Student & Family Presentations
Inspire informed decisions. Empower student success.
ICAN delivers powerful, age-appropriate presentations directly to your school or community, helping students and families make informed decisions about their future. ICAN's seminars are designed to guide your school community through every phase of the college and career planning journey. Whether you're helping 8th graders explore career paths or supporting seniors through financial aid season, ICAN offers engaging, research-based programs delivered in formats that work for your schedule and are tailored to your audience.
🎓 ICAN School-Based Presentations
All ICAN presentations are aligned with Iowa’s District Career and Academic Plan (DCAP) standards and the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) Mindsets & Behaviors framework. Each session supports school counseling goals and fits into one or more of the five essential components of the DCAP/ICAP requirements, helping students make informed choices about their futures.
Presentation Options:
🧭 Freshman Transitions
For 8th & 9th grade families | 45–60 minutes
This session focuses on helping students understand high school requirements, create an intentional 4-year plan, and explore how choices now affect future options.
✔️ DCAP Alignment: Academic planning, high school course awareness
✔️ ASCA Mindsets & Behaviors: Self-management, goal-setting, future orientation
Click here to read a full program description
🎓 Life After High School
For 10th & 11th grade families | 45–60 minutes
Introduces career pathways, postsecondary options, and decision-making tools to help students identify their interests and long-term goals.
✔️ DCAP Alignment: Career exploration, postsecondary planning
✔️ ASCA Mindsets & Behaviors: Career awareness, decision-making, self-advocacy
Click here to read a full program description.
💸 How to Pay for College
For juniors & seniors | 60–75 minutes
Demystifies the cost of college, explains the financial aid process, and walks through scholarships, FAFSA, and budgeting strategies.
✔️ DCAP Alignment: Financial aid literacy, cost planning
✔️ ASCA Mindsets & Behaviors: Financial decision-making, access to postsecondary education
✔️ Iowa Requirement for FAFSA Advising (SF2383): Meets requirement for schools to provide advising to students on how to successfully complete the FAFSA form. (Learn more)
Click here to read a full program description
📝 FAFSA Ready Iowa
For seniors | October through January
Hands-on support to help students and families complete the FAFSA with confidence. Events are staffed by ICAN experts and ICAN certified professionals, and ensure accurate, on-time submissions.
✔️ DCAP Alignment: FAFSA completion, college readiness
✔️ ASCA Mindsets & Behaviors: College application skills, self-advocacy, perseverance
✔️ Iowa Requirement for FAFSA Advising (SF2383): Meets requirement for schools to provide advising to students on how to successfully complete the FAFSA form. (Learn more)
Click here to read a full program description
Scheduling a Presentation
💡 Why Schedule an ICAN Presentation?
ICAN’s expert advisors bring energy, experience, and essential information to your students and families. Presentations are practical, engaging, and focused on empowering informed decisions that lead to long-term success.
🖥️ Delivery Options
We offer flexible formats to meet your school’s needs:
| Format | Details | |
|---|---|---|
| In-Person Presentations | On-site sessions for your school or community (requires $350 sponsorship or fee). | |
| Virtual Presentations | Customized live webinars for your school or region. Includes event recording. | |
| Statewide Virtual Events | Open to any student/family. Promote these events or stream them at school. | |
| Pre-Recorded Presentations | Access ICAN’s library of on-demand topic-specific videos anytime. |
Eligibility & Sponsorship
To host an in-person presentation or FAFSA event, schools must have:
- A current grant or community foundation sponsor, or
- A local sponsor secured by the school, or
- The ability to pay the $350 program fee
ICAN can help connect schools with potential partners.
📞 To discuss funding options, contact Erick Danielson at ICAN.
✅ Ready to Schedule?
Please review presentation descriptions for timing recommendations and format options.
When scheduling, consider:
- Piggybacking with parent-teacher conferences or home sports events
- Avoiding conflicts with religious services or school activities
- Scheduling during grant-eligible windows or when other schools in your area are hosting ICAN
Call us at (877) 272-4692 or contact your ICAN advisor.
Together, we’ll select the best format, date, and audience for your school.
Use the Presentation Planning Checklist (PDF) for a step-by-step guide.
