There’s no better way to impart wisdom than by teaching about real-life lessons.

From time management, to choosing a career, to tips on personal banking and finance, Lehighton Area High School District students ran the gamut during a program Tuesday.

The event, dubbed “Me Today, Me Tomorrow” saw students learn from over 20 different speakers who held different sessions on topics that the students requested in a survey conducted earlier this school year.

Gretchen Laviolette, Director of Instructional Technology and Curriculum Development, said that “we as educators, know that our job goes beyond just teaching our students the academics.

“We must also prepare these young minds for what they currently encounter or what they will encounter in the future,” Laviolette said. “Therefore, this day was meant as a day of providing the students with opportunities to learn about ‘durable skills’ that will help them today, tomorrow, and many days to come.”

Laviolette said there were 16 sessions available with students attending three. They ranged in topics from stress management, time management, choosing a career, goal setting, personal finance and banking, to reaching out for help.

She added they had presenters from many different agencies such as Lehigh Carbon Community College, Blue Mountain Ski Area, Kalahari Resort, the Bo Tkach Foundation, and Mauch Chunk Trust Bank.

While he eventually plans to open his own high-end countertop business, senior Jackson Zacharias said he believed the program gave him a good idea about what it takes to start his own business.

Sophomore Claire Foeller said she learned many useful strategies, such as the importance of making sure she has a great future, as well as to think about what she’d like to do when she graduates.

Laviolette said she was grateful for the help that Jen Aquila, from the Pocono Mountain Vacation Bureau, provided as well as the organizations involved in the Carbon Chamber and Economic Development Corporation Business and Education Partnership.

“I’d also like to express my appreciation to the high school administration and staff for their support of this event,” she said. “It truly takes a village and today’s program is just one example of the great village in which we live and work.”