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ICAN Career and College Readiness Curriculum

Thank you for your interest in the ICAN Career and College Readiness Curriculum. Click on the topic below you wish to learn more about.

About Curriculum

Do your students graduate with the skills and knowledge necessary to transition into the workforce or a college academic program? Do they understand how to pick a career, how to apply to college, or how to navigate the financial aid process? Are they ready for life after high school?

The ICAN Career and College Readiness Curriculum is designed to guide students through each step of the planning process for life after high school. Beginning in 9th grade and building each successive year, this curriculum lays the foundation for the critical decisions every student will face come graduation, and provides guidance, activities, and resources to help them succeed.

Featuring age- and grade-specific lessons, each correlated to Iowa standards, covering Career Preparation/Selection, Academic Preparation, Financial Literacy, and College Selection and Application, the curriculum is flexible enough to enable it to be used ongoing through a student's advisement class, as a stand alone class, or integrated with existing classes.

Click here to see where ICAN's curriculum program is being implemented.

Curriculum Lessons

Download a summary of each lesson

Academic Preparation

  • Academic Preparation: GPA/World Language
  • Activities Resume
  • Digital Citizenship
  • Building Effective Study Skills
  • Effective Communications
  • The Impact of Social Media

Career Exploration

  • The Big Picture - Thinking About the Future
  • Career Assessments 
  • Employability: Building Skills for All Careers
  • Defining Career and Technical Education
  • Exploring CTE Careers
  • Exploring Apprenticeships

Financial Literacy

  • Basic Budgeting
  • Basics of Borrowing
  • Understanding Credit
  • LifeStore - A Family Budget Scenario
  • Income Taxes & Financial Aid
  • Student Debt Reality
  • Understanding Student Loans

Post-Secondary Selection

  • Education/Training Comparisons
  • Return on College Investment (ROCI)
  • Scholarship Process
  • Understanding & Comparing Programs of Study
  • How to Apply
  • College Course Planning
  • College 101

Curriculum Options

The ICAN Curriculum Program is available as both an Iowa program and a National program, making the tools available for students throughout the United States. Click on the program you are interested in below to learn the specific and find out about upcoming information sessions and training opportunities.

About ICAN

ICAN has served the educational community and the students of Iowa since 1998. ICAN is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing solutions and resources to advance career and college readiness. The ICAN team have more than 150 years of combined experience in career and college readiness advising including K-12 school counselors, collegiate financial aid advisors, students services, admissions, and community college access organizations.

ICAN develops and provides expert resources on career and college planning to school counselors, parents, and students, providing the guidance and programming needed for students to be successful and prepared for life after high school.

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