Project: Fall 2012 Career and Education Planning

Step Description Expected Student Results
1 Letter of Introduction

Student Role: Student and mentor exchange letters in which student discusses areas of interest in a certain field. Students will share with their mentors how their primary interests are connected with their primary career areas. Students are encouraged to share how they chose the career topic to explore and potentially pursue. Students are also encouraged to share what they have done so far in class as well as what they expect to get out of this program.


Mentor Role: Mentors are encouraged to describe their profession, job, and interest in serving a student in the International Telementor Program. Mentor will brainstorm with student to identify possible topics of research and questions/issues of professional or personal interest.

1. Letter of Introduction
2. Personality Mosaic Test, Interests, and Work Values
3. Commitment Letter (involves commitment to communicating with and submitting work to the mentor a minimum of twice a week week).
2 Career Research

Student Task: The student will use the internet to research his field of interest, using suggested keywords, websites, and questions from the mentor and his own research sources and techniques.

Mentor Task:

The mentor will email the student suggested keywords and websites to use during internet research on his selected career interest. In addition to the questions listed under the Expected Student Results instructions, the mentor should send the student some specific questions related to exploring the career and have the student perform the search and report his findings. The teacher will also provide any information the student and mentor may need to provide direction.		 1. Typed notes and bibliography that include:

Name, Background. and Evolution of the Career
Educational Requirements
Skills necessary to enter the field
Volunteer/summer jobs that would be helpful
Job Description
Work Environment
Difficulties and challenges
Occupational Outlook
Salaries
Current issues within the field.
3 Biography

Student Task: The student will read biographical sketches of four people who have made strides in the field the student has chosen to research. This could be an early pioneer or someone who has made contributions recently. The student will share information from the biographies with the mentor.

Mentor Role: The mentor will begin this step by brainstorming with the student to create a list of people who have contributed to the field. He will share his views on the importance of the contribution with the student and share his own contributions to his career/company.		 1. List of potential biographies (from brainstorming with mentor).
2. Brochure that highlights the achievements of the four people researched by the student.
4 Information Seeking Strategies - Interviews

Student Role: Student will formulate a list of questions that will elicit information not found on the internet or in periodicals. He will interview a local professional and will summarize his findings to share with the mentor.

Mentor Role: The mentor will help the student polish his questions and will offer suggestions about areas of inquiry that might not have occurred to the student. He will also offer suggestions about how to improve the written summary.

Teacher Role: The teacher will aid the student in finding a local professional for the student to interview.		 1. Completed list of questions
2. Summary of interview
5 Thank You

Student Role: The student will type a thank you note in Microsoft Word and upload it to the mentor for his input. The student will then hand-write the thank you, address the envelope, and mail it to the interviewee.

Mentor Role: Discuss with students the importance of thank you notes and/or letters in a professional career. Offer suggestions for perfecting the thank you note.

THIS STEP INCLUDES WAIT TIME FOR INTERVIEWS. SOME MAY COMPLETE THIS MUCH EARLIER THAN OTHERS.		 1. Corrected, typed thank you note.
6 College Search

Student Task: Student will research 1 dream college, 2 reach colleges, and 2 state colleges.

Mentor Role: Mentor will help students to navigate difficult areas of the college websites and will offer students insights into their own college search experiences. What went into your decision to attend a certain college? How important is it to go to a prestigious school for an undergrad degree? 		1. College research worksheets (typed)
7 Student Reflection

Student Task: Write a 300 word reflection on the career project. From what you have learned through your research, are you suited to this career? Why or why not? What do yo need to do this week/month/year to work toward a particular career goal?

Mentor Role: Proof reflection and ask probing questions to draw out more than merely answers to the questions posed.		 1. Reflection paper (300 words)
2. List of classes student can take during remaining time in high school and classes student can take at BPCC.
8 Final Presentation

Student Task: Student will gather all knowledge gleaned from the research and create a multimedia presentation to be shared with an authentic audience. The student will reflect on his presentation and discuss his feelings about the experience with his mentor. The student will write a thank you letter to the mentor.

Mentor Task: The mentor will discuss the merits of various multimedia options with the student. These include PowerPoint, PowerPoint Poster, or Prezi. The mentor will review the student's presentation and offer suggestions for improvement. Mentor will share with the student the use, if any, of multimedia presentations in his line of work.		 1. Presentation
2. Thank you letter to mentor