The Career Pathways Program, in partnership with the Oak Ridge Breakfast Rotary, connects at-risk students at Oak Ridge High School with mentors and local nonprofit organizations for a 10-week paid work experience. Students are matched with mentors who offer encouragement, guidance, and real-world insight as they gain hands-on job skills and build professional confidence.
Opening Doors to Brighter Futures
This program empowers students to develop discipline, responsibility, and a sense of direction. A strong mentor can open doors, inspire new possibilities, and help students envision a brighter future. By combining meaningful work with consistent mentorship, it can be a life-changing opportunity for students to discover new possibilities and take their first steps towards long-term success.
Interested in becoming a mentor or supporting a Career Pathways student?
How It Works
Career Pathways targets high school juniors and seniors whose circumstances suggest they need personal and academic support to graduate on time—and guidance to look beyond low-wage jobs toward meaningful careers.
Before each school term, eligible students are invited to an information session and complete an application. Final participants are selected based on the program’s potential impact on their graduation and future success.
Students are placed in local nonprofit organizations like:
- Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge
- Girls Inc.
- CASA of the Tennessee Heartland
- Free Medical Clinic
- Boys and Girls Club
- ASAP of Anderson
- Habitat for Humanity
- Ecumenical Storehouse
- The Arc
- And more…
Each student is employed at $10.00/hour for a nine-week term, with the potential for a second nine-week extension based on performance and funding. Every student is matched with a mentor through the ORBRC to help guide them throughout the program.
Students who successfully complete the program and graduate will receive a $200 award to celebrate their achievement and support their next steps.
When Sky was accepted into Career Pathways she didn’t have much focus. Teachers and administrators were worried she wouldn’t graduate but more concerned she wouldn’t do anything after. Her interests were low and she didn’t have much of a vision for her life. She was placed working at the Children’s Museum and assigned a mentor who helped her along the way. What Sky found during her 16 weeks there was a love of teaching children – she now has a passion and a vision for her life and is planning to start classes this fall to become a teacher. The Children’s Museum loved her so much they hired her directly for the summer!