College and Career Readiness

MOST's College and Career Readiness Toolkit is a comprehensive guide to help middle and high school out-of-school-time programs get laser focused on building 21st century skills and supporting young people as they navigate through the complex world of planning for their advanced education and careers.

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Introduction & Letter from MOST

The toolkit provides practical resources, information and activities for out-of-school time programs to move through this continuum, starting with foundational skills, career and college readiness culture building, and awareness. As students move closer to high school graduation, the toolkit offers how-to’s on building partnerships with colleges and industry to make the transition to applied learning that prepares students for the next steps.

Included in each unit:

Overview of the area of focus
Relevant research
How-To’s
Guided Activities
More Links to Explore
Accompanying student worksheets, activity guides, and supplemental student resources
Where applicable, information and resources have been provided about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting closures and delays on existing processes, data, and overall approaches.

Ready to get started?

Read our full Introductory Letter from MOST
View our Introductory Webinar and Slideshow

Unit 1: Overarching Principles of Career and College Readiness

Photo: Higher Achievement Baltimore

UNIT 1: Overarching Principles of Career and College Readiness

This first unit provides information and resources to support the overarching principles of college and career readiness. Here you will find what you need to get started with creating a culture of college and career readiness, setting and upholding high expectations of youth in your programs, providing mentorship opportunities as a support structure for post-secondary success, and collecting and using data related to college and career readiness throughout your program to inform decisions and program design.

Sub-topics:

Creating a College and Career Readiness Culture
Raising the Bar on Expectations
Mentorship
Collecting Data Related to College and Career Readiness

Unit 2: Guiding Youth Through College and Career Decisions

Photo: MERIT Health Leadership Academy

UNIT 2: Guiding Youth Through Career and College Decisions

This unit aims to provide activities and resources for exploring career and education options with students in middle school based on their interests, skills, and strengths. Additionally, this unit includes curated resources for helping youth understand the important economic context surrounding post-secondary education and careers such as salaries, wages, debt to income ratios, and other relevant economic implications.

Sub-topics

Information and Activities for Middle School Career Exploration and High School Decisions
Information and Activities for High School Career Exploration and College / Post-Secondary Education Decisions
Economic Context for Youth

HANDOUTS (Student Resources)

Unit 3: Foundational Skills for College and Career Readiness

Photo: Baltimore SquashWise

UNIT 3: Foundational Skills for College and Career Readiness

Unit 3 focuses on the foundational skills necessary for post-secondary pursuits by presenting information, engaging activities and simulations, and resources for middle and high school students on building 21st century skills, learning about and practicing skills for success in the workplace, interviewing skills, and financial responsibility.

Sub-topics

Building 21st Century Skills
Preparing Youth for the Workplace
Interviewing Skills
Financial Responsibility

ACTIVITY GUIDES

HANDOUTS (Student Resources)

Unit 4: Career Readiness

Photo: MERIT Health Leadership Academy

UNIT 4: Career Readiness

This unit focuses solely on the aspects of career readiness as a starting point for making decisions about post-secondary education options. Beginning with the end in mind, it is important to expose youth to as wide a variety of career options as possible, beginning as early as possible. This toolkit was designed to start with career aspirations in order to make informed decisions about post-secondary education that will lead to successful career attainment. In this section of the toolkit you will find a wide variety of resources, activities, and supporting materials to help youth learn more about the types of careers that are available and the pathways to those careers.

Sub-topics:

Career Awareness
Entrepreneurship
Job Readiness Skills
Work Experience

ACTIVITY GUIDES

HANDOUTS (Student Resources)

Unit 5: Alternative Post-Secondary Options

UNIT 5: Alternative Post-Secondary Options

In recent years, there has been a focus shift toward four-year colleges and universities as the most recommended path after high school. However, there are many reasons someone may want to consider alternative options for their post-secondary education experiences. This unit looks at many of the alternatives to a traditional four-year college pathway and provides resources and information to help your staff and youth learn more about these options.

Sub-topics:

Certificates
Licenses
Two-Year Degrees
Military

HANDOUTS (Student Resources)

Alternative Post-Secondary Pathway Research

Unit 6: College Readiness

Photo: Maryland MENTOR

UNIT 6: College Readiness

The final unit of the toolkit focuses specifically on more traditional college and university experiences and preparation for these pursuits. There are many activities and resources included in this section to help students explore colleges, become more financially aware, and confidently navigate the planning and application processes. Special sections on considerations for First Generation college students and students with various immigration statuses are included as well. Additionally, there is a family guide included as an introduction to dual credit opportunities to be used to help parents of youth in your programs understand the considerations of dual enrollment for high school students.

