<p> E-Connect Curriculum</p><p>The E-Connect Curriculum is written for use in transition programs to provide:  An easy way for students and mentors to connect,  Extended opportunities for learning through a weekly classroom focus and classroom activities,  Resource information and Web links to support and extend learning,  Discussion topics that are relevant and thought provoking, and  E-Connect activities that can accommodate various learning styles and ability levels. </p><p>Several segments of the curricula utilize helpful online resources and classroom activities to help students plan for future careers and postsecondary education. </p><p>If you have questions regarding this curriculum, please visit our website for contact information: ici.umn.edu/e-connect </p><p>Using Personal Interest to Develop Professional Opportunities</p><p>This seven-week curriculum will give students the opportunity to utilize online tools to explore careers based on personal interest and personal strengths. Students will develop a brochure providing information on their selected career. </p><p>Resources Colorado Nonprofit Development Center. (2007). Connecting Interests, Opportunities, Education. Retrieved from http://www.telementor.org/projectdetail.cfm? ProjectID=1282 </p><p>E-Connect was funded by Minnesota’s Pathways to Employment (PTE) initiative, a collaboration of the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, the Minnesota Department of Human Services, and the Minnesota State Council on Disability. PTE's mission is to increase competitive employment of people with disabilities and meet Minnesota’s workforce needs by bringing together people with disabilities, employers, businesses, government, and providers. Funding comes from a Competitive Employment Systems—Medicaid Infrastructure Grant from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The funds for this grant were authorized through the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act of 1999 (P.L. 106-170).</p><p>The E-Connect curricula (ici.umn.edu/e-connect) and materials were developed by the Institute on Community Integration in the College of Education & Human Development at the University of Minnesota. </p><p> 2011 Regents of the University of Minnesota. All rights reserved. The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer.  2011 Regents of the University of Minnesota. All rights reserved. The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer. Institute on Community Integration E-CONNECT: Using Personal Interest to Develop Professional Opportunities Week: 1 Date: </p><p>This Week’s Focus Student Tips Week 1 – Introduction Students, your e-mail should be a brief autobiography The e-mentoring relationship is meant to be rewarding to both the including some information student and the mentor. This seven-week curriculum will give about hobbies, interests, and likes and dislikes. Include students the opportunity to utilize online tools to explore careers information on your plans for based on personal interest and personal strengths. Students will the future and some develop a brochure providing information on their selected career. information about your Mentors of this curriculum will provide information on selecting a school. career and feedback to the students.</p><p>Activity 1: The students and mentors will begin a relationship by writing an introductory e-mail to each other. </p><p>Classroom Activities This is a good opportunity to discuss the role of the e-mentor and the perspective the e-mentor might have in helping youth with career development. Use the links below for more background. </p><p>Useful Links Mentor Tips Several weeks of this curriculum utilize helpful online resources to Mentors, reply to this message assist in planning for the future in careers and postsecondary with a personal introduction. Tell education. The links are found at the beginning of each week. It is about your family, your living recommended that both the mentor and the student utilize the situation, your educational background, your current links. employment (and your company), and then tell about http://www.mentoring.org/ your first job when you were young. http://www.thinkcollege.net/for-students</p><p>Student Message</p><p>Mentor Reply</p><p> 2011 Regents of the University of Minnesota. All rights reserved. The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer. Institute on Community Integration E-CONNECT: Using Personal Interest to Develop Professional Opportunities Week: 2 Date: </p><p>This Week’s Focus Student Tips Week 2 – Defining Career All organizations have a list of desired personal attributes that they aim to identify when recruiting new employees. Success One of this week’s “Useful Links” provides information on Questions for mentors: What is some personal skills employers might look for in an “success” and what personal skills can employee. Can you think of other personal skills which may help you be successful? be important for employment?</p><p>Classroom Activities Have students discuss the question “What is career success?” Then, ask them to draft a statement on career success and list the personal skills which they might use to be successful in a career.</p><p>Useful Links Mentor Tips http://www.ncwd-youth.info/jump-start/school-based- What makes your career successful for preparatory-experiences you? Share how skills such as communication and organizational skills http://www.skills4success.biz/Skills_for_Success/Hom have helped you in your career. e.html </p><p>Student Message</p><p>Mentor Reply</p><p> 2011 Regents of the University of Minnesota. All rights reserved. The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer. Institute on Community Integration E-CONNECT: Using Personal Interest to Develop Professional Opportunities Week: 3 Date: </p><p>This Week’s Focus Student Tips Week 3 – Matching Interests and Careers Employers want to know what interests and Question for Mentors: How do personal skills, interests, and attitudes personal skills you have. affect job performance? In other words, can you do a good job if your Use your resume to help define these for potential personal skills, interests, and attitudes don’t match the job? employers.</p><p>Classroom Activities Classroom Activity: Students will use writing, pictures, or a collage to illustrate their personal skills, interests, and attitudes towards work into their brochure. Student will share this project with the class.