KMC employees see shadows

***image1***Rolling fog and gray skies were not enough to keep KMC servicemembers and employees from seeing shadows this past Groundhog Day.

On Feb. 2, students in all grades from around the KMC went to work with their parents for Job Shadow Day. It was a chance for students to get an up-close look at the workplace, school officials said.

The KMC’s Job Shadow Day events were part of a national effort of students going to work with a parent or mentor.

The idea is for students to make connections between what they learn in school and how it applies to work, including helping them set goals by showing them that they have choices in life, said Lawanna Mangleburg, Kaiserslautern District Superintendent of Schools.  

“Research shows that the most effective lessons are those that connect the classroom with the real world,” Ms. Mangleburg said.

And, as for adults, it serves as an introduction to the mentoring experience, she said.

The day’s events also included displays and demonstations, including the 37th Airlift Squadron’s C-130 tour on the flightline at Ramstein, the 431st Civil Engineering Squadron’s heavy equipment display at Vogelweh and the Office of Special Investigation’s forensic sciences tour at Sembach.
“Many KMC units and work places went the extra mile again this year to ensure students had a positive learning experience,” said Matt Syarto, Curriculum Liaison, Kaiserslautern District Schools.

Some students did more than just observe. Some helped their teacher parents in the classroom, some doned firefighting suits, and one Ramstein American High School student took photographs for the 435th Public Affairs office.