By Staff
LOOKING IT OVER Carver Middle School students Stephanie Breland, left, Traquez Hopson and Darren Houze page through a service manual for fiber optic equipment at the BellSouth office in Meridian. The three were among seven students who participated Friday in the National Groundhog Job Shadow Day. submitted photo
special to The Star
Feb. 2, 2002
Middle and high school students from Meridian and across Mississippi climbed into manholes, rode in BellSouth bucket trucks, spliced cable and assisted with customer service on Friday as they participated in this year's National Groundhog Job Shadow Day.
Launched regionally by BellSouth in 1996 and expanded to the national level in 1998, Groundhog Job Shadow Day gave students a firsthand look at the world of work by pairing them with employees in similar fields of interest for a half day and showing them the skills they'll need to be successful in the 21st century.
Last year, BellSouth hosted more than 7,000 students throughout its nine-state region on Groundhog Job Shadow Day.
This year, the company expected to host that number again, including almost 200 in Mississippi. Seven students from Carver Middle School in Meridian participated in the event.
Students who participated in the program followed company executives, service technicians, engineers and customer service representatives on the job for a hands-on learning experience. "We also want this experience to give students a positive motivation for learning," Smith said. "We hope to help students focus on their future and encourage them to meet their goals, regardless of what career path they eventually pursue."
BellSouth took a local "job shadowing" concept and partnered with the America's Promise group, headed by Secretary of State Colin Powell making job shadowing a national education initiative five years ago.
Through job shadowing, BellSouth offers resources to youth and their schools enhancing existing educational programs at BellSouth locations in Mississippi and throughout the Southeast.