1. Sparking the Future college preparation lesson plans
This presentation introduces Sparking the Future, a college prep program that has been designed to introduce students to college and career options and then help them prepare.

2. PROJECT ORIGINS
College Spark grant aimed at first-in-family college-goers
Ft. Vancouver HS and Mt. Vernon HS developed lesson plans in
Updated in 2011
Designed to supplement Navigation 101
Sparking the Future was developed as part of a generous grant from the College Spark Foundation. It was designed to provide extra support for students who are the first in their families to be considering college – to help them explore the reasons for college and then learn about what they need to do during high school (in terms of both high school coursework and college applications) to be ready to succeed in college.
The Sparking the Future lessons were developed on the ground during the school year, by teams from Ft. Vancouver High School and Mt. Vernon High School. The lessons were designed and field-tested by teachers and then combined into a unified Scope & Sequence that spans grades 7 through 12.
The lessons were extensively updated during fall 2011 to incorporate new information and resources and to align the lessons with the Common Core State Standards.
Sparking the Future lessons were designed by educators who to supplement Navigation 101. These lessons will provide extra support and targeted assistance to students who are considering college… but are unsure what it will take to get there.

3. PROJECT GOALS Help students understand the importance of college
Explore a range of college and career options
Learn how to apply and be admitted to college: two- year, technical, or four-year
Sparking the Future was designed specifically to help students prepare for college. The goals of the program are to:
Help students understand the importance of college, by learning about the educational requirements of careers that interest them and by learning about the economic and earnings implications of a college degree.
Help students explore a range of college and career options to broaden their horizons and explicitly connect their interests and skills to potential career opportunities.
Give students the information and resources they need to prepare for, apply, and be competitive for admission to the college of their choice, whether that be a two-year community college, a technical college, or a four-year college or university.
As I noted earlier, Sparking the Future was designed to focus specifically on students who will be the first in their family to attend college. As such, it provides step-by-step (and even month-by-month) guidance to help students through what can be a challenging and confusing process.

4. PROJECT RESOURCES 22 lesson plans, grades 7-12 College prep timeline
Aligned with standards:
Common Core State Standards (Reading, Writing, Speaking & Listening, Language)
EALR GLEs (Writing, Communication, Educational Technology)
ASCA National Standards
Sparking the Future provides a set of 22 lesson plans that are designed for students in grades 7-12.
The lessons are organized into three groups, to follow students’ development and the steps they need to take to prepare for and then apply to college:
A set of 6 lessons for grades 7-9 focus on self-exploration and the importance of college and help students understand the importance of the work they will be doing in high school, easing their transition from middle school to high school.
A set of 7 lessons for grades 9-10 help students take a closer look at college and career options, and highlight the importance of the courses they take during their high school years, as well as the college entrance exams – from the SAT to the ASVAB – that they will need to take.
A final set of 9 lessons for grades help students put the pieces together, by connecting career goals with college programs and then guiding students through the college and financial aid application milestones of junior and senior year.
All of the lesson plans are aligned with academic and guidance standards, including the Common Core State Standards for for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, & Technical Subjects (Reading, Writing, Speaking & Listening, and Language), the Essential Academic Learning Requirement Grade Level Expectations (in Writing, Communications, and Educational Technology), and the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) National Standards.

5. LESSON FORMAT Lesson plans are 2 pages Each lesson plan shows:
Learning goals
Alignment with standards
Materials needed
Activities
Student products
Additional resources
Each lesson plan has same format
To make Sparking the Future easy for teachers and counselors to use, all of the lesson plans are one to two pages in length and all of them use the same format.
Each lesson plan includes information on :
The goals for student learning, focused around the outcomes for students following successful completion of the lesson;
Notes on how the lesson is aligned with academic and guidance standards;
A list of the materials that will be needed (including handouts, Internet access, or community resources);
A step-by-step guide through the activities students will complete during the lesson;
The products students will complete (including handouts, games, or essays); and
Additional resources advisors can pursue to help build on the lesson.

