What if we reimagine how we prepare students for life after high school? What if we look holistically at our students’ interests, goals, and aspirations? What if we support them as they tailor and create the future they and their families dream of? Michigan College Access Network’s new college and career planning course can turn these “what ifs” into a reality.
With the help of internal and external certified educators and support from the Michigan State University College of Education, MCAN has developed Your Future Matters: A College and Career Planning Course for Students. The course will be ready for high schools to implement in fall 2023. Its project-based curriculum puts students’ perspectives and voices first, while allowing flexibility for easily integrating the course into school schedules.
Course Outcomes
By the end of this course, participating students will have created a talent portfolio that is aligned to the Michigan Career Development Model, is centered on their respective Educational Development Plans, and will prepare them to access postsecondary education and persist to attain a degree. The course provides a curriculum, student workbooks with an accompanying teacher edition, a professional learning community and resources, and an exclusive grant opportunity to help fund course implementation, all at no cost!
The Your Future Matters curriculum focuses on:
- Life and career exploration.
- Finding the right match and fit — a campus for each student’s particular needs.
- Financing postsecondary education.
- The college admissions process.
Why Implement This Course?
What school district doesn’t want more equitable access to postsecondary education for its students? There are many barriers to getting more students to and through college; MCAN’s college and career planning course reduces or eliminates several of them. Consider the fact that students rarely have in-school time for reflection on personal interests in relation to a career pathway, let alone time to explore corresponding postsecondary pathways. They must also navigate myriad options for financial aid, and apply to institutions that all have differing requirements. Carving out time within the school day allows more students to receive assistance from trained adults, which helps provide equitable support — especially for those students who are first generation, low-income, and students of color — to engage in college access activities. In turn, this leads to a diversified pool of students who are on track to attend college.
Providing schools with a turn-key curriculum will ensure more students are provided advising and other critical supports. By embedding the course material into schools’ programming, MCAN creates a sustainable model to serve more students into perpetuity. Together, we can open up a world of possibilities through exposure, holistic and authentic teaching, and community support.
Questions?
If you have any questions about the College Planning Course, please contact Cheyenne Peters, strategy manager for high school innovation.