College & Leadership: Opening the Door to Your Future

This course, "College & Leadership: Opening the Door to Your Future,” is a four-module online curriculum designed to help tween and teen young women understand why graduating from college is important and that they can be—and are—leaders. 

In this course, young women will view videos, then reflect on and apply what they're learning using the Workbook. Adults who are mentoring, leading, and teaching them will find helpful activities and discussion questions in the Adult Guide that can be used for one girl or a group. This and other courses are also available through Canvas at Utah State University Extension.

Download the following Workbook and/or the Adult Guide to use throughout this course. The Workbook is available in two formats (Word and PDF), so it can be completed digitally (Word) or printed and filled out by hand (PDF). The Adult Guide is available as a PDF document only.

Course Outline

This course is divided into four sections, each with the following objectives:

Module 1: Benefits of Attending College

  1. Describe the significance of college attendance and its impact on personal goals and future opportunities.
  2. Explore personal beliefs, values, and attitudes toward college, considering the influence of family, society, and personal aspirations.
  3. Evaluate different types of colleges and universities to make an informed decision about college choice.

Module 2: Your Skills and Interests

  1. Reflect on experiences and preferences to make informed choices about the future.
  2. Recognize and cultivate essential interpersonal skills.
  3. Develop resilience by recognizing and reframing "give-up" thoughts into "go-to" thoughts.

Module 3: Leadership

  1. Articulate personal understanding and meaning of leadership.
  2. Examine personal attitudes, responsibilities, and motivations related to leadership.
  3. Explore personal values and interests to identify areas where you can be a leader.

Module 4: Academic Preparation for College

  1. Develop a comprehensive approach to college preparation.
  2. Recognize tips for success both inside and outside of the classroom.
  3. Create specific short- and long-term goals to help you prepare for college.

Course Creators: Sheila Sconiers, Dr. Susan R. Madsen, & Angie Kleven
A special thank you to Utah State University Extension for their partnership on the original development of this course.