6. HANDOUT FORMAT All handouts are included in lesson plan packages
Guide students through:
Lifestyle goals
Interests and strengths
College and career options
Graduation and admission requirements
Application process
Promote self-reflection
Demonstrate learning
Most of the Sparking the Future lesson plans suggest exercises to help students absorb and reflect on what they have learned. In many cases, these student exercises are provided in the form of handouts that are included with the Sparking the Future lesson plan packets.
Handouts provided with the lessons help students explore concepts covered in the lessons, including:
Lifestyle goals and the connection between their goals and the type of education they will need;
Students’ interests and strengths and how those interests relate to career choices;
Different college and career options, focusing on the range of postsecondary opportunities that are available;
High school graduation requirements and the relationship between graduation requirements and admission requirements for colleges (an important distinction, which students must understand if they are going to be competitive and prepared for college); and
The college application process.
The handouts are designed to help students reflect on their goals and on the work they have done to achieve their goals.

7. ANSWER KEY FORMAT Answer keys provide support for advisors
Help enrich discussions:
Why go to college?
What occupations are growing?
What do I need to graduate?
What do I need for college?
What do colleges want?
Measure student readiness
Many of the Sparking the Future handouts ask students to find the answers to factual questions. In these cases, the handouts are supplemented with answer keys for the advisor.
The answer keys help advisors enrich their work with students. They give advisors the information they need to pursue subjects that include:
Why should students think about going to college?
What are the fastest growing occupations in our state?
What courses and how many credits will I need to graduate?
What courses and how many credits will I need to be ready for college?
What do colleges want from students in their applications?
These student exercises – and the accompanying answer keys – will help advisors measure students’ readiness in their journey from high school to college.

8. GRADES 7-9 Six lessons focus on the importance of college
Themes include:
Education after high school
Knowing yourself
Career interests
Help with transition to high school
GRADES 7-9
Sparking the Future for grades 7-9 includes six lessons that focus on the importance of college. Because these students are still young, the lessons plans introduce the concept of college and put college in the context of students’ dreams for the future.
The lesson plans are based around three themes:
Education after high school
Knowing yourself
Career interests
Each of these themes is based around self-discovery and interest assessment… to help students see how their interests and strengths can shape their path to the future.

9. EDUCATION AFTER HIGH SCHOOL
Lessons 1-2 for grades focus on the importance of college
Students explore:
Lifestyle goals
College facts
Family wage jobs
Need to achieve in high school to prepare for college and career
Fun quiz with each lesson
LESSONS 1-2 GRADES 7-9 EDUCATION AFTER HIGH SCHOOL
The first two lessons for grades 7-9 focus on the importance of college.
Students assess their own lifestyle goals and then explore the educational requirements for their career goals.
They learn basic facts about college and family wage jobs and begin to understand the connection between education and income.
And they learn about the importance of the work they will do during high school to their college and career options.
Each of these lessons includes a lighthearted quiz to help students assess their college and career readiness.

10. KNOWING YOURSELF
Lessons 3-4 for grades focus on students’ strengths and interests
Students explore:
Interests and aptitudes
The connection between interests and careers
Character traits
Who am I? Who do I want to be?
LESSONS 3-4 GRADES 7-9 KNOWING YOURSELF
The next several lessons allow students to explore their interests and strengths in greater detail. These lessons help students explore who they are and who they want to be… and then connect their interests to career and educational opportunities.
Making the connection between interests and potential careers is particularly important for students at this age level. It gives them something tangible to work for, helping them understand why the work they do today matters for the future.
Students also have the opportunity to explore the character traits that will be important to them no matter what type of career they pursue – and they learn how those “Six Steps to Success” will help them in school and on the job.

11. CAREER INTERESTS Lessons 5-6 for grades 7-9 focus on career interests
Students explore:
Career possibilities
Resources they can use to learn more about careers
High-growth occupations
Each lesson features a classroom game
LESSONS 5-6 GRADES 7-9 CAREER INTERESTS
Now that students have had an opportunity to explore their interests, they move on to a deeper exploration of career possibilities.
During lessons 5 and 6, students learn how to explore career possibilities and are introduced to resources they can use to learn more about careers. They also explore high-growth occupations and learn what types of jobs are most in demand.
Each of these lessons features a classroom game to make learning about career and occupations areas more engaging for younger students.

