E-Connect Curriculum
The E-Connect Curriculum is written for use in transition programs to provide:
 An easy way for students and mentors to connect,
 Extended opportunities for learning through a weekly classroom focus and classroom
activities,
 Resource information and Web links to support and extend learning,
 Discussion topics that are relevant and thought provoking, and
 E-Connect activities that can accommodate various learning styles and ability levels.
Several segments of the curricula utilize helpful online resources and classroom activities to help
students plan for future careers and postsecondary education.
If you have questions regarding this curriculum, please visit our website for contact information:
ici.umn.edu/e-connect
Lessons from The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens
This ten-week curriculum is based on the book by Sean Covey. It provides an
opportunity for a mentor and a student to explore the development of positive
habits that help secure and maintain employment.
References
Colorado Nonprofit Development Center. (2007). 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens, Spring 2006.
Retrieved from http://www.telementor.org/projectdetail.cfm?ProjectID=1265
Colorado Nonprofit Development Center. (2007). 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens, Spring 2007.
Retrieved from http://www.telementor.org/projectdetail.cfm?ProjectID=1287
Covey, S. (1998). The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens. New York: Simon & Schuster.
E-Connect was funded by Minnesota’s Pathways to Employment (PTE) initiative, a collaboration of the Minnesota Department of Employment and
Economic Development, the Minnesota Department of Human Services, and the Minnesota State Council on Disability. PTE's mission is to increase
competitive employment of people with disabilities and meet Minnesota’s workforce needs by bringing together people with disabilities, employers,
businesses, government, and providers. Funding comes from a Competitive Employment Systems—Medicaid Infrastructure Grant from the Centers for
Medicare and Medicaid Services. The funds for this grant were authorized through the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act of 1999
(P.L. 106-170).
The E-Connect curricula (ici.umn.edu/e-connect) and materials were developed by the Institute on Community Integration in the College of Education
& Human Development at the University of Minnesota.
 2011 Regents of the University of Minnesota. All rights reserved.
The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer.
Institute on Community Integration
E-CONNECT: Lessons from The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens
Week: 1
Date:
This Week’s Focus
Week 1 – Introduction
The e-mentoring relationship is meant to be rewarding to both the student
and the mentor. This extended ten-week curriculum is an opportunity for a
mentor and a student to explore the concepts in the Sean Covey book The 7
Habits of Highly Effective Teens. Students and mentors can share thoughts about
how the development of these positive habits helps secure and maintain
employment.
Student Tips
Students, your first e-mail
should be a brief
autobiography including
some information about
hobbies, interests, likes and
dislikes, and the school you
attend.
Students and the mentors begin the relationship by writing to each other an
introductory e-mail.
Classroom Activities
Have the students create a portfolio for this curriculum. Each week, the student writing and responses from
mentors can be added to the portfolio. Additionally, many of the weeks will have classroom activities for the
portfolio.
This is a good opportunity to discuss the role of the e-mentor and the perspective the e-mentor might have in
helping youth with career development. Use the links below for more background.
Useful Links
http://www.mentoring.org/
To learn more about the 7 Habits, visit
http://www.seancovey.com/teens.html
Mentor Tips
Mentors, reply to this message with a personal introduction. Tell
about your family, your living situation, your educational
background, your current employment (and your company), and
then tell about your first job when you were young.
Student Message
Mentor Reply
 2011 Regents of the University of Minnesota. All rights reserved.
The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer.
Institute on Community Integration
E-CONNECT: Lessons from The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens
Week: 2
Date:
This Week’s Focus
Week 2 – Speaking of Habits
This week the students and mentors

will explore the concept of Habits.

Questions for Mentors: What good habits
help a person be successful in
employment? What are some that may

become barriers to successful

employment?




