FALL 2004

Educational Plan
Understanding Self & Community
Critical Thinking

Overview: This assignment will help you assess your talents and strengths, explore possible career paths, and develop a plan of action. You will resubmit certain assignments, research careers you are considering, and explain how self-assessment and career exploration has helped you plan your future.

Save & Focus: During the semester, save all graded materials that are returned to you since you will be asked to resubmit specific materials and draw on what you're learning about yourself. After completing Focus II at the Maida Kamber Center, select two careers that you'd like to pursue, one being your "ideal choice," while the other will serve as your "Plan B."

Research: Investigate both career possibilities. You may want to start with Career Kokua at the Maida Kamber Center to learn about each career. Your research should include the following: job description, preparation/training needed, typical work hours, wages/salary, employment opportunities, work environment, vacation, strengths and weaknesses. In addition, for your "ideal choice" you must interview someone currently doing that job. If possible, ask if you can visit them in their work environment. Ask about why they chose that career, the preparation/training needed, the difficulties they encountered when pursuing their goal, the pros and cons of that career, and any advice they want to share with someone considering that line of work.

Submit a folder with . . .

• All the completed assessment tools from the Educational Plan Check-list. (worth 40 points)
• Proof of having interviewed someone in your "ideal choice" career (signed memo or photo w/you; worth 20 points)
  
• A written plan of action (worth 30 points) that considers these questions:
  • Using the various assessment tools, what have you learned about yourself?
  • Now that you've researched both careers, what have you learned about them?
  • Can you see yourself in either career? If so, how will you get there?
  • What difficulties might you encounter while pursuing your goal? How are you going to deal with them?
  • What impact has this investigation had on planning your future at this point in time (be specific)?
    

Share something you learned about yourself and your plan. This will be done in class on the day it’s due. Each presentation will be approximately 5-7 minutes. (worth 10 points)

Late plans will be accepted, but will be assessed a penalty of ten points for each class day a plan is late.