College selection, application workflows, and financial aid navigation including FAFSA and scholarship acquisition. Builds skills in personal statement writing and career exploration to align post-secondary choices with long-term professional goals.
Students present their career roadmaps in a gallery walk and reflect on the journey they've mapped out.
Students synthesize their research into a visual roadmap poster, analyzing the terrain of their career choice.
Students map out the technical details of their chosen career, including required skills, education, and daily responsibilities.
Students explore their interests, select a target career path, and understand the project roadmap and timeline.
A collaborative workshop session where educators map out the developmental stages of a student's journey from elementary awareness to high school application and outcome access.
A lesson focused on exploring college campuses virtually to identify key features such as size, location, and culture to find the right fit for personal and professional goals.
A comprehensive suite of academic planning tools designed for high school students to map out their graduation requirements and future career paths with their school counselor.
Essential study habits, organizational skills, and phrases for asking for clarification.
Exploring sports, clubs, and extracurricular activities to build community.
Understanding school safety protocols, ID requirements, and hall pass procedures.
Step-by-step guidance on writing and sending a professional email to a teacher.
Basic Chromebook operation, including logging in, hardware care, and keyboard basics.
Identifying key school staff members and understanding their roles in supporting students.
An introduction to earning credits, GPA basics, and the path to a high school diploma.
Students explore the importance of attendance and the definition of being tardy.
Students learn to navigate the school building using maps and room number patterns.
Students learn to read a high school bell schedule, understand period transitions, and identify their own class times.
An introductory lesson exploring four major post-secondary pathways (2-year, 4-year, trade, and military) through the lens of leadership and personal goals. Students will compare options and analyze scenarios to find their best fit.
Outlines the steps to take after receiving acceptance letters, including deposits, orientation, and housing, concluding with a reflection journal.
Guides students through the application timeline, components of a college application, and the admissions review process.
Students build a personal scholarship tracking system to organize deadlines, requirements, and application statuses.
Students develop the critical thinking skills to identify scholarship scams and predatory financial aid practices.
Using a case study approach, students learn to read the 'fine print' of applications to identify hidden requirements and disqualifiers.
Students set up professional scholarship profiles and learn to use advanced filters to match their specific backgrounds and interests.
Students explore the spectrum of financial aid, distinguishing between merit, need, and loans while analyzing college costs versus available aid.
Students synthesize their learning by creating a comprehensive, justified funding plan for a prospective college, outlining their strategy to minimize debt.
Learners explore federal borrowing limits and assess the risks of private loans, setting personal borrowing ceilings based on projected career earnings and bridgeable gaps.
Students analyze financial aid award letters to identify hidden loans and calculate the 'funding gap,' learning to distinguish between what is truly free and what must be repaid.
This lesson focuses on maximizing 'gift aid' (scholarships and grants) and calculating the 'net price' before considering 'self-help aid' like loans and work-study.
Students differentiate between direct and indirect college costs, calculating the true Cost of Attendance (COA) for various institution types to establish a baseline financial need.
Students act as financial advisors for fictional high school seniors, recommending a mix of federal and private loans based on specific profiles.
Using sample award letters, students practice identifying the 'net price' and separating loans from grants to determine the true cost of attendance.
Students investigate the landscape of private student loans, examining the role of credit scores, cosigners, and variable versus fixed interest rates.
This lesson focuses on the Federal Direct Loan program, clarifying the difference between Subsidized and Unsubsidized loans and calculating interest accrual.
Students explore the hierarchy of funding higher education, categorizing grants, scholarships, work-study, and loans. They analyze why loans should be the last resort and define key terminology.
Students apply their knowledge to create a balanced college list that includes 'Financial Safeties,' culminating in a peer-reviewed defense of their choices.
Students investigate career earnings versus student loan debt, calculating ROI and simulating a monthly budget to understand the long-term impact of college costs.
Students categorize merit-based and need-based aid, conducting research into institutional scholarships and participating in a 'Scholarship Scavenger Hunt.'
A technical workshop where students simulate the financial aid process for different family profiles using Net Price Calculators to see how individual circumstances affect college costs.
