Career Exploration Camp: Empowering Youth for a Brighter Future

The Allen County Board of Developmental Disabilities has coordinated a career camp for local youth since 2018. Career Exploration Camp is an opportunity for youth to learn about different careers, explore their strengths and weaknesses, and hopefully gain an understanding of what they would like to do in the future upon graduation. Over the course of four days, the youth visit local businesses and discuss their likes, interests and strengths in a workgroup.

One person who can attest to the impact of the career camp is Bianca Pierce. Bianca attended career camp back in 2021. Her group visited businesses like Quick as a Wink Printing, Chief Supermarket and Old Barn Out Back. Bianca enjoyed the Quick as a Wink tour the best. She liked the organization of the paper products and how precise the printing jobs had to be for each customer.

The camp was a great opportunity for Bianca to learn more about herself. She always knew that she wanted to work with animals in some capacity, and learning about other fields of work only solidified that for her. “It made her appreciate what she does now even more,” says Bianca’s mom, Allison. When an opportunity to work for the humane society became available, Bianca did not hesitate to apply. Today, Bianca has been at the humane society for a year and a half, and she has loved every minute of it.

Bianca was prepared for what it takes to excel at a job with the help of career camp. Once she became employed at the humane society, she worked at home to improve her skills. “You have to be able to pick them up and handle them,” Bianca says about the cats in the shelter. She worked with her pet rabbit, Timmy, to learn how to handle the cats properly, as well as practiced cleaning and sweeping. She used these new skills to help her gain additional employment at Fassett Farms.

Since career camp and graduating high school, Bianca has only continued to grow as a person. Bianca takes the skills and what she learned about herself to propel her into the next thing. On top of working two jobs, Bianca stays active in the community. She completed the Board's Project STIR training (a self-advocacy training), attended Developmental Disabilities Advocacy Day at the Statehouse in Columbus, and is very active with FANS.

Bianca is just one of the many students who attended career camp and have blossomed since. When Bianca was asked if she would recommend career camp to other students, she replied with an immediate "yes!" This year's career camp will be held from June 9-June 12. Registration is open now until May 23. Register today with Melissa Weaver at 419-221-1385, ext. 1249 or mweaver@acbdd.org.