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Project Name
Future Quest Island: Online College and Career Readiness for ALL Middle School Students
Project Summary
Future Quest Island (FQI) is an accessible game-based college and career readiness tool for all middle school youth that aligns 21st century technology skills with college and career readiness goals to promote self-awareness, self-knowledge, self-advocacy, and organization for middle school youth with disabilities. FQI is aimed at middle school general and special education teachers as well as technology professionals, counselors, administrators, and transition professionals who are interested in advancing engagement and transition plans of youth with and without disabilities in middle school in college and career activities.
Funded by
Federal Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), Stepping-up to Technology
Project Timeline
December 1, 2012 - November 30, 2017
Project Website
Project Description |
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Future Quest Island is an engaging online standards-based curriculum tool created for teachers of middle school students with disabilities. The primary purpose of Future Quest Island is to align 21st-century skills with college and career readiness goals through self-awareness, self-knowledge, transition planning, and various other teaching and learning activities. Created in partnership with middle school educators in the Boston Public Schools, Future Quest Island is comprised of sections (referred to as island explorations) that meet a variety of curriculum goals and objectives. Use of Future Quest Island will allow middle school youth with disabilities to a) recognize and identify their academic strengths and desires; b) explore and prioritize college and career options; c) become more familiar with online safety; d) develop increased social skills; e) access digital educational resources; and f) collect and organize digital materials to construct an ePortfolio (digital portfolio of students' best work). The development of Future Quest Island was informed by previous Institute for Community Inclusion focus group research with middle school students (Paiewonsky & Hart, 2011; Paiewonsky & Cooney, 2012). On the Future Quest Island website, students can sail from a port to different islands that focus on varying aspects of college and career readiness. The islands include “College and Career Cove,” “Social Sanctuary,” “Video Cave,” “About Me Mountain,” and “My Hut.” Students create an account and, once logged in, choose an avatar to represent themselves on an island, and a first mate. They then set sail to their desired destination and partake in activities. Each activity is tied to two outcomes. The first and most motivating is that student can earn “gold coins” for each activity that they complete. They are then allowed to use the gold coins to “purchase” items for their own personalized island hut (Build a Hut). The second outcome of each activity is that a product from the activity is stored in the student’s electronic portfolio (ePortfolio). Project Outcomes
Key Topic Areas
Project ImplementationFuture Quest Island is implemented in middle schools throughout the greater Boston and Southeastern Massachusetts regions with culturally and racially diverse groups of students and professionals resulting in gains in self-determination, online safety, college goal setting ability, and advanced in career awareness. Project Staff
Project StaffCourtney Brakenbury, Henderson K12 Inclusion School, Boston April Brunell, Morton Middle School, Fall River, MA Kate Carroll, Henderson K12 Inclusion School, Boston Soklim Chhean, Morton Middle School, Fall River, MA Pam Clegg, Haley Pilot School, Boston Mike DiSandro, Roosevelt K-8, Boston Katie Gray, MA School Counselors Association Jennifer Leonard, Skills Library Elizabeth Lewis, Morton Middle School, Fall River, MA Christina Papadatos, Roosevelt K-8, Boston Janice Thomas, Henderson K12 Inclusion School, Boston Kathleen Sullivan, Haley Pilot School, Boston Stephanie Viens, Morton Middle School, Fall River, MA Rachael Weiner, Graduate Assistant at ICI Mike Brown, Graduate Assistant at ICI Research FindingsPreliminary findings indicate that Future Quest Island has a positive impact on online safety, self-determination and college and career readiness. Publications & Marketing MaterialsComing soon Contact InformationLori Cooney, Project Coordinator
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