Student-ready resources for college and career planning
by Ralph Aiello | 9.14.21
Ralph Aiello is director of school counseling at his district in Broward County, FL.
“When our students are planning their futures, they count on the adults in their school communities for guidance. But for many of us, our own college application experiences happened a long time ago – and career and college planning processes have changed immensely. We might be able to tell our students, ‘Back when I was in school…,’ but there’s not a lot that students gain from hearing how things worked five or ten or thirty years ago.
Roadtrip Nation’s videos give our students the chance to hear from young people who are closer to the process – and it can be powerful for students to hear directly from someone who has been in their shoes. When students see students who have similar lived experiences fulfilling their goals and dreams, their beliefs in their own goals and dreams deepen.
Check out the collection of resources from Roadtrip Nation below for tools that your team can use to help students reach their goals!”
–– Ralph Aiello, Director of School Counseling, Broward County, FL.
Three resources for college and career conversations with students
Making college and career plans is always complicated for students – and the pandemic has added new considerations and challenges. But research shows that educators can play a big role in showing students the full range of options available to them and supporting them in planning their next steps.
As a school leader, you can empower your counselors and homeroom teachers to make a difference for students by sharing these ready-to-use resources for lessons or counseling sessions.
The steps below outline a process that teachers or counselors can use to share these materials with students.
Step 1. Share an introductory video that presents students with a range of options.
To spark thought and conversation about postsecondary plans, your team can play this 11-minute video, which supports all pathways – not just four-year universities.
Here’s the guiding message that this video introduces:
“Between a pandemic and the rising social justice movement, it’s no surprise that one in four high school students changed their education plans over the last year. So if you’re in that boat, you don’t have to feel lost or alone! From workforce development programs to community college, there are still plenty of fulfilling paths you can take to reach your dreams…but most importantly, there’s a path that’s just right for you.”
Step 2. Share video “playlists” so students can hear directly from young people like them.
Your teachers and counselors can inspire students to broaden their postsecondary planning considerations by sharing videos that connect with their personal experiences.
A few examples from Roadtrip Nation’s video playlist library:
Step 3. Give students time to explore potential career routes using the Roadmap.
The roadmap invites students to share two interests, then creates a customized dashboard launching point for career exploration. Encourage teachers to give students time to use the roadmap and explore possibilities for their futures, then invite them to reflect on surprises and potential next steps.
Roadtrip Nation has a whole collection of resources your team can use to discuss future planning with students.