Career Confidence in
Champaign High Schools
Career Confidence in Champaign High Schools
Our project empowers Champaign public high school students through career exploration, dreamcasting, and improved access to postsecondary planning resources.
Entity
Design for America
Design for America
Date
January 2024 - May 2025
January 2024 - May 2025
Role
Team Lead
Role
Team Lead
Role Description
Led a 9-member team through the UX design process
Research
Conducted interviews with Centennial High School and Central High School's college and career counselors.
Organized secondary research on current data on each school regarding
post-secondary preparations and readiness.
Conducted interviews with Centennial High School and Central High School's college and career counselors.
Organized secondary research on current data on each school regarding
post-secondary preparations and readiness.
Conducted interviews with Centennial High School and Central High School's college and career counselors.
Organized secondary research on current data on each school regarding
post-secondary preparations and readiness.
Research
Conducted interviews with Centennial High School and Central High School's college and career counselors.
Organized secondary research on current data on each school regarding
post-secondary preparations and readiness.
Conducted interviews with Centennial High School and Central High School's college and career counselors.
Organized secondary research on current data on each school regarding
post-secondary preparations and readiness.
Key Takeaways
from Research
Exposure to career options helps students plan their futures
Limited resources hinder student support
Financial barriers and selective programs restrict options
Exposure to career options helps students plan their futures
Limited resources hinder student support
Financial barriers and selective programs restrict options
Key Takeaways
from Research
Exposure to career options helps students plan their futures
Limited resources hinder student support
Financial barriers and selective programs restrict options
Design Goals
Empower students to have career confidence
Improve connection between the University of Illinois and
Champaign High SchoolsReduced burden on college and career counselors
Empower students to have career confidence
Improve connection between the University of Illinois and
Champaign High SchoolsReduced burden on college and career counselors
Design Goals
Empower students to have career confidence
Improve connection between the University of Illinois and
Champaign High SchoolsReduced burden on college and career counselors
How might we cultivate a culture of exploration and growth for Champaign public high school students, enabling them to dreamcast and discover careers that align with their values and interests?
How might we cultivate a culture of exploration and growth for Champaign public high school students, enabling them to dreamcast and discover careers that align with their
values and interests?
Ideation
I guided our team through outlining what indicators of success would be for our project, as well as current barriers high school students face.
Next, we brainstormed and used divergent thinking to ideate potential solutions.
Ideation
I guided our team through outlining what indicators of success would be for our project, as well as current barriers high school students face.
Next, we brainstormed and used divergent thinking to ideate
potential solutions.
Drawing from the indicators of success we identified, our team developed a concept selection matrix to narrow down ideas that arose from our brainstorming session.
To empower high school students to dreamcast, we developed a
6 week mentorship program that connects them with university students for career exploration and guidance.
To empower high school students to dreamcast, we developed a 6 week mentorship program that connects them with university students for career exploration and guidance.
Prototyping
To best support my team in prototyping, I analyzed what aspects of this idea may need to be designed and developed 6 groups.
Website Team
Website layout and
promotional materials
Program Events Team
Orientation events, mentor training, end of program celebration event
Program Overview Team
Timeline, website copy, contingency plans for challenges
Mentor Resources Team
Activities and sample itineraries for meetings based on common themes
Mentee Resources Team
Reflections for tracking progress and mentor-mentee contract
Mentor-Mentee Matching Team
Mentor application form, personality form, form to switch mentors
Website Team
Website layout and
promotional materials
Program Events Team
Orientation events, mentor training, end of program celebration event
Program Overview Team
Timeline, website copy, contingency plans for challenges
Mentor Resources Team
Activities and sample itineraries for meetings based on common themes
Mentee Resources Team
Reflections for tracking progress and mentor-mentee contract
Mentor-Mentee Matching Team
Mentor application form, personality form, form to switch mentors
Website Team
Website layout and
promotional materials
Program Events Team
Orientation events, mentor training, end of program celebration event
Program Overview Team
Timeline, website copy, contingency plans for challenges
Mentor Resources Team
Activities and sample itineraries for meetings based on common themes
Mentee Resources Team
Reflections for tracking progress and mentor-mentee contract
Mentor-Mentee Matching Team
Mentor application form, personality form, form to switch mentors
I let each member rank their top three choices and divided them accordingly, to ensure everyone would be passionate about their work, and find something that accommodated their skills.
