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This is the icouldbe.org Curriculum.

All of the boxes below are units. Place your mouse over a box to read a description of the unit. Everybody starts with the green boxes of the Core Curriculum.


	First Impressions & Online Safety


	MyCouldBe

Core Unit 1: Core Unit 1: First Impressions & Online Safety

This Unit will provide the basis for introductions and relationship-building between mentees and mentors. After getting to know each other, mentees and mentors will engage in activities designed to reinforce online safety standards and explore how students currently present themselves on any online profile they may have and the advantages and disadvantages of their current profiles. The purpose here is to ensure that mentees are aware of the risks and rewards attached to personal profiles on social networking sites. Finally, mentors and mentees will complete the unit together by discussing their expectations and commitment to their mentoring experience.
Core Unit 2: Core Unit 2: MyCouldBe

(Unlocked after completion of Core Unit 1)

You can use icouldbe.org in many different ways. This unit will introduce you to the different resources and focus areas that we have to offer. You will be introduced to our career-focused path, our college-focused path, our financial literacy (money management) path and our best uses of high school path. With your mentor, you will decide which of these options is best for you or, if you can present convincing reasons, you may create an individualized path that includes units from different areas of our curriculum. Take your time to read all of the unit descriptions and to make careful choices. After you finish this unit, you will be committed to the icouldbe.org path that you have selected and this path will appear on your profile page.

When you complete the core curriculum you will select a focused PATH to follow. Our four suggested paths are presented as columns below:

Taking Control of Your High School Experience

Career Path

College Path

Money Management

Taking Control of Your High School Experience: Taking Control of Your High School Experience

icouldbe.org's Taking Control of Your High School Experience pathway will provide students with the information, resources, tools and support to identify their strengths and analyze their risks, develop strong study habits, build personal networks of supportive adults, identify the relevancy of school work to the real world, and become self-advocates in class selection and success throughout high school. Students will analyze external and internal obstacles that prevent their own success and will practice taking personal responsibility for their decisions and behavior.
Career Path: Career Path

icouldbe was originally created to help students learn about all sorts of different careers and how to prepare for them. That is why we have recruited mentors with hundreds and hundreds of different jobs. The career path helps you to discover what jobs might be the best for you and how to increase your chances of receiving the sort of job that you want. It will also walk you through the essential processes of creating a resume, looking for job openings, creating and distributing a cover letter with your resume and preparing for job interviews.
College Path: College Path

Some high school students spend lots of time wondering and worrying about applying to colleges. At the same time, some high schools don't have the resources to help individual students make the right choices and preparations for their college experience. icouldbe has created a college path that addresses many of the decisions that confront a student who is thinking about continuing education. The college path prepares you for the application process, helps you to think specifically about what sort of college would be best for you and discusses the different ways to pay for college and to avoid getting off to the wrong start.
Money Management: Money Management

icouldbe has a number of partnerships with organizations that are big players in the financial world. This means that we have some very talented mentors available to help students gain a clearer understanding of personal finances, from savings and investment to taxes and debt. If you are responsible for the finances of your household or if you want to make your money last longer and go further, this path contains a multitude of units that will help you to make wise decisions about your finances. Be prepared! This path requires some mathematical understanding.

Academic Strategies and Actionable Goals	Career Exploration	College Exploration	Preliminary Budget and Goals

Obstacles & Allies	My Draft Resume	Set Goals, Build Experience	Saving money

The above units are blue because they are prerequisites. That means that you have to take the blue units in a path before you take the elective units below.

Academic Strategies and Actionable Goals: Academic Strategies and Actionable Goals

(Unlocked after completion of the Core)

This unit introduces several common approaches to academic challenges, and helps students to analyze their own personal learning styles in order to gain a realistic view of their engagement levels, behaviors and attitudes in school. Once students understand their individual learning styles, mentors will assist them in setting quantifiable goals for the current school year and developing action plans to achieve both academic and extracurricular success.
Career Exploration: Career Exploration

(Unlocked after completion of the Core)

The icouldbe.org community includes more than a thousand mentors who work at hundreds and hundreds of very different jobs. This unit encourages you to explore your interests, to learn about jobs that might be fun for you and to interact with online resources that try to match you with an appropriate career. Nobody is saying that you have to choose your career in high school; but, it helps to learn about as many different options as possible and all of the preparation that some of these careers involve.
College Exploration: College Exploration

