WEEK 2

FINANCIAL LITERACY AND CAREER READINESS

OVERVIEW

🔘 MONDAY

· 8:30-9:00: Morning Check-In and Peer Sharing

· 9:00-10:00: Understanding Financial Aid: Loans, Grants, Scholarships

· 10:00-11:00: Navigating FAFSA and Institutional Aid Resources

· 11:00-12:00: Money Mindsets and Financial Empowerment

· 12:00-1:00: Lunch Break

· 1:00-2:00: Peer Discussion: Financial Literacy Challenges

· 2:00-3:00: Interactive Budget Simulation: Financial Literacy

· Financial literacy components are crucial as first-generation students often lack financial knowledge and support systems (Grace-Odeleye& Santiago, 2019).

🔘 TUESDAY

· 8:30-9:00: Morning Check-In and Peer Sharing

· 9:00-10:00: Saving and Investing Workshop: Long-Term Financial Planning

· 10:00-11:00: Panel: How to Afford CollegeWithout Debt

· 11:00-12:00: Career Exploration: Identifying Strengths and Career Paths

· 12:00-1:00: Lunch Break

· 1:00-2:00: Resume Writing Workshop: Crafting Your Professional Resume

· 2:00-3:00: Peer Brainstorm: Dream Careers and Pathways

· Career exploration and financial planning help first-generation students feel confident about their future and reduce financial barriers to success (Pascarella et al., 2004).

🔘 WEDNESDAY

· 8:30-9:00: Morning Check-In and Peer Sharing

· 9:00-10:00: Networking Skills for Career Success

· 10:00-11:00: Building a Professional Online Presence: LinkedIn Setup

· 11:00-12:00: Resume Editing Lab

· 12:00-1:00: Lunch Break

· 1:00-2:00: Mock Interviews with Faculty and Peers

· 2:00-3:00: Reflecting on Career Goals and Action Steps

· Mock interviews and networking provide first-generation students with confidence in career readiness (Dennis etal., 2005).

🔘 THURSDAY

· 8:30-9:00: Morning Check-In and Peer Sharing

· 9:00-11:00: Job Search Strategies and Internships: How to Find Opportunities

· 10:00-11:00: Peer Resume Review and Skill Alignment

· 11:00-12:00: Career Planning and Goal-Setting: Next Steps inCareer Readiness

· 12:00-1:00: Lunch Break

· 1:00-2:00: Q&A and Drop-in Resume/Job Support

· 2:00-3:00: Personal Pitch Practice: Introduce Yourself with Confidence

· This aligns with findings on the importance of helping students become career-ready early in their academic journey (Grace-Odeleye & Santiago, 2019).

🔘 FRIDAY

· Service-Learning Day (8:30-3:30): Students collaborate with community partners on defining the scope of their service-learning projects and aligning them with community needs.

· Service-learning enhances leadership development through real-world application in line with John Dewey’s experiential learning model (Talebi, 2015; Northouse, 2022).