Adulting Day

DCHS students learn first aid, auto maintenance, plumbing and more

By Erica Jones ejones@dawsonnews.com

On Tuesday March 28, seniors at Dawson County High School took a break from the normal routine of school to learn a variety of different life skills in the high school’s second annual “Adulting Day” event.

The event kicked off in the morning with guest speaker J. Tom Morgan, the author of “Ignorance is No Defense: A Teenager’s Guide to Georgia Law,” who spoke to the students about state laws and the consequences of violating them.

Each student then had the option to pick four of nine available topics, ranging from auto and home maintenance to personal safety, and spent the rest of the school day traveling to their different stations to learn about each topic. Each session lasted 45 minutes, allowing students the chance to learn as much as possible about their chosen topic.

Upon completing each of their four chosen stations, the seniors then came back together for a cookout to celebrate and have fun with one another.

Amy Smith, CTAE Coordinator for Dawson County High School, said that she was grateful for the many adult volunteers, both from the school and from businesses in the community, who helped to make the event possible.

“I’m appreciative of all of our volunteers that come to help with this,” Smith said. Smith added that she was happy with the turnout for this year’s adulting day event

THIS YEAR’S STATIONS INCLUDED:

PARENTING: changing diapers and caring for a baby, as well as information about medical problems such as shaken baby syndrome and how to avoid them;

MAKING BANK: the basics of taxes, saving for the future, budgeting and other money-related advice;

CULINARY ARTS: a hands-on lesson on how to make omelets and French toast;

PERSONAL SAFETY: Situational awareness and how to protect oneself;

TOOL SAFETY AND MEASUREMENT: how to use a variety of tools safely;

AUTO MAINTENANCE: all of the basics of caring for and maintaining a car;

HOME MAINTENANCE: steps on how to complete basic sheetrock, plumbing and electrical tasks;

HEALTH SCIENCE: basic first aid including emergency splints, stopping a bleeding wound, using an AED, using an EpiPen, helping someone who is choking and performing CPR; and hopes to see it continue to grow each year.

LIFE HACKS: how to iron, fold a fitted sheet, tie a tie, set a table correctly or sew a loose button onto a shirt.

“By the time we do it four times, I think word of mouth will spread that adulting day is fun and I think we’ll continue to grow,” Smith said.