Students learn the difference between published college tuition and actual costs, exploring components like room, board, and demonstrated need through a game-based introduction.
A visual career exploration lesson designed for students with moderate to severe disabilities, using real photos to identify interests across various career clusters.
Focuses on social intelligence and 'code-switching' as tools for success. Students practice navigating conflict with peers and authority figures to protect their progress and 'own the room' professionally.
Visualizes the 'Ripple Effect' of choices on graduation timelines and future earnings. Students analyze case studies of peers navigating high-stakes decisions to understand the compounding nature of consistency.
Equips students with high-level cognitive strategies to override impulsive reactions. Focuses on 'reframing' stressful situations and using 'if-then' planning to maintain composure under pressure.
Students identify internal and environmental 'setups'—triggers that lead to self-sabotage. They create tactical maps of their daily routines to anticipate and bypass distractions in an urban school environment.
Reframes delayed gratification as a strategic investment. Students analyze the 'ROI' of their time and credits, participating in a simulation that mirrors real-world economic and academic trade-offs.
A comprehensive lesson exploring the differences, benefits, and drawbacks of technical schools and apprenticeships to help students navigate post-secondary options.
A transition-focused lesson that moves students from personal vision to concrete action steps through the ICAP framework, tailored for Elementary, Middle, and High School levels.
A fast-paced, interactive activity where students expand their understanding of familiar careers into broader industry pathways and explore the skills and steps needed to reach them.
A strategic career planning lesson for high schoolers focusing on comparing specific pathways (CTE, college, military) and evaluating local versus out-of-area opportunities.
A career exploration lesson for middle schoolers that dives into salary, education requirements, and identifying stereotypes or barriers within specific career fields.
An introductory career awareness lesson for elementary students focusing on identifying job skills and exploring 'who else' can do a job. Students use a graphic organizer to expand their understanding of common professions.
A professional development session for educators to learn how to facilitate career expansion activities that challenge student assumptions and connect learning to diverse pathways.
A comprehensive lesson package for the 'Who I Am -> Who I'm Becoming' activity, designed to build self-awareness and connect student identity to future career and academic pathways across K-12.
A fast-paced, 25-minute experiential session where students explore careers in out-of-school-time (OST) and health advocacy. In collaboration with an anti-vaping professional, students learn how to use play and game design to promote healthy choices and lead community-wide change.
A lesson covering the four main ways to pay for college: scholarships, grants, work-study, and loans, featuring a budget simulation and a scholarship research activity.
Focuses on financial literacy, including FAFSA/ORSAA, scholarship hunting, and decoding financial aid award letters.
Covers the different types of colleges (2-year vs. 4-year, public vs. private), debunks common academic myths, and sets expectations for the college experience.
Master the transition from student to professional. This lesson covers workplace etiquette and the application process through engaging puzzles and reflective self-assessments.
Explore the foundational pillars of economics through the history of the Dust Bowl, the ethics of organ markets, and simulations of scarcity and marginal utility.
Master the mechanics of life's largest financial commitments through the history of the 30-year mortgage, the ethics of urban gentrification, and complex simulations of home ownership.
Uncover the mechanisms of risk management through the history of the Great Fire of London, the ethics of pre-existing conditions, and complex simulations of health and auto insurance.
Master the battlefield of the modern marketplace through the history of consumer protection, the ethics of planned obsolescence, and simulations of contract negotiation.
Uncover the mechanics of modern banking through historical currency crises, the ethics of fee structures, and simulations of liquidity management.
Analyze the mechanics of financial choice through historical market crashes, the ethics of credit, and complex simulations of high-stakes adult purchases.
Master the art of information gathering and source verification in the digital age through historical misinformation cases and modern research simulations.
A comprehensive guide to essential adulting skills covering financial literacy, career development, health navigation, and civic responsibilities.
A multi-day project where students act as 'Development Studios' to design, build, and playtest their own career-themed board games, focusing on the impact of education and life choices on long-term outcomes.
This lesson covers the essential components of college financial aid, focusing on the differences between gift aid, work-study, and loans, with a deep dive into federal loan structures.
