Vocational Service Committee

The vocational services committee of the Rotary Club of Key West has been busy this past year. This important avenue of service has been focused on several different projects.  Dormant for several years, our Rotary Employee Superstar Award was reinstated. This award is given to a member of the community who exemplifies the values of Rotary in his or her daily vocational  life.  The candidates are nominated by Rotarians but don't need to be Rotarians themselves.  The winners receive a plaque, are invited to our lunch meeting with their supervisor and are given a goodie bag with gift certificates for restaurants, beauty salons and a half day at the spa.

Our committee has also been active with an innovative project at Key West High School called the "Portfolio Project"  For the past three years, our club has sponsored this event.  Three years ago, ninth grade English teacher Melanie Stefanowicz, a former Rotarian in Maryland, approached Rudy Molinet, our Vocational Services Chair for assistance in this innovative project.  The program is designed to build interviewing and presentation skills to the 9^th graders and also to build confidence.  As part of their final exams, the students are required to put together a "portfolio" of their work during ninth grade. They are encouraged to put examples of their writing (their best work and their "not so good" work) in a portfolio that they then present to a member of the business community.  The portfolio can also have projects that the student is proud of, their report card and their interests.  The student is then interviewed for 10 minutes by a Rotarian and has the opportunity to present their work and interact with adults in an educational and professional fashion.   

Last year, over 125 students were served by nearly 30 Rotarians from our club.  The programs was so successful that this year our club has been invited back.  Mrs. Stefanowicz is now Director of the Ninth Grade program and has expanded this program to every ninth grade student.  This year the program will serve the whole 9^th grade class which numbers over 300 students.  Our club has stepped up to the challenge and more than half our club will be involved in the interviews.  Club members have expressed that this is "one of the most rewarding projects" that they have worked on.   Current vocational services chair Elizabeth Mac Laughlin is very excited about this project and is looking forward to another successful year.