Overview

Proven effective at facilitating significant and measurable skill gains in a relatively short time period, Keys2Work uses ACT’s WorkKeys® system and KeyTrain® curriculum as the basis for a standardized system, or common language, for improving basic problem-solving skills needed for today’s labor market.

Ideal for students with IEPs, Keys2Work allows you to provide hours of differentiated instruction and measure gains in the following career skill areas:

  • Applied Mathematics
  • Reading for Information
  • Locating Information
  • Listening for Understanding
  • Business Writing
  • Workplace Observation
  • Teamwork
  • Applied Technology
  • Workplace Soft Skills

Features

MEASURE - pretest quickly establishes training baseline and equates a skill level to a potential wage

EXPLORE - uses an O-Net interest inventory linked to 1000 career cards and 16 career cluster cards to link foundation skills, like reading and math, to job requirements and a Career Plan of Study

IMPROVE  - work-based curriculum provides individualized remediation targeted at identified gaps

CERTIFY - provides a meaningful workplace preparation credential based on a WorkKeys score

SUCCEED - comprehensive program monitoring and reporting system generates automated reports simplify program evaluation

Notes on Implementation

Skill gains possible in just 4-6 hours online; classroom supervision/ support is recommended

Training provided for program implementation and outcome tracking

A comprehensive diagnostic tool and developmental curriculum is provided for individuals with very low functioning skill levels

Key Outcomes for Students

Increased skill gains in core foundation skills needed for virtually any career

Identification of favorite careers and career clusters

Measured gains in income potential

Video

Overview

The PA e-Mentoring program allows schools to provide their students with an online career mentor within the classroom. eMentors communicate with students through emails and an online curriculum that leads to a college and career plan for each mentee. PA eMentoring offers working and retired adults, parents, and mature college students a fun, easy, and flexible alternative to traditional face-to-face mentoring, and offers employers a way to establish meaningful connections with youths and schools within the community.

To learn more or to sign up to be an eMentor volunteer, go to www.pa-ementor.org.

Features

10-12 week program

Program built around 10 online curriculum activities

Curriculum addresses PA’s Academic Standards for Career Education

Online and training provided for mentor and mentee

Email communication archived for monitoring and evaluation purposes

Allows parents, teachers and local employers to get involved in mentoring

Notes on Implementation

Face-to-face training available for schools

Curriculum allows mentors to mentor more than one student at a time

All mentors must pass a national criminal and child abuse screening

Smart Futures staff will assist to promote local mentor recruitment

Monitoring and reporting system provided for teachers

Key Outcomes for Students

A printable College and Career Plan

Stronger career focus with increased awareness of available career paths

Increased interest in 2-year education opportunities

Higher self esteem

Video

Overview

This fun, friendly virtual school provides students with access to resources to help connect their own interests, values and knowledge, skills and abilities to real opportunities in the workplace. Through on-line career exploration activities and inventories, students access information about careers and career clusters they may be interested in pursuing, as well as the training required to reach their goals.

Each youth participating with My Career Journey will receive a comprehensive and personalized “Career Journal.” This multi-page document written from the perspective of a caring career counselor, weaves the data provided by the online inventories and activities into a meaningful and fun review of relevant opportunities in appropriate post-secondary education, careers, and career clusters.

Features

Complete online inventories that uncover their interests, values, skills, knowledge and abilities

The Career Library includes over 1000 interactive career cards and 16 cluster cards linked to valuable career exploration resources

Each youth is given a locker containing their career story notebook and a favorite careers folder

Website activities address Pennsylvania Academic Standards for Career Education and Work

Tracking and reporting system captures data for easy monitoring and evaluation

Notes on Implementation

Complete story can be written in under 2 hours of online activity

Program is designed to be self-paced

Free online training

Key Outcomes for Students

A personalized career journal for each student that includes the following:

Career Clusters and Pathways

Abilities and Aptitudes

Work Values

Interests

Non-Traditional Workplace Roles

Video

Overview

Smart Futures has partnered with Wells Fargo to develop Financial Literacy 101, an online financial literacy resource built around the award -winning Hands on Banking® program. Hands on Banking® provides best-in-class, online learning content while Smart Futures provides pre and post assessments and a student tracking system allowing educators to monitor and document student progress. The program age-appropriately tests and enhances student knowledge on a variety of financial literacy topics through three dif- ferent modules targeted to young adults (grades 9-12), teens (grades 6-8), and kids (grades 4-5).

Financial Literacy 101 is free to all Pennsylvanian schools and community- based organizations.

Features

Partnership with Wells Fargo’s award-winning Hands on Banking® program

Contains modules for Kids, Teens, and Young Adults

Provides a MEASURE pretest and CERTIFY post-test

Certificate given for score of 80% or better

Built-in student tracking system allows teachers to monitor student progress

Notes on Implementation

Program is free to districts and organizations in PA

    - get your instructor access code at www.smartfutures.org

 

Each module contains approx. 2 - 4 hours of online curriculum

Key Outcomes for Students

Increase in knowledge of basic concepts related to money and finance

Pre-test and post-test scores broken down by topic

Video

Overview

Features

Notes on Implementation

Key Outcomes for Students

Program Video


Click HERE to request your free Smart Futures instructor access code.