Grade 12 - My College Experience

This event will provide an opportunity for pairs to examine and chart the mentee's progress in determining their plans after high school. 

• Event Overview
• Entry Point
• Community Keystone
• Pair Keystone 
• Exit Ramp
• Mentor Huddle

Event Overview
Objectives: Pairs will: Revisit their fit and match preferences Complete a fit template that displays how aligned schools are in several fit categories	Guiding Questions: What are the most important factors to me when selecting a college to attend? Personal? Academic? Social? Other? Do these preferences align with my long-term goals?	Lesson Resources: Event Materials (PDF) Event Agenda (Word Doc) Event Agenda Template

Entry Point

Welcome and Opening (5 minutes)

Chunk One: Welcome

• Staff formally welcomes all participants. 
• Staff thanks everyone for showing up on time (it'll be important to emphasize punctuality as part of event success).

DISH: Connecting Over Dinner (30 minutes)

Chunk One: Food Ritual

• Staff will instruct pairs on how they will get food and return to their seats
• It is important that staff set strong rituals for how participants get food to maximize efficiency

Chunk Two: Conversation Starter Deck

• Staff ensures DISH conversation starter card decks are on the tables. When pairs return to their tables with food, they draw cards and discuss the content on the cards. The cards are intended to be used if pairs do not already have a conversation to engage in.
• For full list of conversation starters, check out this article on Conversation Starters.

Chunk Three: Seconds and Clean Up

• Staff will signal that seconds are available (if applicable)
• Staff will give pairs 5 minute warning to clean up and throw away trash.

Community Keystone (30 minutes)

Purpose:

In this activity, table participants will work together to create handshakes and gestures for quotes and statements read aloud by the staff member.

Steps:

Chunk One: Instructions

• Staff will divide participants into groups (i.e. tables).
• Staff will read aloud a statement or quote and a number.
• In their table groups, participants will:
  • Briefly discuss the meaning of the quote or statement.
  • Create a handshake or gesture.
  • The handshake must involve the number of people as stated.
    • Staff should mix up number of people based on size of table groups and setup of event space.
    • Example: Try to be a rainbow in someone's cloud. - Maya Angelou - 3 people
• After designated time (i.e. minutes), staff will facilitate share-out.

Chunk Two: Quotes and Statements

• Try to be a rainbow in someone's cloud. - Maya Angelou - 3 people
• Believe you can and you're halfway there. - Teddy Roosevelt - 2 people
• If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. - African Proverb - All
• You miss 100% of the shots you don't take. - Wayne Gretzky - 4 people 
• Staff should include additional statements/quotes.

Chunk Three: Share Outs

• Staff should facilitate share-out of handshakes and gestures after each round.

Pair Keystone (30 minutes)

Purpose:

In this activity, pairs will revisit the mentee's college fit template and use it to discuss the schools they may choose to attend. 

Steps:

Chunk One: Plans After High School

• Staff will distribute Road Map Tool
• Pairs will discuss and complete sections 1 and 2.
  • Section 1: The Finish Line - Long-Term Goals
  • Section 2: Begin Back at the Start - Immediate Plans after High School
• Pairs may already have a strong understanding of what the mentee wants to do both long-term and immediately after high school. It'll be important to briefly revisit this to determine whether or not mentee's thinking has shifted at all.

Chunk Two: Making the Best Choice - College (section 3)

• Staff will distribute College Fit Template.
• Using the template, pairs will:
  • Write in the name of all the colleges that the mentee is seriously considering attending.
  • Discuss and complete the chart for each college they decide to add to the list.
• Staff Note: 
  • If mentee has only one school on their list or has already decided where to attend, it is still important that they are able to articulate both how that school aligns with their preferences AND how it aligns with their long-term goals.

Chunk Three: Making the Best Choice - Other (section 3)

• For mentees not planning to matriculate directly into college after high school, staff should distribute the alternative template.
• Using this template, pairs will:
  • Discuss options, i.e. job, internship, etc.
  • Complete the template for each serious option.
• Staff Note: If mentees who aren't going to college have no idea what they are doing after high school, this is a good time to talk through options (i.e. part or full-time job, what kind of job, plans to prep for college in the future) and assess how much/little mentees know about what's available.

Chunk Four: Next Steps

• Pairs will complete sections 4 and 5 of the tool.
• Section 4: Momentum Starts Now - High School
  • What specific steps do you need to take in high school to meet your goals?
• Section 5: Plan for Endurance - Summer
  • What specific steps do you need to take in the summer in order to be ready for your chosen path in the fall? 

Exit Ramp (10 minutes)

Community Debrief and Mentee Exit

• Staff will facilitate share-out (in table groups or large group). Pairs could share one of the following:
  • Action step for their time remaining in high school
  • Action step for their summer

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Mentor Huddle (15 minutes)

Announcements

• Staff will thank mentors for participating in the event.
• Staff will make any relevant announcements and preview any upcoming milestones and curriculum topics.

Community Dialogue

• Spectrum Activity:
  • Staff will create an imaginary line and designate one end as "agree" and the other as "disagree".
  • Staff will read a statement. 
  • Mentors will go to area on the line that best represents where their mentee is at.
• Statements:
  • My mentee knows what they want to do after high school.
  • My mentee knows HOW to get what they want after high school.

Closing Ritual

• Staff should facilitate a closing ritual for mentors to build community and to leave on a high note.