Some high school students spend lots of time wondering and worrying about applying to colleges. At the same time, some high schools don't have the resources to help individual students make the right choices and preparations for their college experience. icouldbe has created a college path that addresses many of the decisions that confront a student who is thinking about continuing education. The college path prepares you for the application process, helps you to think specifically about what sort of college would be best for you and discusses the different ways to pay for college and to avoid getting off to the wrong start.
Preliminary Budget and Goals: Preliminary Budget and Goals

(Unlocked after completion of the Core)

Before you begin to address the more complicated money management units, you and your mentors will need to choose some goals and set a framework for your calculations. This unit helps you to prepare a budget that will represent the arrival and departure of your money. Once you have completed this document you will be able to answer some basic questions about the strengths and weaknesses of how you save and spend your cash. Once you know these things, you can decide exactly what you want to accomplish by continuing through the money management trajectory.
My Draft Resume: My Draft Resume

(Unlocked after completion of the Core and Career Prerequisite 1)

Get ready to exist on one sheet of paper! Most of the time, your resume is going to receive the attention of potential employers long before you will. Before you advance further into the career trajectory, this unit will help you to put together a rough draft of your own personal resume. You will examine resume samples and explore different strategies for drawing attention to your qualifications. The resume is only a work-in-progress. Throughout the career trajectory, you will be encouraged to strengthen and revise this document. If you already have a resume, this unit will allow you and your mentors to make it as strong as possible.
Set Goals, Build Experience: Set Goals, Build Experience

(Unlocked after completion of the Core and College Prerequisite 1)

Once you start to narrow down your college search, you will discover what it takes to gain admission to the sort of school that interests you. Knowing the expectations of a college admissions worker can help you to make the most of your high school experience. This can involve a re-thinking of your high school course load, a different approach to gaining work experience and an enlarged focus on community service. It helps to formulate concise goals that will help you to be as strong a candidate as possible when it becomes application season.
Obstacles & Allies: Obstacles & Allies

(Path Elective: Unlocked after completion of the Core and 9th Grade Prerequisite.)

Everyone faces challenges when it comes to learning. Dealing with these challenges and learning to communicate them to others greatly enhances the likelihood of success in everything from school to work to personal relationships. This unit will help mentees:
a) Break down the internal and external obstacles that often inhibit academic success; and
b) Determine what support systems exist in their current environment to help them overcome those obstacles.
Saving money: Saving money

(Unlocked after completion of the Core and Financial Prerequisite 1)

Saving money involves at least two things: figuring out a way to have extra, unspent money and then figuring out how to keep it around until you need it. This unit will address some of the strategies you can use to avoid spending your money all at once or right away. Once you have this extra money, you will soon discover that there are tons of different ways to save it. This unit will help you understand why you might not want to have your money stored in a shoebox in your closet. You will be introduced to the advantages and disadvantages of savings accounts, checking accounts, CDs and more. Once you begin to save your money in a more responsible way, you can start to think about making investments and keeping good credit.

Time Management: Time Management

(Universal Elective: Unlocked after completion of the Core and the prerequisites of at least one path.)

Sometimes finding enough time to complete schoolwork can seem much more difficult than doing the work itself. Students who manage their time effectively are likely to experience more academic success with less interference from stressful distractions. By helping them identify and organize their daily and weekly responsibilities, this unit will guide mentees toward productive study habits and effective time management strategies applicable in both school and the working world.
Community Service: Community Service

(Universal Elective: Unlocked after completion of the Core and the prerequisites of at least one path.)

Everybody is likely to benefit when you start to take an active interest in the world around you. When you start to think beyond your favorite ways of being fed and entertained, you begin to mature. After all, what sort of people are most famous for caring only about their own needs and wants? Babies. You might have great fashion sense, know more than your friends about celebrity gossip or have the ability to complain about low quality food, but when it comes to finding employment or getting into college, the adults around you will be much more interested in how you act, what you care about and who you help. If the goodness of your heart does not motivate you to learn about social issues and to help people, you should understand that dedicating your time and attention to causes that affect other people, is also beneficial to you.
Community Service: Community Service

(Universal Elective: Unlocked after completion of the Core and the prerequisites of at least one path.)

