Abstract
Pathways to Your Future is a college and career readiness program for youth in Grades 9 through 12. The program’s curriculum provides youth with resources and opportunities to develop knowledge and learn skills that help them align their sparks with potential careers, while exploring various pathways to enter the workforce. The family component includes a pre-program orientation, a financing and budgeting workshop, and take-home materials. Latino students made up 71% of the study participants. Retrospective pre- and post-program surveys were administered to youth and parents/guardians. Results indicated that the program equipped youth participants with the knowledge and skills to plan and manage their education and career goals, prepared them for a successful post-secondary educational experience and/or entry into the workforce, and increased the number of participants who planned to attend a post-secondary institution. Few gender differences were found. Findings suggest the program increased participating parents’ knowledge, skills, and involvement in their children’s college and career aspirations and plans. The results pointed to the importance of a holistic approach to college and career readiness that involves the youth and their parents nested in a positive youth development model.
Highlights
Introduction and BackgroundThere is a need to help youth prepare for college and careers
There were significant differences on all survey items related to college and career decision-making, with the exception of completing a FAFSA and attending a campus tour. These findings were not unexpected given most of the participants were in ninth grade and not yet completing FAFSA forms, and over 75% of the participants at pretest had already gone on a campus tour
Mixed between–within subjects analyses indicated that males and females differed in their understanding of the types of financial assistance available to pay for post-high school education, F (1, 143) = 5.00, p = .03, ηp2 =
Summary
Introduction and BackgroundThere is a need to help youth prepare for college and careers. Less than 45% of high school students report feeling positive about their college and career readiness (YouthTruth Student Survey, 2016) Students indicated their schools had not helped them understand steps needed to apply for college (55%), identify careers that matched their interests/abilities (46%), or understand how to pursue careers of interest (55%). These statistics are underscored by estimates that approximately 4.4 million youth aged 16 to 24 are not involved in either school or the workforce, with higher rates among youth of color (Campaign for Youth, 2016; Lewis, 2020; Opportunity Nation, n.d.). The estimated lifetime cost to society for each disconnected and unprepared 16-year-old is over $1,000,000 (Campaign for Youth, 2016)
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