In addition to improving student achievement, many elementary, middle, and high schools are working to increase students’ career awareness, ensure completion of requirements for grade promotion and high school graduation, and improve planning for postsecondary education and training.

This set of 15 activities comes from schools in the National Network of Partnership Schools (NNPS) at Johns Hopkins University.  The schools’ Action Teams for Partnerships shared their best practices – from the primary grades through high school – that helped students and their parents increase career awareness and take steps on postsecondary pathways.

See these and many other activities to engage parents and other family and community partners in the annual collections of Promising Partnership Practices at www.partnershipschools.org in Success Stories. Click on Promising Partnership Practices and follow the links to College and Careers.  Or search on the student outcome or school level of interest.

All elementary, middle, and high schools can develop goal-linked programs of family and community involvement that help students improve reading, math, attendance, behavior, and postsecondary planning.  Click on Join NNPS to obtain guidelines, materials, and training for strengthening and sustaining programs of partnership.

* Destination Graduation! is the title of a goal and project in the Pasco Public Schools in Washington, a member of NNPS.

Download these activities in pdf format:

• Motion Commotion
• Second Grade Job Share
• After-School Program for Higher Education
• BES Goes to Work
• Family College Conferences
• Going On To College (GOT College)
• College and Career Guide
• Financial Aid Workshop for Parents and Students
• Career Academy Pathways
• Telling It Like It Is
• Business Partnership Breakfast
• Citibank Banking and Finance Summer Internship
• Life After High School: College and Career Fair
• Summer Expo 2008
• Vocational/Work Experience Program – WINGS Grant