Everybody is likely to benefit when you start to take an active interest in the world around you. When you start to think beyond your favorite ways of being fed and entertained, you begin to mature. After all, what sort of people are most famous for caring only about their own needs and wants? Babies. You might have great fashion sense, know more than your friends about celebrity gossip or have the ability to complain about low quality food, but when it comes to finding employment or getting into college, the adults around you will be much more interested in how you act, what you care about and who you help. If the goodness of your heart does not motivate you to learn about social issues and to help people, you should understand that dedicating your time and attention to causes that affect other people, is also beneficial to you.
Experience Building: Experience Building

(Path Elective: Unlocked after completion of the Core and both Career Prerequisites)

This unit begins with a basic assessment of your resume. With help from your mentors you will determine what your resume reveals about your preparedness for work. You will strategize about how to gain experiences that will make your resume more notable and likely to succeed.

This may involve planning for new internships and work experience, or it may involve considering your class selection and community involvement. At the end of this unit, you will have established a number of goals that will bring you closer to realistic candidacy for the sort of job that interests you most.
My Portfolio & Applications: My Portfolio & Applications

(Path Elective: Unlocked after completion of the Core and both College Prerequisites)

Students typically apply to a variety of colleges. This can involve quite a few different applications, questions, samples of work and essays. It will help you to put together a portfolio of work that is likely to come in handy during the application process. This will enable you to apply speedily, easily and whenever necessary. This unit helps you to begin arranging your portfolio of work.
Assessing My Risks and Overcoming Challenges: Assessing My Risks and Overcoming Challenges

(Universal Elective: Unlocked after completion of the Core and the prerequisites of at least one path.)

Identifying common risk indicators associated with school failure is the first step toward avoiding and combating those risks. In this unit students will assess their own personal risk factors and determine if they rank at a high, medium or low risk of failing a class, not advancing to the next grade level, or dropping out of school altogether. Open and thorough discussion of these risks with their mentors will aid students as they develop actionable strategies to confront and overcome any high risk factors, improve outcomes for medium risk rankings and maintain low risk levels wherever they exist.
Managing Credit: Managing Credit

(Universal Elective: Unlocked after completion of the Core and the prerequisites of at least one path.)

Credit card companies often target young people with special mailings and offers. If you do not clearly understand how credit cards work, what their contracts mean and what a credit rating is, this unit is for you. There is no reason to avoid credit cards altogether, but it is extremely important that you choose options that protect your own financial interests and your future.
Job Search & Cover Letter: Job Search & Cover Letter

(Path Elective: Unlocked after completion of the Core and both Career Prerequisites)

So, you prepared your resume and you have a basic idea of what job you would like to perform. Now, you need to learn how to find relevant job openings and how to get your resume onto the right person's desk. The internet is filling up with different resources that help you to find jobs. This unit will introduce you to some of these resources and explain some of the strategies and frustrations of hunting for work. You will also compose a cover letter that gives a more detailed picture of your capabilities and aspirations; this will accompany your resume.
The College Essay: The College Essay

(Path Elective: Unlocked after completion of the Core and both College Prerequisites)

The college essay offers an excellent time to distinguish yourself, to show your writing abilities and the originality of your thought. Over the course of this unit, you will examine a number of essay questions and writing samples, with the aim of determining what sort of writing strategies are best to adopt for this very particular task. You will also work on a draft of one of your own college essays.
Internet Literacy for Academic Success: Internet Literacy for Academic Success

(Universal Elective: Unlocked after completion of the Core and the prerequisites of at least one path.)

Many students use the internet simply as a space to interact with friends, play games and distract themselves from everyday responsibilities. They do so without giving much thought to how their online behavior can affect their real-world prospects. This unit will teach students how to harness the internet’s potential to enhance their academic and career opportunities, pointing them toward resources designed to assist in everything from school research to job hunting.
Making Investments: Making Investments

(Path Elective: Unlocked after completion of the Core and both Financial Prerequisites.)

