Here’s a few things that you will need to bring to the conference with you:
● Your laptop
    o Please contact your college services program coordinator if you need to borrow a laptop for the conference.
● Laptop headphones
● Your laptop charger
● Your phone
● Your phone charger
● Some paper and pencil
● Sunscreen and a water bottle! It will be hot outside in July and August!

We ask that you give us your full attention as a lot of preparation work and funding has gone into making this a professional conference that will support you with your academic and career goals.

● Help volunteers feel welcomed by acknowledging the speakers by clapping your hands, nodding in areas where the message resonates for you, and/or smiling so they know you are actively listening.
● Be intentional about talking with people you don’t know (scholars, alums, staff and volunteers), asking questions and sharing your thoughts on what you’ve learned in the program.
We know that there are many of us that feel a bit socially awkward after coming out of the pandemic. As such, we have put in some breaks to give you some space between group sessions. For your support, we have brought on a speaker to directly talk about how to manage the anxiety that comes from this transition.

We require scholars to book appointments with between 4-5 informational interviews at our Career Exploration Fair. Business professionals will be registering throughout July and up until August 28th. We ask that you check in once or twice each month to book your appointments. You are expected to book interviews with professionals inside and outside of your career field of interest – you never know if an industry or profession will unexpectedly grab your interest!

We ask that you book all appointments no later than Sept 1, 2023 so that the volunteer business professionals can plan their time that day.
Remember, this is an opportunity to talk with business professionals who are looking forward to sharing their career with you. So please take advantage of this opportunity!

Please check in 5 mins prior to your first meeting to make sure you are in the right spot and ready to greet the person you will be meeting with on time! And have your questions ready and anything else you have prepared. These individuals are volunteering their time to meet with you, so we want them to know we appreciate their support.

● Before the conference: contact the conference leads: chloriza@peninsulacollegefund.org and julia@peninsulacollegefund.org
● Day 1 & 2 of the conference: For the in-person days – please go to the registration table if you have any questions or requests as someone will be at the table all day.
● For day 3 of the virtual conference:
    o For technical assistance, please go to the main lobby of the event platform and click on the help desk and someone from the event platform will be there to assist you.
    o For any other assistance, please contact: martha@peninsulacollegefund.org or chloriza@peninsulacollegefund.org.

We have incorporated some games in all three days of the event that are open to everyone who attends the event. Winners will be announced at the end of each day. Winners must be present to win their award. If they are not present, we will select another winner!

If you are not able to attend one day or all days of CCLC, please fill out the Absence Request Form linked below. Keep in mind that attending CCLC is a requirement for PCF Scholars. Unless the reasoning falls in one of the categories listed on the form, your absence may be unexcused with consequences to follow.
Absence Request Form

The day of the event, we ask that you login to the event platform about 15 to 20 mins before your first appointment to make sure there are no glitches in logging in and accessing your appointments.
More details regarding how to log into the platform TBA

For those volunteering virtually for the Career Exploration Day:
● For technical assistance: please go to the main lobby on the platform and click on the help desk and someone from the event platform will be there to assist you.
● For any other assistance (connecting in booked meetings with scholars, navigating the platform, etc.): please contact: martha@peninsulacollegefund.org or chloriza@peninsulacollegefund.org.

For those volunteering on in-person days:
● Please go to the registration table if you have any questions or requests as someone will be at the table all day.

The Career Exploration Fair is open to all PCF scholars from freshmen (who have not started the first day of college yet) to college seniors who will be wrapping up their last year in college.
Scholars will lead the conversations and have prepared accordingly. However, many scholars are still feeling the effects of the recent pandemic and learning how to manage social interaction again. We are asking scholars to view their informational interview as an opportunity to hone their communication skills in a setting similar to an interview situation. Some will be more proficient than others, while others may struggle – we ask you and our scholars to remember this is a learning opportunity for them. As such, we ask that you be understanding and supportive of where they are at in this process.

Tips for Support:
● Be aware of your body language – remember to welcome the scholar in a friendly, yet professional manner as this can set the tone for the whole interview.
● Feel free to get down to business – some students may find the small talk in the beginning of the interview intimidating. You can help them by asking “So, what did you want to learn today?”
● Some scholars may forget how to begin the interview – if you notice this, you can help them out by introducing yourself and providing some background information about your profession.
● A teaching moment – You may feel inclined to coach the scholar on what to say. Instead, if you notice they appear rushed or flustered, remind them to take their time. You can always offer to return to a question later if you think they are having difficulties in presenting themself.