Summary
Participants learn how to plan and host a Future U: The Enrollment Adventure event at their schools. They experience sample booths that let them see what the event can feel like for students. Afterwards, participants reflect on the process and discuss some of the benefits and challenges of coordinating the Future U event. Planning materials are provided to support hosting the event and participants can begin mapping out their own Future U event for their schools.
Essential Questions
What is needed to hold a successful “Future U: The Enrollment Adventure” mock enrollment event?
What are the benefits of holding a “Future U: The Enrollment Adventure” mock enrollment event?
Learning Goals
Experience a modified version of “Future U: The Enrollment Adventure.”
Discuss the challenges of implementing the game.
Develop a plan for implementing a “Future U: The Enrollment Adventure” activity at your own location.
Snapshot
Engage
Participants recall aspects of enrolling in college/career tech by playing the game Forbidden Phrases using college/career tech terminology.
Explore
Participants explore the enrollment process by playing Future U: The Enrollment Adventure game.
Explain
Participants discuss research and why students will benefit from the mock enrollment activity through a card sorting activity.
Extend
Participants plan a mock enrollment game event.
Evaluate
Participants reflect on what they learned about the game and how it helps prepare students for their PSI enrollment journey.
Materials List
Paper and Writing Utensils
Index Cards or Sticky Notes
Opening Lesson/Game Slides (School’s Out, Now What? or Get a Life digital game)
Presentation Slides (attached)
Chance Cards (attached)
Award Letters + Ledger Sheets (attached)
Booth Posters 11x17 (attached)
Booth Flyers (attached)
Card Sort Map (attached; one per table)
Event Set-up Packet (attached; one per table)
Booth Materials (attached; one per table)
Forbidden Phrases Cards (attached; one set per table)
Forbidden Phrases Individual cards (attached)
Engage
15 Minute(s)
Display slide 2 of the attached Presentation Slides and make introductions.
Show slide 3. Introduce the Forbidden Phrases instructional strategy. Participants will play in small groups or at their table. Pass out 5-6 cards to each group. Have each person choose a card and try to have their table mates guess the word at the top of the card without using any of the “forbidden phrases” listed below that word. Give participants 10 minutes to play.
Move to slides 5-6 and connect participants to the “Future U: The Enrollment Adventure” and the PD’s essential questions and learning objectives.
Explore
25 Minute(s)
Distribute the following to each participant:
Clipboard
Ledger (attached)
Award Letter (attached)
Pencil
Move to slide 7. Participants will now get to experience a sample of what students will do when playing the “Future U: The Enrollment Adventure.” If you have enough facilitators, you can have them man the sample booths, or if your group is small enough, you can move through the booths together. Participants follow the directions at each booth and use their ledger to budget and make decisions. At 10-minute intervals, spin the Chance Wheel or pull a color paper from a bowl. Have participants with that color of clipboard come up to get a chance card. Ask participants to read their chance cards aloud to the group so that others can get a better idea of what scenarios are on the cards.
After going through the sample booths, move to slide 8. Introduce the How Am I Feeling? What Am I Thinking? instructional strategy. Give participants time to record their responses then ask for volunteers to share out. Make connections to the Forbidden Phrases game played earlier in the session by asking, Did the game provide understanding for some of the concepts that were on our Forbidden Phrases cards?
Explain
15 Minute(s)
Display slide 9 and hand out the Card Sort Map and the Chance Cards. Have participants read the four quadrants in the Card Sort Map. Then, participants will read each Chance card scenario and place it on the map in the category they think it best relates to. Allow participants about 10 minutes to organize the scenarios.
Move to slide 10 and introduce participants to the Exclaim and Question instructional strategy. Have participants create an Exclaim and Question where they will identify a positive outcome they see for providing this mock enrollment event and one question they still have about it or its implementation.
Extend
10 Minute(s)
Display slide 11 and hand out the Event Set-up packet. Have participants turn to the planning checklist. Give them time to think about the tasks and time frame using backward design to begin scheduling and planning their event.
Slide 12 has a QR code to the “Future U: The Enrollment Adventure” educator resource on K20 LEARN. The activity includes a detailed narrative for integrating the event and all of the materials to host the “Future U: The Enrollment Adventure.”
Move to slide 13 and give participants time to share out and ask questions about what they saw in both the planning materials and the LEARN student activity.
Evaluate
Display slide 14. As an Exit Ticket, ask:
How does the “Future U: The Enrollment Adventure” address some of the need-to-know systems of a PSI?
Give participants time to share their thoughts. Encourage them to reach out to the presenters with any questions they might have as they work through planning and hosting their event.
Follow-Up Activities
Use your planning checklist to coordinate and implement the mock enrollment event. Be sure to recruit PSI volunteers to manage booths during the mock enrollment event. For example, a financial aid officer from local PSIs to operate the financial aid booth.
Supporting materials and information for hosting the event can be found here: https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/educator-resource/3839
Research Rationale
The transition from high school to college is a critical period in students' academic journey. Research suggests that a lack of awareness surrounding college transfer and financial guidance can negatively impact students' ability to transfer successfully, particularly for seniors who are first-generation college students (Ricks & Warren, 2021). Several factors support the enrollment of high school seniors, particularly among first-generation students, such as quality guidance counseling and increasing students' college knowledge regarding navigating the admissions process, researching colleges and scholarships, completing applications, and submitting financial aid forms (Ober et al., 2020).
Many high school seniors face financial obstacles that can deter them from college enrollment (Herbaut & Geven, 2019; Ober et al., 2020). The cost of college can range from application fees, housing, tuition, and textbooks. Without financial guidance, students may quickly become overwhelmed and discouraged (Herbaut & Geven, 2019). They also may experience challenges with navigating the financial aid process. However, providing financial aid information and counseling can assist students in developing a clear understanding of the cost of college and successfully navigating the financial aid process (Ricks & Warren, 2021).
Resources
Herbaut, E., & Geven, K. M. (2019). What works to reduce inequalities in higher education? A systematic review of the (quasi-)experimental literature on outreach and financial aid. St. Louis: Federal Reserve Bank of St Louis.
K20 Center. Bell ringers and exit tickets. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/125
K20 Center. (n.d.). Card sort. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/147
K20 Center. (n.d.). Exclaim and question. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/94
K20 Center. (n.d.). Forbidden phrases. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/3342
K20 Center. (n.d.). Future U: the enrollment adventure. Educator Resource. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/educator-resource/3839
K20 Center. (n.d.). How am I feeling? What am I thinking? Strategies.
Ober, T. M., Ahn, J., Ali, A., Homer, B. D., Moner, A., Azam, A., & Ramos, N. (2020). A mixed-methods analysis of mechanisms to support college enrollment among low-income high school students. Translational Issues in Psychological Science, 6(2), 118.
Ricks, J. R., & Warren, J. M. (2021). Transitioning to college: Experiences of successful first-generation college students. Journal of Educational Research and Practice, 11(1), 1-15.