H-B Woodlawn’s Library has these college AND CAREER PLANNING books, and find more inside the SORA database. With their APS Google login, students can obtain a detailed overview a vast number of career field choices as well as 1000 detailed job articles by using the 6 volumes of Ferguson’s Encyclopedia of Careers and Vocational Guidance which is in print on the library’s shelves, but not available digitally through APS. Each article details the preparation, potential certification path, duties, salary scales, professional associations for networking, and growth outlook for over 1000 jobs in today’s changing economy. The Occupational Outlook Handbook from the US Bureau of Labor and Statistics is a free online source useful to career planners… and it’s LOADED with stats, salary projections, etc. (How to use it –video.) Many students additionally use inventories and resources at VDOE Career Curriculum information (Education Wizard).

Arlington-specific resources:

APS promotes and develops CTE (Career and Technical Training.) Here’s an explanation of what CTE is and what courses APS offers. Additional resources are overviewed in the right-hand menu of this web page.

Highlights from Arlington Career Center, a section of APS that serves children and adult learners in Arlington:

PRIME is a mentorship opportunity for gifted and career focused juniors and seniors. Applications are due in January for following summer.
Some H-B juniors and seniors take courses in the morning at the Arlington Career Center/ Arlington Tech to achieve:
- CTE certificates (which certify that the learner passed technical training necessary to work in nursing, automotive repair, electrical work, etc.)
- Dual Enrollment (coursework that provides credit in HS and simultaneously for college)

APS Information on Dual Enrollment – while planning coursework in junior and senior year at H-B, students can get credit for HS courses and also for college. A video there from provides a recorded session of a presentation by NOVA which especially strong in the last 30 minutes when it discusses how students with disabilities can advocate for selves in college. As needed, Maggie can help bridge to NOVA’s library services to support success.

Arlington Public Library assists patrons for college applications and job applications. Learn more, use APL’s online resources, and set up an appointment with the specialized librarian.

Achieving your high school diploma as an adult: APS’s Langston offers High School Continuing Education Program.

Arlington Community Learning helps provide coursework to adults who need certificates, apprenticeships, etc. See the 2024 course catalog and schedule. Access detailed support. Phone 703-228-7200.

Is Arlington Tech an option for full time in high school? Learn more.

Computer Science pathways offered at H-B: link.

Applying to College from H-B:

APS provides a “College and Career Corner” planning page. It’s a place to start.

H-B’s portal to college and career information is your place to focus in. That “College Corner” is kept up to date thanks to H-B’s incredible Fatima. She is our Guidance Secretary who communicates through Naviance accounts (and students’ APS g-mail address as default) with students to support the college application process. Resources posted for H-B’s Junior/Seniors and Parents can’t be beat! Don’t miss the “Junior Night” handout which has a helpful timeline for planning a student’s final 15 months at H-B.

Naviance is software provided by APS to help students build resumes, take interest inventories, understand their own strengths for selecting careers, explore colleges suited to their learning interests and achievement levels, and manage all of the documents one uses to file college applications and apply teacher recommendations. Applying for area scholarships and internships? See the big list of contact information there, too. Learn more with this document from APS. At H-B, Fatima is the one to contact if parents want to set up their parent account in Naviance. It is useful to viewing some of the content the student is building there such as their “profile” based on interest inventories under “About me.”

College Rep Visits: On-campus visits to H-B are listed in the lower right corner of Naviance’s home page and on Fatima’s calendar outside her office.

Virtual Tours for colleges: Links.

Visiting College Campuses – checklist of things to do there.

The College Board has tremendous resources to assist families, including:

steps to get financial aid
Big Future: tools, advice, process, guides for exploring colleges and careers.For Summer Internships, Scholarships, Jobs, Gap Year, etc. APS’s Comprehensive High Schools might have info to mine at their web sites. Students can inquire with guidance counseling staff there to learn if their base high school has a “Transition Officer” who helps special needs students with software called “Virtual Job Shadow.” That software duplicates many of the features that Naviance provides, but with a greater focus on bridging into the work world. It provides videos for career exploration, interest inventories and links to job and internship postings that are otherwise not available without paying for the service by linkage to Indeed.com.

Summer Jobs / Internships:

Students can do an internet search for “Gap Year” (or on social media, try #gapyear) and find many private companies that arrange study years abroad and in the US. It’s a growing industry; representatives of such companies often attend APS College and Career fairs to set up information tables.

TJHSST College and Career Center Newsletters: Resources that moms and dads and the career counselor at a Fairfax County magnet school put together to help students learn about unusual internships, scholarships and college applications. It is publicly available. Obviously, the college visits that are announced in TJ’s schedule might not be available to students not on their campus, but there are many other links for college prep students (particularly those that are STEM related.)

Applying for a work permit as a youth: https://www.doli.virginia.gov/labor-law/employment-certificate-application-instructions/

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After acceptance to college…

Students with Disabilities can apply this important Transition Guide to Post-secondary Education and Employment, 2020 from the US Department of Education. NOVA’s office recommends that students understand how students arrange for accommodations in college (after they depart high school and the use of IEPs.)

Substance Abuse Recovery – get support in college with resources here.

Mental Health Challenges – arrange (proactively) getting support college with resources here.