Project: Achieving Personal Traction

Step Description Expected Student Results
1 Week One: 6/5

The student and mentor will work together under the teacher's supervision to simply develop the skills necessary to connect the dots between their interests/natural abilities, career options in Kansas, Kansas post-secondary options, and overall requirements to compete.

The student will share the results of career interest survey with the mentor. Students and mentors will discuss the connection between the results of the survey and what the mentor knew about these areas as juniors in high school. They will also discuss the power of contributing through volunteering and learning simultaneously. 		1.Results of the career interest survey.
2.Discussion of the survey with the mentor.
3.First personal traction portfolio entry, including the results of the survey, student/mentor communication, and student reflections.
4.Post the portfolio entry in the message area.
2 WEEK 2 (June 13-17)
Explore the Kansas Department of Labor site. Discuss the connection between the student's interests and natural abilities and broad fields with a focus on those fields that are growing (healthcare, energy, aviation, engineering, etc).

Students will add this information to their portfolio, including reflections. It's important that students realize there is a connection between who they are and many career options. 		Add the following information to the personal traction portfolio:

1.Note at least two broad fields connected to the interests and natural abilities of the student.
2.Include student/mentor communication that is relevant to this discussion in the portfolio entry.
3 WEEK 3(June 20-24)
Determine what's happening in that specific career field within Kansas. Who are the leaders? What are they doing? Who is winning awards for their contributions? Why? Where did they go to school? Which colleges and universities offer the top programs in this field of study? Why? 5. Further research post secondary options. Check with at least two top employers, with the help of a mentor, who hire students from a specific program. Ask the employer what are the strengths and weaknesses, on average, of students coming out of the program. 		Add the following to the personal traction portfolio:

1.Note at least two specific careers within the broad career fields that were explored.
2.List education, skill, and experience requirements
3.Identify at least one Kansas post secondary institution with a relevant program for that career area.
4.Identify at least one employer who hires from that program.
4 WEEK 4 (June 27 - July 1)
At this point the student should have more knowledge about themselves (interests and natural abilities), opportunities in the state of Kansas, job requirements, and some information about the employers and what they are looking for.

The focus of this step is to discuss some concrete steps the student will take to get traction with their portfolio. It's about turning it into action steps. The student and mentor will discuss the steps the student can take beginning now that will result in a much more productive senior year as they prepare for graduation and beyond.
Add the following to the personal traction portfolio:

1. Describe action steps the student will take between now and high school graduation.
2. Include key student/mentor communication.
5 July 1: Students will share a final copy of their project portfolio with their mentor. Students will thank the mentor for the specific help and encouragement they received throughout the project. Students will complete a project survey. 1. Share final draft of project portfolio.
2. Thank the mentor for the specific help they received.
3. Complete project survey