At the end of the workshop, participants submit personal statements and resumes, and each project portfolio is burned to CD so students can share their videos with peers, colleagues, and potential employers or use their finished projects when applying for future educational and training opportunities.

Capturing a Career was introduced to SFUSD’s School-to-Career group as part of an NAF-Pearson Foundation pilot program in the spring of 2005. The following year, five Academy programs in the district completed the project, including the AOF seniors at Phillip and Sala Burton High School.

The project consists of four distinct stages: (1) preparation work – developing a series of interview questions, rehearsing responses to these prompts, and gathering related visual material; (2) taping a personal interview; (3) assembling digital material into a finished video during an Editing Workshop; and (4) presenting and reflecting on the work.

A number of key thinking, communicating, and technological skills are embedded in this project, including archiving, organizing, prioritizing, oral delivery, writing, and video production skills.