High Yield Activity: Treasure Maps

Here's another activity that you can use for the Career Launch program. It's also a great activity for August because it's National Pirate Month (and who doesn't love a good pirate activity?!?)

Target Area: Art Studio

Objective: Youth learn to set long-term goals and plan paths to their futures.

Target Age Group: Teens 13-15 years

Time to Complete: 2-45 minute rotations (1.5 hours total)

Materials Needed: Pencils, pens, construction paper, makers, computers

Skills Taught: Goal Setting

Instructions:

Have members write their names at the top of sheet of construction paper. Ask them to think of a dream job or a long-term goal for their future. What would they like to do or be when they get older? Have them write this goal at the bottom of the page.

Then, have members use the Internet to research things they would need to do in order to reach this goal (e.g. finish high school, go to college, save money). If necessary, help members break these down into more short-term goals (e.g. work hard in school, get good grades, graduate from high school).

Instruct youth to write these short term goals on the paper, scattering them around the middle of the page. Ask them to draw a line showing the "path" to the treasure, from their name through the short term goals to the big dream at the bottom of the page.

Allow time for youth to decorate their maps so they look like maps that lead to a hidden treasure.