The SPACE (Summer Programs and Career Exploration) Fair is one of many unique opportunities held every year on the KO campus for Upper School students. It serves as a way for Upper Schoolers to broaden their horizons and think of ways to spend their time outside of KO. These opportunities include career exploration, travel programs, programs in specified academic areas, and more.
This year’s SPACE Fair was held on Friday, Jan. 17, and was open to Middle School students, Upper School students, as well as all KO parents. It included many different companies nationwide, including Putney Student Travel, Sail Caribbean, and Oxbridge Academic Programs, to name a few. There were also local representatives from organizations like Hartford Healthcare and our very own Camp KO offering information on their summer programs. Each opportunity is unique in its own way, and there is something for every type of person.
Students were able to go from table to table to get a better understanding of what each program had to offer. The goal of the SPACE Fair is to get students exposed to and excited about possible career interests, extracurricular interests, and perhaps even try something new.
College Counselor Peggy Clark spoke to the importance of not only having events like the SPACE Fair, but staying involved in interests over summer break in general. “We think that discovering what it is you love to do and learn is critical to having that maturational growth that is holistic in nature,” Mrs. Clark said. The SPACE Fair encourages students to find what interests them, commit themselves to it, and grow and develop from it.
Often, students find themselves being exposed to something new and are given the opportunity to dive deeper into their interests through the SPACE Fair. Form 5 student Justin Morle is a prime example of this experience. Justin was particularly interested in the Hartford Healthcare table, and got to speak with the representatives and learn more about the opportunities available to students like him with an interest in the medical field. “It was really interesting for me because I’ve always had an interest in that type of field,” Justin said. “It was cool to learn about what’s out there for students like me. I was very glad I attended the fair and was able to put these on my radar.”
KO’s annual Summer Programs and Career Exploration Fair is a special event on campus where students are encouraged to get out of their comfort zone and try something new to better themselves as individuals in our ever-changing society. Thank you to Mrs. Clark and the College Counseling office, as well as the participating companies and programs who come back each year, for making this incredibly opportunity possible for our students.