📢 Promote Your Presentation
To ensure strong attendance, ICAN provides all the tools you need to promote your event:
- Presentation checklist and planning guide
- Printed posters and fliers (mailed 4 weeks in advance)
- Online Event Promotion Toolkit with downloadable promo materials
- Customizable templates for parent emails and student messages
- Social media graphics
📌 Visit the Event Promotion Toolkit to access all resources.
ICAN Presentation Descriptions
Freshman Transitions: A Guide to Beginning High School
Starting high school is an exciting new chapter—one that sets the stage for future opportunities. The decisions you make in your freshman year, from course selection to extracurricular involvement, play a key role in shaping your path after graduation. This session helps students and families navigate the transition, make informed choices, and start planning for life beyond high school.
Topics:
- Career Exploration & Goal Setting
- Choosing the Right Courses for Your Future
- Exploring Pathways: Apprenticeships, Military, College & More
- Understanding Education Costs & Saving for the Future
- Money Management Basics for High School Students
- A Parent's Role in Academic & Career Planning
Audience: 8th and 9th grade students + parents
Best Time to Schedule: Spring (8th); August/September (9th)
Length: 45–60 minutes
Materials Provided:
Life After High School: Career & College Planning
With so many post-high school options available, how do you choose the right path? This session helps students and parents explore career opportunities, education and training programs, and financial planning—all while considering current employment trends and industry growth. Gain valuable insights to create a solid plan for both college and career success.
Topics:
- Career Exploration & Goal Setting
- Employment Trends & Industry Outlook
- Academic & Admission Requirements
- Choosing the Right College or Training Program
- Campus Visits & Application Process
- Understanding Costs & Financial Aid
- Scholarships & Job Training Opportunities
- Strategies for a Successful Transition
Audience: Sophomores, juniors + parents
Best Time to Schedule: Aug–Sept OR Feb–May
Length: 45–60 minutes
Materials Provided:
- Career & College Planning Guide
- Freshman/Sophomore Countdown to Your Future Calendar
- Junior/Senior Countdown to Your Future Calendar
How to Pay for College: Understanding Financial Aid
Figuring out how to pay for college can feel overwhelming, but you don’t have to navigate it alone! This session breaks down the financial aid process, from completing the FAFSA to understanding aid offers and comparing college costs. Learn about scholarships, grants, and other funding options to help you create a smart financial plan for your education.
Topics:
- How to Complete the FAFSA & What Happens Next
- Understanding Financial Aid Offers & College Costs
- Exploring Scholarships, Grants, Loans & Other Aid Options
- Comparing College Costs & Making Informed Decisions
- Where to Find Help & Resources
Audience: Juniors (Feb–May), Seniors (Aug–Sept) + parents
Length: 60–75 minutes
Materials Provided:
ℹ️ Note: The FAFSA becomes available in October. Juniors should attend this seminar in spring; seniors early in the school year.
FAFSA Ready Iowa: FAFSA Completion Events
FAFSA Ready Iowa provides in-depth, hands-on support to help families complete the FAFSA and access financial aid. School-hosted events use FAFSA completion data to strategically plan outreach and achieve 60%+ completion rates.
Event Formats:
- School-Based FAFSA Events – $350 fee (grant/sponsorship opportunities available)
- Community-Based Events – Walk-in/by-appointment events hosted in partnership with community organizations, colleges, and universities.
- Statewide Virtual Events – Live, guided FAFSA Step-by-Step completion events
- One-on-One Assistance – Available via ICAN’s Student Success Centers or Zoom
Audience: Seniors + parents
Time of Year: The FAFSA opens October 1. ICAN's FAFSA assistance season is October - January. When scheduling events, it's important to consider college priority dates. If you have a lot of students considering a regent university, schedule your event earlier in the FAFSA season. Review priority dates.
For more info or to schedule, contact: (877) 272-4692
Iowa Requirement for FAFSA Advising (SF2383)
Iowa code requires that prior to high school graduation each district provide advising to students on how to successfully complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA.) Schools can work with ICAN to satisfy this requirement by:
- Scheduling a financial aid presentation
- Scheduling a FAFA completion event
- Sharing the schedule for virtual financial aid and FAFSA Step-by-Step events
- Sharing a virtual recording of a financial aid or FAFSA event
- Sharing the schedule for virtual financial aid and FAFSA Step-by-Step events
- Promoting local FAFSA completion events in or near your community
- Sharing the Why File the FAFSA & What to Bring fliers to supplement above activities and help families prepare.