Once you have figured out how to save money, you may be interested to learn about the different ways to increase your wealth by investing that money. There are many online tools for helping people to make and manage investments. However, there is always the chance that you will lose money by investing poorly, so this unit will prepare you to assess the risks involved in these decisions.
Interview & Letter of Thanks: Interview & Letter of Thanks

(Path Elective: Unlocked after completion of the Core and both Career Prerequisites)

For many people, the most stressful step in looking for work is the job interview. This unit helps prepare you for this all-important encounter and then walks you through the composition of a thank-you letter to be sent to your interviewer's organization when the interview is complete.
Financial Aid and Loans: Financial Aid and Loans

(Universal Elective: Unlocked after completion of the Core and the prerequisites of at least one path.)

College and university become more expensive every year. A growing number of young people find themselves deeply in debt at the end of their studies. It is important to understand the advantages and disadvantages of different financial aid schemes before committing yourself to anything. This unit will help prepare you for the important financial decisions involved with continuing education.
Making School Matter in the Real World: Making School Matter in the Real World

(Universal Elective: Unlocked after completion of the Core and the prerequisites of at least one path.)

Students frequently complain that their school work has nothing to do with the real world. This unit explores how the subjects students practice each day at school will prove essential once they start applying for college and career opportunities. While mentors provide evidence from their own work experiences, activities will highlight the skills, strategies and educational experience students will find necessary to compete for specific jobs in their preferred career fields.
Financial Aid and Loans: Financial Aid and Loans

(Universal Elective: Unlocked after completion of the Core and the prerequisites of at least one path.)

College and university become more expensive every year. A growing number of young people find themselves deeply in debt at the end of their studies. It is important to understand the advantages and disadvantages of different financial aid schemes before committing yourself to anything. This unit will help prepare you for the important financial decisions involved with continuing education.
Community College: Community College

(Path Elective: Unlocked after completion of the Core and both Career Prerequisites OR both College Prerequisites.)

For some jobs, it makes the most sense to follow your high school education with a course of study at a community college. This unit discusses the advantages of attending community college and prepares you for the application process.
Transition to College: Transition to College

(Universal Elective: Unlocked after completion of the Core and the prerequisites of at least one path.)

College has very little in common with high school and high school students are often unprepared for the mixture of freedom and responsibility that college offers. In the excitement of beginning college and university, many students miss out on a wealth of unique opportunities. This unit focuses on how to discover and take advantage of these opportunities.
Shaping Your Academic Future: Shaping Your Academic Future

(Universal Elective: Unlocked after completion of the Core and the prerequisites of at least one path.)

Students often fail to recognize that communicating their goals and interests effectively can be the most important tool in taking control of their academic options. This unit will inform mentees about crucial strategies for planning their classes, communicating their goals to on-campus teachers, counselors, and advisors, and ensuring they’ve prepared for the college and career opportunities awaiting them beyond high school.
Community College: Community College

(Path Elective: Unlocked after completion of the Core and both Career Prerequisites OR both College Prerequisites.)

For some jobs, it makes the most sense to follow your high school education with a course of study at a community college. This unit discusses the advantages of attending community college and prepares you for the application process.
Community Service: Community Service

(Universal Elective: Unlocked after completion of the Core and the prerequisites of at least one path.)

Whether you have your sights set on college or a quick transition into the working world, you will benefit from doing community service. It has a bad name since it is used as a mild punishment for small-time criminals. But, it helps to remember that many of the other people doing community service are doing so voluntarily. As a young person you have higher chances of being given responsibility and the chance to exercise forms of leadership and initiative in the field of community service than you do in the professional world. There is the added advantage that employers and admissions officers are generally impressed with applicants who have dedicated time to the less fortunate, to their local communities or to important causes.
Extra-Curricular Activities: Extra-Curricular Activities

(Universal Elective: Unlocked after completion of the Core and the prerequisites of at least one path.)

No matter what your interests are, it is a good idea for you to get involved in extra-curricular activities. This sort of involvement can have a huge impact on your chances of getting into the college you want, receiving a helpful financial aid package and finding a job that you like. This unit helps you to assess the extra-curricular opportunities that you have and to predict which of them would be most helpful to you with the set of goals and ambitions that you have. These activities will also raise some questions of time management.

Mentor of the Month
CompLib

Mentee of the Month
10vampire

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