessments and help stay on track to reach academic goals.
Resume Building – Every high school student should have one that tracks activities and that is updated every year, ready to be submitted when opportunities arise for volunteer work, jobs, or internships.
Seattle Skills Center – Seattle Public Schools’ own vocational education center where students from all SPS high schools can participate in career preparation, technical/trades, and pre-apprenticeships.
Service Learning – Volunteering somewhere gives you the chance to try on a career before you decide to pursue it. It also counts toward your Service Learning graduation requirement.