A quick overview of how it works
The Career Choices Curriculum Philosophy
This year, with all the changes in educational focus and external threats to public education, it's easy to get sidetracked by numbers: this many students, that many hours, so much money. We believe, though, that what we're really talking about when we deal with today's youth is hopes and dreams - keeping them alive and bringing them to fruition.
We know that for far too many youth, life can resemble a nightmare more than a dream, and that young lives cannot be turned around by wishful thinking. But, as author Delmore Schwarz wrote, "In dreams begin responsibilities." If we can convince today's youth that change is possible, and get them to make an emotional commitment to bringing about that change, academic, financial and personal success can follow.
Are we be being idealistic? Perhaps. Unrealistic? We don't think so.
The Career Choices curriculum seeks to combine the ideal with reality in a way that makes the former more tangible and the latter more relevant. If Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech (Possibilities, pages 27-32) is the ideal, "How Do You Want To Be Remembered?" (Career Choices, pages 60-61) is the reality. If "Envisioning Your Future" (Career Choices, page 14) is the ideal, "Your Budget" (Lifestyle Math, pages 12-88) is the reality.
The overall message is that realizing dreams means accepting responsibility. The result, we've found, is that students are suddenly ready to stay in school (see "An Investment in Education" and "Is It Worth Staying in School?," Career Choices, pages 116-119 and 207).
They have more discipline and motivation (see "Easier Said Than Done," Career Choices, page 121) and are less apt to pin the blame for their problems on something or someone else (see "Tools for Solving Problems" and "What's Your Excuse," Career Choices, pages 194-200). They're ready to become better employees (see "You're the Boss" and "The Employee of the Twenty-first Century," Career Choices, pages 238-245), and to take their rightful place as contributing members of society.
This learning philosophy - separating reality from fantasy - is woven throughout the program in cooperative classroom exercises and activities. Ultimately, when students finish their Career Choices experience, many will better understand who they are, where they want to go, and how they are going to get there! That knowledge alone provides the power to begin realizing their dreams.
We hope you'll want to spend some time with the texts exploring the ways they can help you help your students realize their dreams. If you don't already have copies of the texts, you can order a 60-day review set.
Be sure to give Academic Innovations a call at (800) 967-8016 if you have any questions. If you'd like them to brainstorm strategies or help you design a program for your particular population, they'd be happy to help. If you'd like to ask us a question, Ask the Author.
Best of luck with all your efforts. Please be assured, we and our team at Academic Innovations stand ready to help you in any way we can.
Our best,
Mindy Bingham and Sandy Stryker
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