Smart Futures at LHS
What is Smart Futures?
Smart Futures is an online career planning and portfolio platform that helps students explore future careers and pathways, and prepare for post-secondary success, regardless of what route is chosen.
Why Smart Futures at LHS?
The Lakeland School District uses Smart Futures to meet the requirements for Career Readiness Indicators in the state of Pennsylvania, integrate career education and social emotional learning for K-12 students, and more importantly, provide each student with a personalized career plan by the time they reach 12th grade.
Just like a math class has standards and benchmarks that need to be met throughout the year, students in Pennsylvania also must meet the Career Education and Work Standards. Smart Futures is strictly aligned with these standards, and proper completion of its activities each year ensures that students have met these standards.
Additionally, the programming is simple, comprehensive, and provides students with new and different ways of thinking about themselves.
Smart Futures also has a portfolio feature that allows students to compile all career exploration related activities in one place. Students will have access to all of this even after they graduate.
How Do I Access Smart Futures?
Go to Clever.com.
If you haven't already, find Lakeland Jr./Sr. High School, and connect using your Lakeland email address.
Click on the Smart Futures icon.
I'm a Student - What Do I Need To Do With Smart Futures?
Each grade level is expected to complete a minimum amount of activities in Smart Futures each year. There may be times where you are asked to complete an activity that you have already completed before. This is for a reason! The answers that you give from year to year (or even day to day) can be different, and can change the results of your activities. This could open you up to new paths that you never thought about!
If you follow the link for your grade level below, you will find out the exact activities that are required of you each year. You can always do additional activities, or go back and do activities from a previous grade level. We just ask that you are sure to complete the activities asked of you in a given year. Outside of that, you are free to explore any time!
I'm a Parent - What Do I Need To Do With Smart Futures?
Students have access to their Smart Futures accounts at any time, whether they are in school or not. As a parent, you can encourage your student to log in to Smart Futures to show you the work and progress that they have made towards their career plan and portfolio. You can look at completed activities at any level, and even go through these activities again with your students. They can complete them as many times as they would like.
Parents will see insights about "Who Am I" as well as "I CAN" statements that summarize the ways your student should have been empowered by the programming. You can also review the career plan, which documents students' interests, career clusters, prospective programs and majors of study, and paths to get their desired outcomes. Working collaboratively with your student on this programming will lead to discussions that may shape your child's future!
I'm a Faculty Member - What Do I Need To Do With Smart Futures?
Some faculty members may be asked to help deliver the required Smart Futures activities, or provide a space for students to complete their activities. Outside of that, this question can be rephrased to "What Can I Do With Smart Futures?"
There are lots of activities within the platform that could be useful in the regular education classroom. From learning styles inventories to résumé builders, there is probably something that could be useful in any classroom. Smart Futures has created a database of lesson plans associated with the activities that might help. Click the link below to learn more!
Faculty members will also be asked to have students upload any relevant career exploration materials or experiences into students' portfolios. Click on the link below to learn more about how to do this.