Student Tips
“Habits are things we do repeatedly. But most of the time we are
hardly aware that we have them. They’re on autopilot.
Some habits are good, such as:
exercising regularly
planning ahead
showing respect for others
Some are not so good, like:
staying out too late
smoking
blaming others
And some don’t really matter, including:
taking showers at night
eating yogurt with a fork
reading magazines from back to front”
(Covey, 1998, p. 8).
Classroom Activities
Discuss with students: What are some habits that help you do well in school? Are there new habits that
would help you do a better job at school? What are they?
Useful Link
http://wps.prenhall.com/chet_dubrin_humanrelationscps_7/
0,9647,1591989-,00.html
Mentor Tips
This is an opportunity to discuss habits which
are helpful to successful employment.
Student Message
Mentor Reply
 2011 Regents of the University of Minnesota. All rights reserved.
The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer.
Institute on Community Integration
E-CONNECT: Lessons from The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens
Week: 3
Date:
This Week’s Focus
Week 3 – Focus on Habit # 1 – Be
Proactive
This week the students and the
mentors discuss what it means to be
proactive (pp. 48-72).
Questions for mentors: What are some
ways that proactive behavior can help
situations at school and in a job?
Student Tips
“Reactive people make choices based on impulse. They are like a can
of soda pop. If life shakes them up a bit, the pressure builds and they
suddenly explode” (Covey, 1998, p. 49).
“Proactive people make choices based on values. They think before
they act. They recognize they can’t control everything that happens
to them, but they can control what they do about it. Unlike reactive
people who are full of carbonation, proactive people are like water.
Shake them up all you want, take off the lid, and nothing? No fizzing,
no bubbling, no pressure. They are calm, cool, and in control”
(Covey, 1998, p. 49).
Classroom Activities
Have students draw two cartoons to depict proactive and reactive behavior. Have them share their drawings
with the class and describe one experience where they used proactive (think before doing) behavior.
Useful Links
https://www.stephencovey.com/7habits/7habits-habit1.php
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proactivity
Mentor Tips
Mentors can share examples of how being
proactive has been helpful in their personal and
professional lives.
http://www.wikihow.com/Be-Proactive
Student Message
Mentor Reply
 2011 Regents of the University of Minnesota. All rights reserved.
The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer.
Institute on Community Integration
E-CONNECT: Lessons from The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens
Week: 4
Date:
This Week’s Focus
Week 4 – Focus on Habit # 2 – Begin with the End in Mind
Have students and mentors explore the concept of planning for the future with a goal
in mind (pp. 74-104).
Question for Mentors: What is your vision of your future? Think about people who are
important to you, what you see yourself doing in five or ten years, who will help you
plan for your future goals, and what steps you can take now to start planning for the
future.
Student Tips
“...think about your
own life….Do you
have an end in mind?
Do you have a clear
picture of who you
want to be one year
from now? Five years
from now?” (Covey,
1998, p. 74)
“A personal mission statement is like a personal credo or motto that states what
your life is about. It is like the blueprint to your life.” (Covey, 1998, p. 81)
Activity: Have students develop a personal mission statement and share with mentors.
Classroom Activities
A mission statement might have a personal timeline that depicts steps necessary for obtaining the goals in
their mission statement. The timeline may include words and pictures.
Useful Links
Mentor Tips
http://www.ehow.com/how_4414097_create-personal-timeline.html
Goal setting can be difficult for teens.
Help them see that there are many
levels of goals: short-, medium-, and
long-range.
https://www.stephencovey.com/7habits/7habits-habit2.php
Student Message
Mentor Reply
 2011 Regents of the University of Minnesota. All rights reserved.
The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer.
Institute on Community Integration
E-CONNECT: Lessons from The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens
Week: 5
Date:
This Week’s Focus
Week 5 – Focus on Habit # 2 Continues
– Roadblocks
Have students and mentors discuss the
concept of roadblocks (pp. 92-93).
Activity: The students will list potential
roadblocks which may stop progress toward
their goals. The mentors will provide guidance
and suggestions on how to address roadblocks
and ways to move forward with goals.
Student Tips
Roadblocks are things in life that slow you down or make
you stop. They are frustrating until you figure out how to
get around them. Roadblocks for some young adults may be
things like: negative labels people have labeled you with,
frustration when you can’t seem to get something right and
you want to give up, going in the wrong direction like
choosing the wrong friends. Everyone hits bumps in the
road of life, but there is a way around those bumps;
sometimes all you need to do is ask for help.
Classroom Activities
Have students “incorporate” roadblocks in to their personal timeline and through writing or drawing show
how they would get around those roadblocks. When sharing with the class, students will focus on people and
things which can help in removing roadblocks.
Useful Links
http://www.ehow.com/how_4414097_createpersonal-timeline.html
Mentor Tips
Sharing a personal experience about a roadblock and how
you addressed it can be a powerful way of connecting
students with the reality that most people encounter
roadblocks throughout their lives.
Student Message
Mentor Reply
 2011 Regents of the University of Minnesota. All rights reserved.
The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer.
Institute on Community Integration
E-CONNECT: Lessons from The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens
Week: 6
Date:
This Week’s Focus
Week 6 – Focus on Habit # 3 – Put First Things First
Have students and mentors discuss managing time and setting priorities (pp.
105-128).
Activity: Sean Covey talks about four different types of people: procrastinator
(the person who puts things off until they absolutely have to be done),
prioritizer (the person who sets goals and plans ahead), the yes-man (the
person who gives in to peer pressure), and the slacker (the person who wastes
time).
Questions for Mentors: How do you set priorities in your life? How do you
manage your time?
Student Tips
“It’s all about learning to
prioritize and manage your
time so that your first things
come first, not last. But
there’s more to this habit
than just time management.
