Finding the best solutions to a challenge is often the result of a team collaboration, and New Mexico State University worked with local school districts from across the state to complete the assignment — a free online high school readiness series. The three-course series is a self-paced online learning course that prepares students for college, careers and life after graduation. 

Staff from the NMSU Student Success Center and NMSU Global partnered with educators from across New Mexico to create three micro-credential courses, career preparation and readiness, student success skills and financial literacy. 

"Preparing students for life after high school cannot be the responsibility of just one department, one school or one university. We all bring different areas of expertise to the table," said Marci Salinas-Milam, NMSU Student Support Services director. "We wanted to bring those perspectives together instead of developing something at the university level and simply handing it to high schools. Involving high school teachers and counselors has been extremely important because they can tell us what students actually need, what will work in a high school setting, and where we may need to approach something differently." 

In the career preparation and readiness course, students will explore careers that coordinate with their interests and strengths. Interactive activities in the course will help students develop resumes, interview skills, career plans and professional communication tools to prepare for life after high school. 

In the student success building skills for high school and beyond course, students will develop effective study habits, time management, goal setting, communication, resilience and other success skills for life inside and outside of the classroom. 

In the financial literacy money matters course, students will build lifelong money management skills by learning budgeting, saving, banking, credit, investing and smart financial decision-making. 

"I was truly honored to be a part of the review process for these modules developed at NMSU," said Kymberly Cordova, English and language arts teacher at Early College High School in Clovis, New Mexico. "What stood out to me was how relevant and useful the information is for high school students. The courses give students an opportunity to build important skills that they can carry with them long after they graduate. I would strongly encourage high school students to take advantage of this opportunity and explore the courses available to them." 

Through this series, students can enroll in one or all three courses and earn a digital badge after successfully completing each course. The high school readiness series is the first NMSU Global developed specifically for high school students. Andrew Sedillo, NMSU Global executive director for strategic initiatives and partnerships, credits the NMSU Student Success Center with its existing content that helps students navigate their transition into college in creating this series. 

"By introducing those concepts in high school, we can give students a foundation that their first-year college experience can build upon. It reinforced the value of starting this support earlier and helping students see how the skills they develop now will continue to matter after graduation," Sedillo said. 

"As a first-generation college graduate, I see these as life skills I wish I had developed earlier. Financial literacy, education planning and navigating new opportunities are often things we learn through trial and error. My hope is that this series provides some of that guidance earlier, almost like another layer of mentorship," Sedillo said. "We want students to leave with things they can use, including a career action plan, a resume, interview skills and a financial plan. I also hope they see NMSU as a university that cares about their success before they even arrive on campus." 

To learn more about or enroll in the high school readiness series, visit nmsu.link/HSreadiness. 

The full article can be seen at https://newsroom.nmsu.edu/news/nmsu-s-free-online-high-school-readiness-series-helps-students-prepare-for-next-steps/s/0e7065d8-699f-4102-8bdd-10a726d916ab