Welcome to PeerForward's Navigator and Launch Digital Curriculum! This Navigator and Launch digital curriculum is designed to extend best practices of creating a college-going culture to students in the 9th -12th grades. This easy-to-use curriculum is divided by grade level, where you will fi nd over 30 lessons in each book to help your students prepare for college and career. The goals of the curriculum are to: Help students understand the relevance of high school to their current and future lives and to envision high school as a launchpad to college and career success. Help students master the fi ve Core Understandings that will equip them to succeed in the postsecondary planning process, and in college and career training after high school. Educators can use the lesson plans to develop dynamic experiences in which students practice and develop skills that are relevant to high school persistence and postsecondary enrollment. These skills, called the Core Understandings, form the foundation of the digital curriculum: Self-Advocacy encourages students to become empowered to speak and write about personal experiences, and confi dent enough to ask for support when necessary. Academic Excellence promotes student awareness of academic strengths and areas of growth as a learner. It is also a student's understanding of the impact of taking rigorous academic courses and being knowledgeable about college entrance requirements, including examinations and what they measure. College-Career Connection enhances understanding of the correlation between success in a given fi eld and completing the appropriate educational or training programs. College 101 builds understanding of a college-going vocabulary, familiarizes students with the conventions of college life, and prepares students for the academic rigors of college through exposure to college level curricula and work. Financial Awareness encourages students to consider the costs associated with attending college so that a savings plan can be encouraged. Also, personal fi nancial responsibility is explored which includes real-world fi nances and makes the connection between one's level of education and salary potential. IV WELCOME