EN CAMINO App

College Knowledge App Challenge11/16/12

The Big Idea

The En camino app will help families adopt habits towards the pursuit of college and career achievements. Together, families will become En camino – on their way – to success in college and beyond.

Innovations• The app is an intergenerational tool that helps families

meet their college and career goals• Target audience is low-income Latino families,

however it can be used by anyone• The app doesn’t generate right or wrong answers, it

provides a forum for creating personal pathways to success

The Concept

The app identifies 6 habits that families should adopt to achieve their college and career goals. It will focus on giving families ways to practice these habits and a vehicle to log their progress and share within a larger online En camino community. The 6 habits are:

1. DREAM IT

2. DECLARE IT

3. LEARN IT

4. WORK IT

5. NETWORK IT

6. REWORK IT

Practical Application

Juan Gonzalez• High school freshman• Unsure of career path • First-generation American-born

Lupe Gonzalez• Mother• Works at factory• Mexican-born• 8th grade education

Mario Gonzalez• Father• Chef at a local diner• Mexican-born• Earned GED®

Typical Users - Family Profile

Practical Application

The Gonzalez Family’s En Camino Journey

Habit #1: DREAM IT

Juan and his family must first learn to consider the possibilities – to dream big. Practicing this puts them in the habit of having an automatic mindset of thinking about his aspirations. Juan’s plan is to:

Talk to my parents about what my strengths are in school, at home and work.

Take online personality and aptitude tests with my family.

Look at Facebook group with my family to develop ideas for my dream.

Create my Dream Board via Pinterest. Ask my parents what they’ve learned in their jobs.

Talk to my family and friends about their dreams.

Journal about interests, likes, dislikes, and experiences that could affect my dreams.

Make a list of people I admire who are doing things I want to do. Ask my parents for ideas.

Log Dream It time onto Facebook timeline and share with my family and friends.

Dream Board*

The Gonzales family members create Dream Boards via Pinterest to keep track of things they read about and like. They add to the boards in every phase of En camino.

* Please note that images throughout the presentation are not actual prototypes of the app, they simply convey imagery of our concept. We are requesting the start-up funding to begin actual development.

Habit #2: DECLARE IT

Juan’s dream is to be a leader and own a five star hotel. Now he declares it. His dream becomes his mantra, one that he owns with moxie and confidence. Using prompts from the app, Juan decides to:

Design a bumper sticker using the app and display it on Facebook and at home.

Practice being a hotel owner in the mirror and in daily situations.

Write mom and dad a pledge of the dream and post it on the fridge and in my room.

Share my dream with the En camino Facebook group.

Journal about my dream and read it aloud to my parents.

Log Declare It time onto Facebook timeline.

Habit #3: LEARN IT

Juan must practice learning his dream. Using his family, social media and other resources, he will absorb as much information as he can he can about owning a five star hotel. Using prompts from the app, Juan decides to:

Research and make a timeline of education steps needed and share it with my family.

Talk to dad about how his restaurant works and ask to shadow him.

Watch online videos about hotels with my family and ask mom to help me research hotels.

Interview my aunt, who works at a hotel, and visit hotels in my community.

Follow hotel owners on Twitter and Facebook and make a list of pros and cons.

Log Learn It time onto Facebook timeline and share it with En camino group.

Habit #4: WORK IT

Now that he has learned about being a hotel owner, Juan must apply that knowledge and develop ways to experience it. Using prompts from the app, Juan decides to:

Shadow dad at his restaurant and both of us will write about the experience.

Attend free business seminar at my public library or community college.

Get a part-time job at the local Holiday Inn.

Draw hotel concept and map a timeline and post it to my dream board.

Run for class president to practice being a leader and use Facebook to campaign.

Help mom with dinner to practice food presentations and make a menu. Post on Facebook.

Habit #5: NETWORK IT

Juan must now extend his circle to include others who can help him achieve his dream. Using prompts from the app, Juan decides to:

Email friends and family for ideas about who to meet.

Join Facebook groups and other message boards. Talk to mom about the] differences.

Talk to mom’s friend who works at the W Hotel and take pictures for my Dream Board.

Join FBLA group at school and journal about meetings.

Sign up for business publications online and share my favorites on Facebook.

Talk to dad’s boss about owning a restaurant. Write about pros and cons.

Habit #6: REWORK IT

Now that he has learned about and practiced his dream with his family, Juan must revisit and revise his plans with him family to be sure he is En camino. He decides to:

Review journal entries with mom and dad and share ideas on Facebook.

Do more research on education requirements. Record ideas for other careers to research.

Talk to mom and dad about my progress and plan. Determine the next steps!

Review dream board and add or subtract items. Ask my family to check it out and comment.

Sign up for AP classes at school. Ask mom and dad to help me stay on task.

Ask Holiday Inn to shadow another employee on my day off.