College & Career Readiness

Syllabus

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Class Syllabus College & Career Readiness

Description of the Course

Career-readiness shouldn't wait until after a student gets into college. Only 10% of high school students say they've received meaningful career advice from their high school, despite career goals being a key consideration for college and major choice. Starting students early also sets them apart from their peers to college admission boards and companies offering internship opportunities. Our College- and Career-Readiness program teaches students everything they need to know to begin setting career goals, identify how to meet those goals, and how to utilize the resources necessary to exceed their goals.

In this course, high school students build a results-driven plan for college- and career-readiness that includes how to build a network, explore competitive industries, and how to differentiate themselves in a competitive college and job market. Students will build interpersonal communication skills, strategize best uses of their college network and resources, and build their personal brand to create long-term connections. These skills are supplemented with 1:1 support from expert coaches, who will work with students to provide personalized support and strategy to build an effective long-term Career Map. By the end of this course, students will have a results-driven strategy for getting into college, choosing a major, and getting their dream job upon graduation. This course prepares students for real world career navigation, taking strategic action, gaining a competitive edge, and acceptance to quality colleges.

Course Structure

Students learn how to successfully develop their college readiness skills, map their professional careers using realistic steps, and differentiate themselves in a competitive environment. The course includes three (3) hour-long group coaching sessions, office hours with expert coaches, with a final presentation of their Career Map to drive student accountability.

Course Objectives

In this course, students will:

• Create a detailed Career Map to guide their next months and years for a clear path to career development and future employment

• Uncover career motivations, analyze their natural skills, and develop an effective career development strategy

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• Learn how to set SMART goals to create an effective method for networking and college readiness

• Learn how to gain real world experience through volunteering and internships, differentiating themselves from peers to succeed in a competitive environment

Course Outline

Week 1:

• Preparation Reading: ROI of Strategic Career Planning

• Activity: Self-Reflection for Career Goal-Setting

• Live Session: College and Career Readiness

• Weekly Office Hours

• Discussion Board #1

• Assignment #1: Career Map: Personal Development, Career Exploration

Week 2:

• Preparation Reading: Building Your Personal Brand

• Activity: High Priority Skill Building + Strategy

• Live Session: Differentiating Yourself in a Competitive Environment

• Discussion Board #2

• Weekly Office Hours

• Assignment #2: Career Map: Storytelling, Networking

Week 3:

• Preparation: Reading: Results-Driven Career Development

• Activity: Preparation for Advisor 1:1

• Live Session: Essential Career Building Strategies

• Discussion Board #3

• Weekly Office Hours

• Final Project: Career Map Presentation

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Week 4: Presentation

• Preparation: Presentation Basics

• Activity: Presentation Prep

• Live Session: Presentations

Grading Policy

Component Percentage of Grade

Assignment 1 25%

Assignment 2 25%

Discussion Boards 15%

Final Presentation 35%

Please note that you must attend all classes and receive an 80% or greater to receive the certificate of completion for the course

Technology Requirements

Students will need access to the internet and the Canvas Learning Management system.

Course Project Overview

Students are tasked with creating a personalized step-by-step Career Map designed to prepare them for college and career success. Students will create SMART goals for each step of the Career Map including building their personal brand, choosing an industry and major to pursue, creating a strong network, and developing experience to prepare for future employment.

Part 1: Personal Development, Career Exploration

In the first phase of building the Career Map, students explore their personal motivations and values to explore their desired industry and career path. This section prompts students to describe their career non-negotiables and motivations, create a clear research plan to narrow down a specific industry and major, and decide on next steps to learn more about their desired path.

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Part 2: Storytelling and Mentoring

Part two of the Career Map project guides students in creating their personal brand after doing industry research so they can present themselves professionally in networking and future mentorship. Students also create actionable plans to effectively network using their own resources.

Final Presentation

In the final presentation, students share their finished Career Map to with the coach and rest of the class. The last phase of building the Career Map includes strategizing for finding experience and industry mentors. The final presentation includes connecting how each step of the Career Map contributes to their long-term college and career goals, identifying areas of improvement, and sharing ways to remain accountable over time.

Academic Integrity

Honesty is an essential aspect of academic integrity. Individual students are responsible for doing their own work and submitting original assignments as per the course directions. Plagiarism and cheating of any kind will not be tolerated.

Plagiarize: “To steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one’s own without crediting the source; presenting as new and original an idea or product derived from an existing source” (Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary, Springfield: G. & C. Merriam Company, 1973, 870).

This includes using information from the Internet without citing the website. Avoid plagiarism by appropriately acknowledging the source of the author’s words and ideas. Cheating: Submitting or presenting an assignment as your own when it was written or created by someone else is not permissible in this class.