12. GRADES 9-10 Seven lessons focus on exploring options for the future
Topics include:
Why go to college?
Two-year and four-year colleges
Admission requirements vs. graduation requirements
Help students plan for high school success
GRADES 9-10
Sparking the Future offers seven lesson plans for students in grades 9 and 10. These lessons are focused around helping students make a successful transition to high school and explore options for the future. They are designed to help students think strategically about their time in high school.
The “early high school” lessons include lessons on why students should consider going to college; an introduction to both two- and four-year colleges and some of the resources students can use to research colleges and programs of study; information about college entrance exams; and the crucial distinction between high school graduation requirements and college admission requirements .
These lessons help students understand what they need to achieve during high school to be ready for life after high school.

13. MAKING THE TRANSITION
Lesson 1 helps students make a successful start in high school
Students learn how to form study groups
Students brainstorm about the career value of working with others
LESSON 1 GRADES 9-10 MAKING THE TRANSITION
The first high school lesson focuses on a crucial issue: helping students make a successful transition into high school.
In this lesson, students explore the importance of study groups, learning why studying is a team effort. A career-based, role-playing example from the high tech industry gives students a broader focus of the importance of enlisting all the help they can to succeed.

14. EXPLORING OPTIONS
Lessons 2-4 for grades focus on the need for postsecondary education
Students explore:
Careers that interest them
The career reasons for college
The benefits of two-year colleges
Lessons include a plan for an adult career interview
LESSONS 2-4 GRADES 9-10 EXPLORING OPTIONS
The next three high school lessons repeat a common Sparking the Future theme: the importance of staying in school after high school graduation.
Students explore the careers that interest them, learning more about the path to different careers. The lessons start with an opportunity for an adult career information interview that students can use to supplement their research to date.
Next, students explore the key reasons for going to college and discuss the benefits of postsecondary education and, in particular, the benefits of community and technical colleges. This information builds on the grades 7-9 Sparking the Future lessons to help students develop a full understanding of the importance of college for their dreams for the future.

15. KNOWING WHAT YOU NEED Lessons 5-7 focus on admission requirements
Students explore:
College entrance exams
The ASVAB
The difference between graduation requirements and college admission requirements
LESSONS 5-7 GRADES 9-10 KNOWING WHAT YOU NEED
The final set of lessons for grades 9 and 10 helps students connect what they have learned about the future with what they are doing in high school. They compare the course requirements they must fulfill to graduate from high school with the course requirements needed for the college of their choice. They also learn about college entrance exams, including the SAT, ACT, ACCUPLACER, and the ASVAB for those planning to enter the military after high school.
Students focus on a crucial fact: the requirements to graduate from high school are typically lower than the requirements to be admitted to college. Students must understand this fact – and know specifically what courses are required for college – early enough in their high school years that they can plan to take the necessary courses.
These lessons can be integrated into students’ four-year course planning exercises to help them take a careful look at what they need to achieve before they graduate from high school.

16. GRADES 11-12
Nine lessons focus on career options and the college admissions process
Topics include:
What kind of job do I want?
Apprenticeships and high-growth jobs
Application timelines and tasks
Financial aid
Help students plan for life after high school
GRADES 11-12
Many of the nine lessons designed for grades 11 and 12 are titled “Getting Down to It!” That describes the tone of these lessons: they help students take the final steps to prepare for college admission, understanding what their career goals will require in terms of postsecondary programs of study, and then completing the application process to pursue those goals.
Topics for grades 11 and 12 include a final exploration of career choice, including an examination of apprenticeship opportunities and high-growth job areas; a preview of major junior and senior year college application milestones and tasks; and an overview of financial aid.
These lessons help students take the final steps to plan for their lives after high school.

17. WHAT KIND OF JOB DO I WANT?
Lessons 1-3 for grades focus on career exploration
Students explore:
The need for postsecondary training
High-growth career areas
Apprenticeship programs
Lessons help students get specific about next steps
LESSONS 1-3 GRADES WHAT KIND OF JOB DO I WANT?
The first three Sparking the Future lesson plans for juniors and seniors focus on last time on career exploration, this time with an eye toward helping students make the final decisions about their postsecondary study plans.
Students explore the need for college and take a first look at the admissions process. Then they learn about high-growth career areas, repeating in more detail a lesson from earlier in their school careers. Finally, they learn about apprenticeship programs and learn about the requirements for entering an apprenticeship.
These lessons are designed to help students get specific: what type of career, what type of job, what type of education will be needed… so that students can move forward confident that they have a clear goal in mind.