Putting first things first also
deals with learning to
overcome your fears and
being strong during hard
moments” (Covey, 1998, p.
106).
Classroom Activities
On large newsprint, have students generate two lists: one of personal goals and one of potential tools which
they can use both now and in the future to reach personal goals.
Useful Links
https://www.stephencovey.com/7habits/7habits-habit3.php
Mentor Tips
This is an opportunity for mentors to discuss
prioritizing work in a career, how to manage
your time in your work and personal life.
Student Message
Mentor Reply
 2011 Regents of the University of Minnesota. All rights reserved.
The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer.
Institute on Community Integration
E-CONNECT: Lessons from The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens
Week: 7
Date:
This Week’s Focus
Week 7 – Focus on Habit # 4 – Think WinWin
Have students and mentors discuss adopting a WinWin attitude (pp. 146-162).
Have students write to their mentor and describe
people in their lives who are models of “win-win”
thinking.
Student Tips
“Win-Win is a belief that everyone can win. It’s both
nice and tough all at once. I won’t step on you, but I
won’t be your doormat either. You care about other
people and you want them to succeed. But you also
care about yourself, and you want to succeed as well.
Win-Win is abundant. It is the belief that there’s
plenty of success to go around. It’s not either you or
me. It’s both of us” (Covey, 1998, p. 152).
Classroom Activities
Have students write a short “thank you for being you” note to a person in their lives who is a model of the
“win-win” thinking.
Useful Links
https://www.stephencovey.com/7habits/7habits-habit4.php
Mentor Tips
This is an opportunity to share stories about
“win-win” thinking. Tell about some of the
competitive problems you observe in the
workplace and how they are dealt with using
“win-win” thinking.
Student Message
Mentor Reply
 2011 Regents of the University of Minnesota. All rights reserved.
The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer.
Institute on Community Integration
E-CONNECT: Lessons from The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens
Week: 8
Date:
This Week’s Focus
Week 8 – Focus on Habit # 5 – Seek First to
Understand, Then to be Understood
Have students and mentors discuss strengthening
communication skills (pp. 163-180).
Have students uncover ways in which they can
show someone they are listening and
understanding what is being said.
Student Tips
“The key to communication and having power and
influence with people can be summed up in one
sentence: Seek first to understand, then to be
understood. In other words, listen first, talk second.
This is Habit 5, and it works. If you can learn this simple
habit – to see things from another’s point of view before
sharing your own – a whole new world of understanding
will be opened to you” (Covey, 1998, p. 165).
Classroom Activities
Have students discuss good listening skills and poor listening skills and make a list of each. Use role play to
demonstrate.
Have students, with the assistance of a teacher, write one goal for the student’s IEP addressing the
improvement of the student’s communication skills, list the steps the student will take to achieve the skills,
and the supports the school will provide in helping the student reach this new goal.
Useful Links
https://www.stephencovey.com/7habits/7habitshabit5.php
Mentor Tips
Share ways by which you have improved communication in
the workplace and what communication tools you have
found to be most helpful.
Student Message
Mentor Reply
 2011 Regents of the University of Minnesota. All rights reserved.
The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer.
Institute on Community Integration
E-CONNECT: Lessons from The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens
Week: 9
Date:
This Week’s Focus
Week 9 – Focus on Habit # 6 – “Synergize”
Have students and mentors discuss working with a team (pp. 181-201).
Question for Mentors: What is teamwork? Give an example of one time you
have used teamwork in your life.
Students, write a paragraph/poem/song lyrics to describe why two are better
than one for problem solving. You can share this with your mentor at a faceto-face meeting.
Student Tips
“What does “synergize”
mean? In a nutshell, synergy is
achieved when two or more
people work together to create a
better solution than either could
alone. It’s not your way or my
way but a better way, a higher
way” (Covey, 1998, p. 182).
Classroom Activities
Have students create a collage depicting the concept of synergy. The students may use markers, paint,
pictures, etc. Have students describe their collage to the class.
Useful Links
https://www.stephencovey.com/7habits/7habits-habit6.php
Mentor Tips
This is an opportunity for you to share
information about teamwork in the
workplace. Describe to your mentee the ways
that teamwork is used where you work.
Student Message
Mentor Reply
 2011 Regents of the University of Minnesota. All rights reserved.
The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer.
Institute on Community Integration
E-CONNECT: Lessons from The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens
Week: 10
Date:
This Week’s Focus
Week 10 – Focus on Habit # 7 – Sharpen the Saw
Have students and mentors discuss the concept of taking a break from activity
and how to recharge in their life (pp. 205-242).
Have students identify how they currently keep their saws sharpened and the
areas where they need to make changes for renewal. Have them examine
physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual perspectives.
Have students tell their mentor three goals for the future in each of the following
areas: education, career, and personal growth (this may include friendship goals,
learning a new activity, developing new skills related to independence).
Student Tips
“Habit 7 is all about
keeping your personal
self sharp so that you can
better deal with life. It
means regularly renewing
and strengthening the
four key dimensions of
your life – your body,
your brain, your heart,
and your soul” (Covey,
1998, p. 206).
Classroom Activities
To conclude these projects, have students write and give a short presentation (with a PowerPoint) describing
what they have learned from the 7 Habits book, three goals for the future (in the areas of education,
employment, and community living), and two or three new skills they have learned.
Have the students write a thank you note to their mentors.
Useful Links
https://www.stephencovey.com/7habits/7habits-habit7.php
Mentor Tips
This is an opportunity for you to share with your
mentee ways in which you keep your “saws”
sharpened.
Student Message
Mentor Reply
 2011 Regents of the University of Minnesota. All rights reserved.
The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer.