Ninth and tenth-grade students are often encouraged to “Engage in the high school experience” and "Explore your interests." They are advised to "Jump in and try new things." Many students do try out a few clubs or sports and some students do find their main interests. But in my experience, for most students, haphazard exploration without reflection can often result in abandoned projects and more time on Netflix.
My colleagues at CollegeMatchPoint, an educational advising company in Utah, developed the i4 Framework to provide students a structured way to spark —and increase—their engagement in areas of interest, by increasing involvement, taking more initiative, and measuring the impact.
The guided structure in the i4 Framework provides the focus that will help students identify and optimize their interest, involvement, initiative, and impact to successfully engage during high school and (and yes, develop into a strong college applicant).
In the coming months, I plan to guide a small cohort of 9th and 10th-grade students through a free pilot program to explore and develop their interests using the i4 Framework as a guide. I am actively seeking interested participants! The plan is to work through the framework in a series of short, small, peer group sessions so students can engage not only with their interests but with each other!
Please contact me if you have a student who would like the opportunity to do some guided engagement exploration. Michelle@touchstoneadvising.com 426.610.8148.
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