</p><p>Useful Links Mentor Tips http://www.careerexplorer.net/article/in-search-of-job-fit Mentors, discuss how your own academic and personal interests http://career-advice.monster.com/job-search/getting- helped influence your career choice. started/Job-Fit-for-Workers-with-Disabilities/article.aspx </p><p>Student Message</p><p>Mentor Reply</p><p> 2011 Regents of the University of Minnesota. All rights reserved. The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer. Institute on Community Integration E-CONNECT: Using Personal Interest to Develop Professional Opportunities Week: 4 Date: </p><p>This Week’s Focus Student Tips Week 4 – Career Exploration Included in your questions about a career could be Question for Mentors: Based on your personal interests and skills, questions like what skills what careers interested you when you were younger? are needed, what is the workplace environment like, Activity 2: Student should identify 2-3 careers of interest to research. what is the average salary, See if the mentors can develop 3-5 “interview” questions for each etc. career. </p><p>Classroom Activities Begin the classroom discussion with the questions “How do you choose a career? What things are important in selecting a career?” Make a classroom list and then summarize this in to a one- or two- sentence statement which begins “Effective career selection involves...”</p><p>Useful Links Mentor Tips http://www.youthhood.org/jobcenter/index.asp If the student chooses a professional sports career or entertainment career, assist the student http://careerplanning.about.com/cs/choosingacar in identifying elements of that career that they eer/f/right_career.htm enjoy and help them identify careers in related fields such as sports medicine, advertising, teaching, etc.</p><p>Student Message</p><p>Mentor Reply</p><p> 2011 Regents of the University of Minnesota. All rights reserved. The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer. Institute on Community Integration E-CONNECT: Using Personal Interest to Develop Professional Opportunities Week: 5 Date: </p><p>This Week’s Focus Student Tips Week 5 – Career Exploration Continues Some people switch careers many times in Activity: Students will conduct a web search on the careers selected and their life. When answer the “interview” questions for each career. Students will then use preparing for the future, consider developing these “interview” questions to research the careers at experience and taking http://www.indeed.com/ classes which can be useable in a variety of Questions for Mentors: How did you select your current career? Have you careers. had other careers?</p><p>Classroom Activities Classroom Activity: Students will write into their brochure information on the selected career and a summary of the answers to the career “interview” questions.</p><p>Useful Link Mentor Tips http://www.indeed.com/ This is an opportunity for you to share information about selecting a career.</p><p>Student Message</p><p>Mentor Reply</p><p> 2011 Regents of the University of Minnesota. All rights reserved. The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer. Institute on Community Integration E-CONNECT: Using Personal Interest to Develop Professional Opportunities Week: 6 Date: </p><p>This Week’s Focus Student Tips Week 6 – Career Planning Careers use many skills which you can develop while still in high school. For Question for Mentors: What courses can I take in high some careers you will need math or school which will help prepare me for the career(s) I’m writing skills; other careers will require computer skills or good communication interested in? skills. Think about the classes you have Activity: After discussion with mentors, have students taken in the past and the work you are now doing in school. How might this make a list of possible high school and college subjects relate to a career which you are which will assist in preparation for the chosen career. interested in? What else might you Students will find at least one source of postsecondary learn to help you in your future career? education related to the chosen career. </p><p>Classroom Activities The students will enter the information related to preparation for the chosen career, including the information found on postsecondary education related to the career, into their brochure and share the information they gathered with the class.</p><p>Useful Links Mentor Tips http://www.indeed.com/ Share with your mentee some of the work you did in high school which helped you prepare for your advanced training or your current position.</p><p>Student Message</p><p>Mentor Reply</p><p> 2011 Regents of the University of Minnesota. All rights reserved. The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer. Institute on Community Integration E-CONNECT: Using Personal Interest to Develop Professional Opportunities Week: 7 Date: </p><p>This Week’s Focus Student Tips Week 7 – Redefining Any special activity requires some preparation. Using a personal timeline is one way to stay on track toward a goal. As Success you develop your timeline, think about the things that might become roadblocks and how you might get around them. For Question for Mentors: What steps example, college can be expensive. How might you finance a do I need to take to prepare for a college education? career?</p><p>Classroom Activities Have students outline the steps to be taken to prepare for a career by developing a career timeline for their brochure.</p><p>Useful Links Mentor Tips http://www.indeed.com/ This week’s question is intended to give mentors an opportunity to talk candidly with students about the steps to a career. Share with your student some of the personal timelines you have used to help you stay on track in securing a job.</p><p>Student Message</p><p>Mentor Reply</p><p> 2011 Regents of the University of Minnesota. All rights reserved. The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer. Institute on Community Integration E-CONNECT: Using Personal Interest to Develop Professional Opportunities Week: 8 Date: </p><p>This Week’s Focus Student Tips Week 8 – Final Project Week As you finalize your brochure use pictures, Activity: The students will complete their project brochure and, if the drawings, clipart, etc. to brochure is in electronic form, have students share a draft with their make your brochure interesting. mentor. Mentors and students can discuss the final brochure. </p><p>Activity: The students will write a thank you note to the mentors.</p><p>Classroom Activities Student and school staff should develop at some SMART goals (see URL below) related to preparation for employment. Student and school staff will also review high school course selections and choose courses for the student based on vocational interests.</p><p>The students will share their final brochures with their mentors and at their next IEP team meeting.</p><p>Useful Links Mentor Tips http://www.goal-setting-guide.com/goal- Mentors, the student will share a draft of their final setting-tutorials/smart-goal-setting brochure with you. Provide positive feedback and make suggestions on how the student might add to the brochure.</p><p>Student Message</p><p>Mentor Reply</p><p> 2011 Regents of the University of Minnesota. All rights reserved. The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer.</p>