Guideposts for Success Lesson Plans

The Guideposts for Success Lesson Plans provide “ready to go” activities that youth service professionals can use with youth in transition programs and other settings to develop the competencies needed to plan and prepare for careers and postsecondary education. The lesson plans relate to three areas of NCWD/Youth’s Guideposts for Success:  (1) School-Based Preparatory Experiences; (2) Career Preparation and Work-Based Learning Experiences; and (3) Youth Development and Leadership.

These lesson plans were designed to complement transition programs that provide a focus on:

  • Access to career assessments (both formal and informal) that help identify youth’s school and post-school preferences and interests;
  • Structured exposure to postsecondary education and other life-long learning opportunities;
  • Exposure to career opportunities that ultimately lead to a living wage, including information about educational requirements, entry requirements, income and benefits potential, and asset accumulation; and
  • Training designed to improve job-seeking skills and workplace basic skills (sometimes called “soft-skills”).

The outcomes of these lessons may fit nicely into many of the general goals and objectives in Individualized Learning Plans (ILPs) for all youth, Individualized Education/Transition Plans (IEPs/ITPs), and Individualized Plans for Employment (IPEs).

Each lesson plan identifies the reason for the activity and why it is important in the career development process for youth and young adults. All lesson plans also include the following sections: an icebreaker, an icebreaker discussion, a lesson/activity, a reflection, and an extension. Unless otherwise noted, most lessons have been designed for one class period of 45 to 60 minutes.