On this page you can see an overview of the program which can also be customized for your specific university. We can help your institution design a custom program and delivery where students (in teams, pairs, or individually) watch the video module and do the activities suggested. There can be special kick-off or closing events and students can create a portfolio as a result of the step-by-step program. Students can share or discuss each activity they do in a small group or in pairs…even 3 minute conversations or tweet-style quick sharing in the group can make a big difference. You can also do this program on your mobile device! So, just get started by watching the video and doing the activities in the first workshop! Email [email protected] with questions, or to discuss bringing this or other programs to your institution.
Create Your Path Workshop 1: Resources, Experiences
Discover, Integrate, and Focus
Objective: In this introductory module, students will identify experiences and resources they have leveraged thus far in their academic, professional, and personal lives. Students will be introduced to the innovation process by reflecting on the building blocks of specific resources, followed by key experiences, and integrate them together in order to begin creating their unique path.
Activity – Students will:
- Identify key experiences and resources.
Development – Students will create:
- A journal or portfolio.
- A list of key experiences and resources.
Outcome – Students will learn how to:
- Access the innovation process.
Use Kolb’s Experiential Learning Cycle - Begin the self-innovation process for themselves.
Create Your Path Workshop 2: Visual Journey Story, Hero’s Journey
The Hero’s Journey
Objective: In this workshop, students will learn the cycle of the Hero’s Journey and apply it to key experiences they have had, gaining insight into the path they have taken. They will also create your own visual journey story to help “show and tell” your story so far.
Activity – Students will:
- Break down a key experience they have had into different components of the Hero’s Journey.
Development – Students will create:
- A visual representation of the Hero’s Journey.
- A visual representation of their journey with key experiences.
Outcome – Students will learn how to:
- Use the Hero’s Journey for their self-innovation process.
Create Your Path Workshop 3: Strengths, Passionate Interests
Strengths and Passionate Interests
Objective: In this workshop, students will utilize reflection of the micro and macro to gain insight into the skills they have, the values they hold dear, and the passionate interests that engage them. Students will zoom in on a key experience to appreciate the lessons to be learned from it, then step back to look at the big picture. Finally, students will focus on a path guided by their strengths and passionate interests, amassing a list of the key things that make them unique.
Activity – Students will:
- Use key experiences to identify strengths and passionate interests.
- Deconstruct and create a visual mindmap conceptualization of those key experiences.
Development – Students will create:
- A list of strengths and passionate interests.
Outcome – Students will learn how to:
- Identify strengths and passionate interests through micro and macro reflections.
- Discern a more focused path.
Create Your Path Workshop 4: Artifacts, Specific Strengths-Interests-Values
Artifacts
Objective: In this workshop, students identify an artifact that symbolizes their strengths and passionate interests. Students will develop meaning, understanding, focus, and the potential to leverage those strengths and passionate interests that make them unique and learn how to communicate their potential.
Activity – Students will:
- Find an artifact that symbolizes their strengths.
- Show and tell the story of their strengths, interests, and values in action.
Development – Students will create:
- An opportunity to show their artifact.
Outcome – Students will learn how to:
- Communicate the story of their strengths and passionate interests using their artifact.
Create Your Path Workshop 5: Vision, Challenge, Questions, & Ideas
Challenge and Ideas
Objective: In this workshop, students focus now on the future. Students utilize the self-knowledge they have constructed about themselves and develop a new future vision for professional and academic success. They start applying an innovation system to create a vision for the future and engage in a strategic process to go from challenge to questions. Engage students in thinking intentionally and innovatively about their future, both immediate and long-term. Show them deconstruction and construction skills that break a big challenge down into smaller ideas. Guide them through generating more and better ideas for themselves with tools and techniques.
Activity – Students will:
- Envision the unique future they want to realize.
- Use the Question Ladder method to identify opportunities for future experiences.
- Utilize various ideation methods to generate new ideas.
Development – Students will create:
- A vision of their positive future.
- A list of focused questions using the the Ladder method.
- A list of ideas using the BrainRain and idea finding method.
Outcome – Students will learn how to:
- Root down and branch out using the self-innovation process.
- Collect and capture more ideas for their future.
- Utilize various tools to generate better ideas.
Create Your Path Workshop 6: Analysis, Concepts, Validation, & Launch
Focusing and Step Taking
Objective: In this workshop we guide students through a process to re-construct their ideas into better, more innovative developed concepts. Like a portfolio of intellectual property for their own academic and professional life, we help them to build valuable personal knowledge and creative assets. We help students move from analyzed and synthesized concepts to a strategic plan for action that can be communicated well. Help them leverage their strengths and interests with resources and tools to create a new path towards a meaningful academic & professional destination.
Activity – Students will:
- Analyze their ideas, selecting the ones that are the strongest.
- Synthesize their ideas into themes for action.
- Think critically about what it will take to act successfully on their concepts.
Development – Students will create:
- A list of specific ideas they want to work on now.
- A clustered list of ideas into thematic groups.
- First next steps they can take to create their own path.
Outcome – Students will learn how to:
- View their progress along the self-innovation process thus far.
- Funnel their ideas in order to further develop concepts.
Email [email protected] with questions, or to discuss bringing this or other programs to your institution.