Photo provided Bridgeport Exempted Village School District Curriculum Director Leslie Kosanovic, from left, shows student board members Taaliah Coulson and Abbie Bennett-Rush information about the YouScience career assessment program, aimed at assessing the students’ aptitudes and suggesting possible career paths.

BRIDGEPORT — Students at Bridgeport Exempted Village School District have a new tool to gauge students’ strengths and explore which careers might align with their aptitude and interest.

The district is using the YouScience Brightpath platform. Curriculum Director Leslie Kosanovic spoke about the program to the board of education Feb. 21.

She said all students ninth through 12th grade completed a series of “brain games” aimed at discovering their natural strengths and suggesting educational or career opportunities they might fit. Kosanovic said the test measures aptitudes, which are the areas that are naturally a good fit for each student. Aptitudes differ from interests, since interests change based on new experiences.

“Aptitudes aren’t interests, they’re not intelligence, it’s not skills, it’s not personality traits. It’s just what you have a natural ability for,” she said. “If you just go by an interest inventory, you’re limited by your experiences at that point.”

The tests run a gamut including vocabulary, math, spatial recognition and pattern recognition, as well as personality traits such as how they contribute to a team.

The program produces a robust report for students, including possible career connections and a “day in the life” of someone in a particular career.

She said the top aptitudes of the Class of 2024 are occupational therapy assistants, psychiatric technicians, nursery and greenhouse managers, medical and clinical lab technicians, rotary drill operators for the oil and gas industry, audio and video equipment technicians, park naturalists, kindergarten teachers and cytogenetic technologists.

Kosanovic said test results can also be used in suggesting which students might benefit most from certain field trips if the activities fall into their aptitudes and/or interests.

“We’re making sure that the kids that have an aptitude in that area are on the list,” she said.

Kosanovic said once the students completed the brain games, the team began working with teachers to give them resources to use with their students as they progressed through the results. She said high school students have access to their information up to 10 years after they complete their aptitude assessments.

Student results also include advice for how to emphasize their strengths during interviews and on resumes.

Kosanovic said she looks forward to connecting with the Business Advisory Council where matches between students’ aptitudes and businesses’ needs can occur.

“This year we’re giving it to seventh grade, just because it’s later in the year,” she said.

The eighth-graders will be freshmen next year, and the seventh-graders will be given a smaller, “snapshot” version.

She said the district plans to administer this to all seventh and ninth grade students in the fall of each year. Students that join the Bulldog Family throughout the year will also have time to complete it.

Student board members Abbie Bennett-Rush and Taaliah Coulson were among the students who took the test. They were surprised at some of the careers suggested.

Kosanovic said there was an advantage in presenting the students with new options.

“They’re having conversations that they didn’t think about prior. That’s the purpose,” she said.

The board members and superintendent also completed the brain games and got results back. Board member Don Cash was amused to find how closely the results matched his personality.

“It was spot on,” he said, noting the careers suggested for him were physical therapist, occupational therapist and teaching.

Board member Ryan Kreiter said he was unsurprised when the test suggested service-oriented careers to him.

“I’ve taken a few career tests before, and they’re usually accurate. This one was very accurate,” he said.

Superintendent Brent Ripley commented on the difficulty of choosing which career to pursue, and how priorities can change.

“You become so much of your job as adults,” he said. “Your job is not who you are.”

He agreed a person’s interests can shift.

“I’m glad our kids are taking it. It’s hard to figure out what you want to do for the rest of your life, but at least this points a positive direction for you guys to consider,” he said. “Every job you have, you grow into a different person, and if you’re positive about it you become a better person.”

Prior to the meeting, Bridgeport High School Principal Jack Fisher said he saw potential in YouScience.

“I think it’s an excellent resource for our students and our staff to have at the high school level. There are other districts I know that have implemented this. On the student side, it allows them to explore interests and aptitude and then they can explore career opportunities,” he said. “They can see what jobs are out there. You can really explore on this program. A lot of times, kids don’t even realize what jobs are out there.”

Fisher said the results came in handy during a recent field trip to a hospital, offered to students with those aptitudes.

“It kind of allows us to focus categories of students where they might be good in, where they might have interests in. We can show them different opportunities,” he said.