Teen Maze
Teen Maze is an experiential learning event that delivers powerful information to 7th grade students in Story, Boone and Greene counties. Teens are assigned various choices as they navigate through a life-size maze. While in the Maze, young people discover the realities that both positive and negative choices may bring. As choices and consequences compound, teens experience how an entire life can be affected by any decision. The Maze is creative and interactive, while demonstrating the possible consequences of teen choices.
Four specific areas are addressed:
Teen Maze was developed through collaboration with Division 11 Kiwanis clubs in Boone, Greene, and Story counties and Youth & Shelter Services (YSS). Iowa State University Extension, area medical centers and clinics, ACCESS, MICA, local mental health providers, law enforcement agencies, and area financial institutions also contribute professional expertise to the Maze. In addition to affirming principles learned in the classroom, these partners also link youth to their respective communities and help to identify volunteer opportunities and local resources that are available to youth and their families.
Rooted in the principles of experiential learning, Teen Maze demonstrates the emotional, physical and financial consequences of the choices and chances 7th grade students may face as teenagers. This event provides another venue for students to practice healthy decision-making, explore critical information, and connect what has already been taught in the classroom to real world situations. Teen Maze offers a controlled, safe environment for young people to experience life choices and consequences of risk-taking behaviors, with the help of trained professionals who provide accurate, science-based information.
Four specific areas are addressed:
- Health and Wellness (tobacco, alcohol and drugs, legal consequences)
- Relationships (peer pressure, dating, bullying and pregnancy prevention, STIs)
- Mental Health (suicide prevention, body image, and emotional vocabulary)
- Money and Me (youth employment, financial literacy, money management)
Teen Maze was developed through collaboration with Division 11 Kiwanis clubs in Boone, Greene, and Story counties and Youth & Shelter Services (YSS). Iowa State University Extension, area medical centers and clinics, ACCESS, MICA, local mental health providers, law enforcement agencies, and area financial institutions also contribute professional expertise to the Maze. In addition to affirming principles learned in the classroom, these partners also link youth to their respective communities and help to identify volunteer opportunities and local resources that are available to youth and their families.
Rooted in the principles of experiential learning, Teen Maze demonstrates the emotional, physical and financial consequences of the choices and chances 7th grade students may face as teenagers. This event provides another venue for students to practice healthy decision-making, explore critical information, and connect what has already been taught in the classroom to real world situations. Teen Maze offers a controlled, safe environment for young people to experience life choices and consequences of risk-taking behaviors, with the help of trained professionals who provide accurate, science-based information.
Project ALERT
A program called Project ALERT is provided to all 7th grade Colo-NESCO students, provided by trained YSS prevention specialists. Project ALERT is an age-appropriate substance abuse prevention curriculum proven effective in reducing experimentation among teens, and in reducing usage among teens who experiment. Project ALERT’s focus is on motivating non-use, learning to recognize pressures to use and on developing and practicing skills to resist these pressures.
According to a nationwide survey released by the Partnership for a Drug-Free America, youth who learn about the risks of drugs at home from their parents are up to 50% less likely to use drugs than those who do not. However, getting the message across is not easy. Virtually all parents (98%) reported talking to their kids at some point about drugs, but just 68% of the kids remembered the conversation, and only 27% reported learning a lot at home on the issue of drug use. Project ALERT offers opportunities to help focus discussion between you and your kids.
Project ALERT contains eleven lessons in its initial year that focus on alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, inhalants and over-the-counter and prescription medications – those substances that are the first and most widely used by young people today.
According to a nationwide survey released by the Partnership for a Drug-Free America, youth who learn about the risks of drugs at home from their parents are up to 50% less likely to use drugs than those who do not. However, getting the message across is not easy. Virtually all parents (98%) reported talking to their kids at some point about drugs, but just 68% of the kids remembered the conversation, and only 27% reported learning a lot at home on the issue of drug use. Project ALERT offers opportunities to help focus discussion between you and your kids.
Project ALERT contains eleven lessons in its initial year that focus on alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, inhalants and over-the-counter and prescription medications – those substances that are the first and most widely used by young people today.
Talking About Touching
A program called Talking About Touching: A Personal Safety Curriculum is provided to all Colo-NESCO Kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd grade students by trained YSS professionals. This program teaches children skills that will help them stay safe from dangerous or abusive situations. Children will also learn to ask for help when they need it.
The program is divided into three units:
The program is divided into three units:
- Personal Safety – This unit teaches children rules that will help keep them safe in potentially dangerous situations.
- Touching Safety – This unit focuses on teaching children to identify unsafe touches and to say “NO,” get away, and tell a grown-up if someone tries to touch their private body parts.