Sub-topics:

College Awareness
First-Generation College Students
Supporting DACA Recipients and “DREAMers”
The College Search
Financial Planning
Dual Enrollment
Applying to College
Managing the Transition to College

HANDOUTS (Student Resources)

HANDOUTS (Family Resources)

Family Introduction to Dual Enrollment Opportunities

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Meet Our College & Career Readiness Ambassadors

	Sarah (Saz) Ross has spent 10 years working and thriving in the field of art education. After winning the 2016 Maryland Art Education Association Elementary Teacher of the Year Award, she started thinking about how to keep achieving more as a young, hungry, and passionate artist and educator. Saz decided to quit her tenured job in art education a few years later to pursue her own illustration/art workshop business. The leap into this new career pursuit came around the same time her mother was dying of Multiple Myeloma. At the most crippling moment of her life and feeling more lost than ever, she was able to use her creative outlet in illustration to build a thriving business in freelance illustration. The love of art education led her to facilitating professional development workshops for the Maryland State Department of Education as one of the youngest Roster Artists ever hired while working as an Educational Director of an art education non-profit called Leaders of Tomorrow Youth Center. Saz is a young creative leader and she believes it is time for young professionals to view themselves as the same in order to make positive changes in our world.
	Sam Little is an environmental education and youth development nonprofit professional at the Parks & People Foundation (PPF) in Baltimore City, MD. He facilitates meaningful outdoor experiences, in local parks and other green spaces, for people of all ages. He leads PPF's Branches program, an afterschool internship and summer job for high school students, as well as the park enrichment component of SuperKids Camp for elementary school youth. He has a Master of Science from the University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability with a focus on environmental justice and conservation psychology. Sam believes environmental education can bring out the best in people, form positive relationships between people and the natural world, improve mental and physical health, and enhance ecological integrity.
	Dana Carr is the Executive Director of Leaders of Tomorrow Youth Center, Inc, whose mission is to empower youth through the arts, academics, and social development. She has served as an administrator, mentor, teacher, curriculum writer and instructional coach, giving her a diverse background of experiences to share with those teachers and students she works with. Dana holds her master’s degree in Secondary Education from the University of Maryland with certifications in arts integration, teaching artistry and organizational development. She is passionate about differentiating instruction and ensuring that all students have equitable access to a quality education that is inclusive of the arts; one that is engaging, creative and student-centered. She is committed to empowering educators to implement best practices including culturally responsive teaching, social emotional learning and technology integration. A Baltimore native, Dana has done extensive work and most enjoys working in inner city school systems and urban environments, helping teachers to tap into their students’ full potential. She has presented at the Arts Integration, Maryland Arts Summit, MOST, and Culturally Responsive Teaching Conferences Dana was recently selected to serve on the Maryland Fine Arts Education Advisory Panel and the Baltimore Arts Education Initiative Advisory Committee. She also serves on the Family Engagement Committee at Center Stage.
	Tiana Massaquoi is a Prince George’s County native who fell in love with the community and charm of Frederick County (Western Maryland). As a youth development consultant, Tiana is passionate about using strengths, character, and economic empowerment to positively impact youth. In addition to her consulting work, Tiana loves to serve her community, whether as PTA President or Assistant Girls Basketball Coach at Frederick High School. Her greatest joy is loving on her husband, children, family, and friends!
	Emily Mayock has 15 years of experience working for youth and families. She has a Masters of Social Work (MSW), Clinical with a concentration in Children and Families from the University of Maryland, Baltimore. She has worked for local and state legislators, in Howard County and Annapolis, making policy changes to create a more fair and just society. Emily has also been a community leader and advocate throughout Maryland since 2010. She has organized events and conducted workshops for youth and young adults partnering with a variety of organizations, businesses and colleges. In 2017, Emily created and implemented a successful High School Internship Program for St. Francis Neighborhood Center (SFNC) in West Baltimore. This internship provides students with the skills and experience to excel in the competitive workforce and higher education systems.

Aligned Activities and Resources from Jobs for the Future

Possible Futures, a JFF career exploration program for students in grades 6 through 10, helps prepare young people to make meaningful decisions about their future careers and develop the skills that will help them achieve their goals. Possible Futures provides a career exploration curriculum, informational guides, professional development services to educators, coaching to school systems, and practical supports to school leaders and staff. The Possible Futures curriculum may not be reproduced for commercial purposes.

JFF has created 12 lessons which compliment the toolkit and provide additional CCR resources. Click here to download them.

Training from the CCR Ambassadors

Since launching the CCR Toolkit in February, MOST has been collecting a team of highly qualified training personnel to deliver this information to our program partners and the communities we serve.

We are happy to introduce our new team of CCR Toolkit Ambassadors. Beyond being exceptional role models for young people, these educators and youth development specialists bring diverse skillsets to our team, leveraging their expertise in the arts, conservation, writing, filmmaking, and more.

To get more information about scheduling training with our CCR Ambassadors, complete our Interest Form. Programs that receive training will also be eligible for a discount and limited scholarships to use Hello Insight for data collection.

The College & Career Readiness Advisory Board

MOST Network has established a diverse, statewide advisory board to promote the expansion of college and career readiness resources across Maryland. Each of them brings their unique skillset and institutional background to bear in providing these essential tools to our young people as they prepare for life after high school. We are proud to host such an amazing group of individuals and are excited for the continued growth and expansion of the CCR initiative. Meet our wonderful board members and liaisons here!

This toolkit was created with support from a Career and College Readiness Opportunity Grant from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation.

College and Career Readiness

Training from the CCR Ambassadors

The College & Career Readiness Advisory Board

Location/Contact

Phone and E-mail

Mailing/Office Address

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