Elementary

This program meets once a week after school to provide students with individual, evidence-based tutoring, mentoring, early college and career readiness education, and other enriching experiences. Weekly sessions include college and career readiness and mental health mini-lessons, individualized tutoring with culturally relevant texts, ongoing communication, time with trained counselors, and partnership with families. Staff work with students and families to set and work towards personal and academic goals, which they continue throughout their journey with Charting Careers. Young scholars also enjoy special field trips, including outings at Annapolis Maritime Museum and Park and Chesapeake Children’s Museum.

Measureable Program Goals and Outcomes Include:

1. Regular participation

2. Mastery of key literacy skills and increased reading level

3. Improved grades

4. Mastery of individualized goals

Middle School

When students graduate from our elementary program, they continue into our middle school program which meets twice a week, after school. Sessions focus on mental health, prevention, building trusting relationships, community building. and college and career readiness topics (e.g., goal setting, career exploration, and resume development). Students will also connect once a week with their individual mentors. Throughout the year, students attend various field trips, including college visits and trips to the theaters and museums designed to close the opportunity gap. Staff provides weekly outreach and connection with families, in addition to quarterly family night events focused on different mental health topics.

In collaboration with school counselors, teachers, and community partners, the Charting Careers' middle school program includes:

• Learning about career options

• Further developing interests

• Building essential life skills

• Connecting participants to extracurricular activities

• Character development

• Weekly review of grades and homework completion

• Trauma-informed strategies

Measurable program goals and outcomes include:

1. Increased sense of self: This occurs through various activities that facilitate self understanding, celebration of differences, and strength assessment.

2. Increased use of school and community resources: This occur through collaboration with Anne Arundel County Public Schools and numerous community partners. Discover Your Story staff and volunteers are solution oriented and collaborate with youth and their families to identify and overcome barriers to academic, social, physical and emotional health.

3. Expanded interests: This occurs because programming provides new experiences and works to create a safe climate in which youth are able to take healthy risks.

4. Improved grades: This occurs through participants' increased use of after school help days, Power School, and linkage to resources for challenge areas (e.g., study skills, homework completion, math).

5. Increased participation in positive extracurricular activities aligned with student interest: This occurs through personalized goal setting, scholarships obtained/coordinated by Charting Careers, and transportation provided through background-checked volunteers and staff.

6. Increased protective factors and reduced risk factors: This is accomplished by bringing in staff and partners who provide research-based, youth development programming on a variety of topics including relationship skills, healthy decision making, drug refusal skills, pregnancy prevention, etc. Protective factors are also enhanced through the provision of individual mentoring.

High School

Throughout our high school program, students continue to receive individual mentoring, opportunities for college visits and career panels, mental health support, and college and career readiness education-- all focused on closing the opportunity gap. Our high school program also include professional college/career advising and scholarship opportunities. Staff continue to partner with families and offer quarterly family nights.

Mentors receive ongoing training and support and also participate in individual goal-setting.

Measurable program goals and outcomes include:

• Improved grades: This occurs through participants' increased use of after school help days, Power School, and linkage to resources for challenge areas (e.g., study skills, homework completion, math). Mentors also nurture and encourage academic success.

• Increased participation in positive extracurricular activities aligned with student interest: This occurs through personalized goal setting, scholarships obtained/coordinated by Charting Careers, and transportation provided through background-checked volunteers and staff.

• Increased protective factors and reduced risk factors: This is accomplished by Charting Careers bringing in partners who provide research-based, youth development programming on a variety of topics including relationship skills, healthy decision making, drug refusal skills, pregnancy prevention, etc. Protective factors are also enhanced through the provision of individual mentoring. Through collaboration with Annapolis High School, programming is provided weekly during the school day and as needed during after-school and weekend hours.

• Obtainment of a paid job or unpaid internship: Charting Careers staff and volunteers help each participant identify a paid job or unpaid internship they would like to secure once they turn 16. Programming focuses on creating a plan to ensure success, including identification of personal strengths, interviewing skills, and an accessible location. Once the job or internship is obtained, mentors and staff help youth work through challenges as they emerge.

• Graduate from high school and initiate the success plan they created through Charting Careers. This can include community college, 4-year college, certificate program, military, or a paid job that matches the youth's areas of career interest. Charting Careers staff and volunteers develop partnerships with local businesses and internships, bring youth to local career fairs, take students on college tours, and assist with college and job applications. Through mentoring and peer relationships, participants develop new social networks.

Beyond High School

Staff and volunteers continue to collaborate with our high school graduates through 24 years of age. Since so many of our students are the first in their family to attend college or a credentialing program, the Charting Careers community builds social and cultural capital that helps young adults navigate barriers and promote opportunities (e.g., finding summer internships, understanding the importance of office hours, managing money).

Our scholarship fund helps eliminate gaps that cannot be addressed through traditional scholarships, ranging from dorm room bedding, to a laptop computer, to a suit for a job interview. Having created their story and charted their path, Charting Careers graduates are now ready to live their story!

Measurable program goals and outcomes include:

• Obtainment of a paid job or unpaid internship: Charting Careers staff and volunteers help participants identify jobs and internships.

• Securing scholarships: Charting Careers staff and volunteers assist scholars with identifying and applying for scholarships.

• Initiate and complete their individual success plan. This can include completing community college, 4-year college, certificate program, military, and securing a paid job that matches the youth's areas of career interest.