- Assertiveness and Support – This unit gives children a chance to practice getting out of unsafe situations and to ask a grown-up for help if they need it.
Iowa College Access Network Presentations
The goal of the evening Career and College Planning Program is to
equip sophomores, juniors and their parent/guardian with the knowledge
to select an appropriate college and understand the admission and
scholarship application process. Attendees will leave knowing how
colleges review transcript information such as GPA, ACT/SAT scores and
high school course selection, as well as a timeline for success from
junior year through graduation. The following topics are covered during
the presentation:
The high school counseling office invites the Iowa College Access Network (ICAN) to provide a free presentation on financial aid for seniors and their parents.
Topics include:
The Iowa College Access Network is a nonprofit, educational organization. ICAN is the College Access Network for Iowa, and a member of the National College Access Network (NCAN). ICAN has two locations in Cedar Rapids and West Des Moines, which provide information and support to students and their families as they plan their postsecondary education and apply for financial aid. All ICAN programs and services are provided without charge. For more information about ICAN, call (877) 272-4692 or visit www.ICANsucceed.org
- Career Exploration and Assessment
- Academic Preparation and Requirements
- Admission Process and Requirements
- College Selection and Campus Visits
- Application Process
- Understanding Costs - Cost of Attendance
- Scholarships
- Successful Transitions
The high school counseling office invites the Iowa College Access Network (ICAN) to provide a free presentation on financial aid for seniors and their parents.
Topics include:
- Financial Aid Process
- FAFSA Application Review
- Understanding FAFSA Results
- Understanding Costs – College Comparisons
- Financial Aid Options
- Scholarships Process
- Where to Go for Help
The Iowa College Access Network is a nonprofit, educational organization. ICAN is the College Access Network for Iowa, and a member of the National College Access Network (NCAN). ICAN has two locations in Cedar Rapids and West Des Moines, which provide information and support to students and their families as they plan their postsecondary education and apply for financial aid. All ICAN programs and services are provided without charge. For more information about ICAN, call (877) 272-4692 or visit www.ICANsucceed.org
Marshalltown Community College - College Fair and Career Expo
All 9th and 10th grade Colo-NESCO students attend the Marshalltown Community College Career Expo. Students attend four sessions of their choosing focused on various careers. The sessions have people who are teaching and working in the fields and can answer questions about the field. The sessions last around 20 minutes each.
All 11th and 12th grade Colo-NESCO students attend the Marshalltown Community College, College Fair. The Iowa Association for College Admission Counseling hosts the college fair which over 1,200 attend annually. The program is free and open to the public. Representatives from 65 colleges,universities, and military branches are in attendance. The purpose of the College Fair is to give high school students and their parents an opportunity to discuss admission requirements, housing, financial aid, scholarships, internships and specific majors, in a single, convenient location.
All 11th and 12th grade Colo-NESCO students attend the Marshalltown Community College, College Fair. The Iowa Association for College Admission Counseling hosts the college fair which over 1,200 attend annually. The program is free and open to the public. Representatives from 65 colleges,universities, and military branches are in attendance. The purpose of the College Fair is to give high school students and their parents an opportunity to discuss admission requirements, housing, financial aid, scholarships, internships and specific majors, in a single, convenient location.
Young Women in Business Conference at Iowa State University
Young Women in Business is a conference especially for females in grades 9 through 12 and their parents, teachers, and counselors.
- Explore majors in business
- Learn about career opportunities
- Meet and ask questions of business faculty members in each major
- Hear directly from professionals working in each field
- Interact with female business students from Iowa State about their experiences and what they hope to accomplish
Discover Des Moines Area Community College Days
Career Discovery Day at DMACC in Ames
Career Discovery Days at DMACC in Boone
Discover Advanced Manufacturing Day at DMACC in Ankeny
Discover Auto/Diesel Day at DMACC in Ankeny
Discover Creative Technologies Day at DMACC in Ankeny
Discover Education Day at DMACC in Ankeny
Discover Engineering Day at DMACC in Ankeny
Discover Healthcare Day at DMACC in Ankeny
Discover Information Technology Day at DMACC in West Des Moines
Career Discovery Days at DMACC in Boone
Discover Advanced Manufacturing Day at DMACC in Ankeny
Discover Auto/Diesel Day at DMACC in Ankeny
Discover Creative Technologies Day at DMACC in Ankeny
Discover Education Day at DMACC in Ankeny
Discover Engineering Day at DMACC in Ankeny
Discover Healthcare Day at DMACC in Ankeny
Discover Information Technology Day at DMACC in West Des Moines