Where will the road take us? Or Will we take the road of our own choosing?
ASK Accessing Self Knowledge ASK is a career exploration program for students in grades 6-12. It's aim is to help students make clear, careful, and creative plans for transitions from grade school to middle school, middle school to high school, high school to year 13. ASK helps students learn a process of goal setting and decision making. Its primary objectives are:
Equalize opportunities for all levels of students
Encourage student engagement
Enhance student achievement
Involve parents and guardians
Strengthen community
The program has its roots in Navigation 101 that originated in Washington State. Through grants from the Olin and Desta Schwab Foundation the ASK program was born. ASK uses Indiana Career Explorer as its main curriculum. Taking the Indiana Career Explorer web site and guiding students through the five attributes of a college and career ready student, each student develops a significant career plan that grows each year. Students in grades 6 through 12 learn a meaningful process to follow throughout their life. Originally this grant was used in 5 schools. Through the generosity of the Schwab Foundation we have expanded to 10 schools and organizations. This program has been designed to help students:
Develop clear plans for what they would like to do with their lives after high school;
Learn what they need to accomplish today while they are still in school.
ASK operates on the premise that every student deserves help and attention, not just those who are high risk or high achieving. HOW DOES THE PROGRAM WORK? There are five student attributes that drive the ASK program. They are:
Know/Knowledge of self and personal strengths and talents
Connect/Connect those personal strengths to a career pathway
Select/Learn about schools that offer training post secondary
Invest/What does further training cost and how can I pay for it
Go/Do I have the credentials to enter the next planned phase after high school.
At the end of the sequence of five lessons in each grade level students are able to conduct a College and Career Conversation with their parent and or school advisor. This conversation follows their progress through the five attributes. The conversation, which lasts about 10 minutes, demonstrates their level of preparation and goal setting for the future. Schools, parents and students are assured that 100% of the students who engage in this process have a meaningful dynamic plan for their self selected post secondary goals. With our students all you need to do is ASK.
