Morehead State helps students become career-ready through experiential education

Morehead State University prides itself on providing academic quality and real-world learning experiences to prepare its students for career success. Its dedication to this goal is more significant than ever, with its increased emphasis on experiential education and new career-readiness initiatives like the Level UP program.

MSU's Center for Career Development & Experiential Education offers experiences to help build career skills and broaden academic opportunities. These include:

• Gaining unique professional and cultural experiences through Education Abroad.
• Participating in impactful research alongside experienced faculty through our Undergraduate Research Program.
• Acquiring on-the-job training while earning college credit through various internship and work-study opportunities.
• Attaining practical skills and personal development while giving back to the community through service-learning.

MSU can now expand the possibilities for Eagles to volunteer and impact their community even more. As a Kentucky Campus Compact member school, MSU recently received an EngageKY+ Volunteer Generation Fund grant totaling over $36,000. This grant aims to reduce barriers to volunteering for underrepresented populations and enhance current and newly created volunteer programs for undergraduate students.

MSU will use the funding to support service projects through the Engaged Eagles Initiative, which supports the University's first-year seminar day of service, Make an Impact Day, and faculty-led projects through the March to Service. This will create more opportunities for students to engage with the community.

While Morehead State is doing its part to help students gain experience beyond the classroom, it also provides an enhanced classroom experience to build beneficial skills through its Level UP program.

Implemented in 2021, Level UP allows students in any academic program to complete college courses while earning certification in one or more of the five most common career skills:

• Critical Thinking
• Oral Communication
• Professionalism
• Teamwork
• Written Communication

Nick Walker, a senior theatre major from Hyden, Kentucky, took a Level UP course on dramatic literature that allowed him to earn certification in critical thinking.

"It's given me skills that are practical in a lot of different fields. It's not just one thing," Walker said. "I think it's led me in the right direction."

A Level UP course frequently provides opportunities to apply these soft skills in real-world settings. In the Level UP course "Language Arts for Early Elementary," Assistant Professor of Early Childhood, Elementary and Special Education Dr. Gera Nelson had her students complete a collaborative service-learning project with Tilden Hogge Elementary School to enhance their teamwork skills.

"This collaboration has so many benefits to our students. It allows our students to refine their teamwork skills in a real-world educational setting, fosters a sense of civic responsibility, and builds experiences for their resume that show they are effective teachers," Nelson said.

Whether it's in the classroom or invaluable learning experiences, Morehead State students are attaining the skills, knowledge, and preparation they need to achieve their career goals.