18. APPLICATION MILESTONES
Lessons 4-5 for grades focus on junior/senior year milestones
Students explore:
Application milestones
Progress to date
Possible areas of study and entry requirements
Students focus on the specific tasks to complete
LESSONS 4-5 GRADES APPLICATION MILESTONES
The next two lessons focus on the milestones of junior and senior year. The college application process can be daunting, particularly for students who are the first in their family to attempt it.
These lessons provide help, with a quarter-by-quarter calendar for junior and senior year and specific pointers for what students must do when in order to be admitted to college.
The lessons help students narrow down their interests to two possible areas of study and research the entry requirements for each, and then help them put that interest into the overall context of what they must do over the next year or so to pursue it.
These lessons are more task-oriented than the lessons for younger students, but they are clear and direct in terms of the tasks students must complete.

19. APPLICATION PROCESS
Lessons 6-8 for grades focus on the college application process
Students explore:
College research and inquiries
Admissions essays
Completing a college application
Students get support to complete their applications
LESSONS 6-8 GRADES APPLICATION PROCESS
The next three lessons walk students through the college application process.
First, they learn how to research colleges and how to use a college’s web site to request more information.
Next, students learn about college essay requirements and follow a “recipe” for a strong essay of their own. The lesson includes several successful college essays written by other Washington students over the last several years.
Then, students learn about the other components of a college application. They learn about web-based resources they can use to complete their application, and learn about all the components of the application they will need to track – from reference letters to transcripts.
The lessons offer opportunities for students to practice writing applications – or, if desired, to build their work around a real application that can be submitted at the end of this block of lessons.

20. FINANCIAL AID Lesson 9 for grades 11-12 focuses on financial aid
Students explore:
Financial aid options
The FAFSA & PROFILE forms
TheWashBoard.org scholarship match
Cost can be a barrier – this lesson helps students find and apply for financial aid
LESSON 9 GRADES FINANCIAL AID
The final lesson offers a primer on the different types of financial aid. Because cost is often a deterrent to students who are the first in their family to attend college, and because all students will need to complete a FAFSA to apply for financial aid, this lesson explains the fundamentals of financial aid, introduces the FAFSA and the CSS PROFILE, and helps students and their families begin the process.
The lesson also introduces theWashBoard.org, a scholarship match service.

21. SUPPLEMENTING NAVIGATION 101
Sparking the Future lessons can supplement Navigation advisories
Use Sparking the Future to give students extra exposure to college issues
Enrich Navigation advisories with targeted college prep help
Sparking the Future was designed by educators who are currently implementing Navigation 101. It was designed to be a supplement to Navigation, to add enrichment for students who need additional help to get to college.
Sparking the Future lessons can be integrated with your school’s implementation of Navigation – or used as a stand-alone for students who would benefit from additional support through the college preparation process.
The Sparking the Future lessons do not attempt to provide the broad range of subject areas the Navigation lessons cover. Instead, they are focused on a single area: helping students prepare carefully and mindfully for college.

22. SUPPLEMENTING CAREER GUIDANCE WA
Sparking the Future lessons can be used to extend Career Guidance Washington lessons
Use Sparking the Future to give students more detailed instruction on college prep
Sparking the Future was designed by educators who are currently implementing Navigation 101. It was designed to be a supplement to Navigation, to add enrichment for students who need additional help to get to college.
Sparking the Future lessons can be integrated with your school’s implementation of Navigation – or used as a stand-alone for students who would benefit from additional support through the college preparation process.
The Sparking the Future lessons do not attempt to provide the broad range of subject areas the Navigation lessons cover. Instead, they are focused on a single area: helping students prepare carefully and mindfully for college.
CAREER GUIDANCE
WASHINGTON

23. DOWNLOAD THE LESSONS
Sparking the Future lessons can be downloaded from: CareerCollegeReadiness/SparkingFuture.aspx
The Sparking the Future lesson plans are all available at the Navigation 101 web site.
You can download them at:

24. Sparking the Future
Thank you.