A comprehensive financial literacy lesson for high schoolers (grades 10-12) focused on evaluating the economic impact of post-secondary choices, including college, trade school, and budgeting for life after graduation.
A comprehensive lesson for high school students on the economics of post-secondary choices, covering college costs, ROI for various paths, student loans, and budgeting for the future. Includes SEL components for responsible decision-making.
A comprehensive lesson for high school students with intellectual disabilities to explore and compare post-secondary education routes, focusing on personal preferences, support needs, and practical considerations like cost and location.
A comprehensive lesson where students calculate and analyze the Return on Investment (ROI) for various college degrees and career paths, comparing tuition costs and starting salaries.
A lesson on drafting and sending professional emails to request letters of recommendation for college, internships, or scholarships. Students learn proper email etiquette, structure, and follow-up procedures.
A comprehensive guide to high school graduation requirements and academic planning for transitioning students. Includes a visual presentation and a printable tracking checklist.
A comprehensive SAT/PSAT preparation session covering critical logistics, timing for standard and accommodated testing, and high-impact strategies for both the ELA and Math sections.
An exploration of the history, mechanics, and fairness of standardized testing through the lens of a neurodivergent student's experience. This lesson uses a retro-style comic to illustrate the disconnect between traditional testing and real-world intelligence.
Students reflect on 'desirable difficulty' and evaluate their study efficiency, refining their schedules based on metacognitive insights.
A high-intensity study session simulation where students rotate through different subjects to model the cognitive effort of interleaved recall.
Students use backward design to schedule spaced review intervals for future exams, directly addressing executive functioning and time management.
Students audit their current academic load to identify subjects compatible with interleaved spaced repetition and learn to group similar but distinct topics.
Students define and compare blocked practice (AAABBBCCC) with interleaved practice (ABCABCABC) to understand why 'mixing it up' improves long-term retention.
Students act as financial counselors for a detailed case study of a recent graduate struggling with payments. They analyze debt load and income to recommend a specific repayment plan and budget adjustments, producing a final 'Financial Action Plan'.
Students examine the timeline and repercussions of failing to repay student loans, including damaged credit scores, wage garnishment, and tax refund offsets. They learn the difference between postponement options and simply stopping payment.
This lesson connects career aspirations with borrowing limits. Students research entry-level salaries for specific careers and calculate a safe borrowing limit based on the rule of thumb that total debt should not exceed expected first-year salary.
Learners investigate alternative federal repayment options, including Graduated, Extended, and Income-Driven Repayment (IDR) plans. They analyze how lowering a monthly payment often results in paying significantly more interest over the life of the loan.
Students use the 'Standard Repayment Plan' model to calculate estimated monthly payments for various total debt amounts and compare them to entry-level salaries. This lesson introduces the concept of the debt-to-income ratio through the 'Sticker Shock' challenge.
A comprehensive guide to mastering entry-level and academic interviews through the STAR method, practical scenarios, and self-reflection. Students will build a portfolio of stories to demonstrate their skills to future employers and admissions officers.
High school students master the art of professional digital communication through scenario-based practice, focusing on tone, structure, and high-stakes requests.
A comprehensive lesson designed to help homeless high school students navigate complex public benefit systems, understand their rights under McKinney-Vento, and manage the documentation required for stability and post-secondary success.
This lesson empowers students to take control of their digital footprints by transforming them into intentional 'digital blueprints.' Students analyze mock social media profiles, practice professional communication, and draft networking bios while navigating online safety and misinformation.
A final assessment module to evaluate student understanding of career readiness concepts and application proficiency.
A deep dive into the mechanics of job applications, cover letter construction, and managing professional references.
An introductory unit focusing on career terminology, professional mindset, and identifying personal strengths for the workforce.
A suite of professional case note templates for school counselors, designed for efficiency and clarity in documenting student support sessions. These templates follow a blue and gold theme and utilize best-practice intervention checklists.
A comprehensive guide to mastering the art of professional communication. Students learn to navigate email structure, tone, and etiquette for academic and professional success.
A comprehensive lesson exploring the creation, impact, and management of digital footprints for high school students. Includes a structured advance organizer to guide note-taking and reflection.
