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Park and Learn: Kara Marlin Leads the Way with Non-Traditional Academy
St. Louis Park Public SchoolsTuesday, April 22, 2025
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Transcript
We're good. [Music] I really fell in love with seeing people, seeing kids especially light up when they like learn something new and when they like achieve something that they've been trying really hard at for a long time. In the non-traditional academy specifically, we're really looking to develop those soft skills that give students that leg up in the professional environment, in anything that they choose to pursue once they leave here. Negotiation is a really powerful leadership skill. Yeah. So, bravo for you. the culminating event today which was mock job interviews. We guided students through writing resumes, writing cover letters. We spent the last week and a half really preparing a lot with them, workshopping answers to common interview questions, practicing that confident delivery in an interview. This is that opportunity for students to get feedback from somebody else, that third party, that less biased party who uh can give them that honest feedback that's intended to improve their performance. Something new surprised me for sure was all the opportunities they're giving us. I was not expecting it at all. And I I would for sure recommend this class to everyone. The colleges they take us to, trade schools, electricians, stuff like that. I think that's very helpful for for me. We're pulling wires and stuff outlet right now to get the a light on and I think that's something that really sparked up my my head like I'm really interested into that and I think that's something that really found an interest in me. Tomorrow and Monday we'll go over the feedback that they ask for you. Does that sound good? And the NTA program they walk around they ask questions like hey do you need help or do you need um reassurance or do you need a little more explanation about it? So that's what makes it a good NCA program. Like the teachers are very supportive and there when you need them saying, "What do you want to learn this year?" Um, that has opened up a world for some of our students. When students feel like, "I'm invested in this. I was part of making this." They're that much more excited to learn. And I think that the more excitement you experience while learning, the more you're going to seek that experience out again. I look forward to hearing about your success. It was a real joy. Thank you. Thank you, too. So, it's a really special place for that reason. It's unlike any of the other classes in the high school. Um, and I think students really feel that. It feels really, really special and it feels really communal. Feels like a family, which is the best part of my day. Like, NTA is the best part of my day.