March 13, 2025 | Dan Weidman
Case Study: BCAM High School and Find Your Grind Partnership
Year 1: Elevating Advisory with Engaging and Relevant Curriculum
Background: A Principal’s Vision for Student Success
Brooklyn Community Arts & Media High School (BCAM) has long been committed to equipping students with the tools needed for personal and professional success. Under the leadership of Principal James O’Brien, the school sought a high-quality, easily implementable curriculum to enrich its robust advisory period. Recognizing the importance of social-emotional development and career readiness, O’Brien championed the integration of Find Your Grind, a future-readiness curriculum designed to help students discover their strengths, passions, and career pathways while developing the skills and mindsets to thrive in a rapidly changing world.
A Strategic Partnership: Bringing Find Your Grind to Advisory
In 2024, BCAM partnered with Find Your Grind to enhance its advisory program across all four grade levels (9-12). The partnership aimed to provide educators with a structured yet flexible curriculum that supports student self-discovery while aligning with BCAM’s broader academic and developmental goals.
The Find Your Grind curriculum was seamlessly integrated into BCAM’s advisory classes, providing teachers with a turn-key solution that was both engaging and easy to implement. The modular, student-centered approach allowed students to complete one unit per month, each focused on key aspects of self-awareness, goal setting, and career exploration.
Implementation at BCAM:
- Advisory Classes (Grades 9-12): All students participated in the 9-unit core curriculum, fostering career exploration, interpersonal skills, and character development.
- College & Career Prep Class (Grade 12): Seniors engaged in an expanded 36-unit curriculum covering resume building, interview techniques, financial literacy, and post-secondary planning.
Supporting Teachers with an All-In-One Solution
Principal O’Brien prioritized providing his staff with a curriculum that required minimal prep while maximizing student engagement. Find Your Grind’s platform delivered this goal by offering:
- Comprehensive lesson plans that educators could implement with ease.
- Interactive and student-driven activities that kept students engaged.
- A seamless blend of career exploration and social-emotional learning, ensuring holistic student development.
Joanne Noel, a teacher in the College and Career Prep class, praised the curriculum’s impact:
“Find Your Grind has transformed how our students think about their futures. It’s not just about careers—it’s about self-discovery. By the time my seniors finish the course, they have a deeper sense of self, which is crucial for making confident decisions about their next steps.”
Student Impact: Confidence and Clarity for the Future
Students at BCAM have responded enthusiastically to the Find Your Grind curriculum, particularly appreciating its focus on personal growth and real-world applicability. Many reported feeling more prepared for life after high school, with a clearer understanding of their strengths and career interests.
Isabella Martinez, a 10th grader at BCAM, shared her experience:
“Before this program, I didn’t even know where to start when thinking about my future. Now, I have a much better understanding of what I care about and how I can turn my interests into a career.”
Find Your Grind’s proprietary Future Ready Indicator and researched-backed Future Ready framework measures students growth and development across each competency. Students demonstrate growth through mastery of content, self-reported assessments, and overall curriculum progress.
Student Overview Recap
Students talk about their lifestyles, and how students react to using Find Your Grind and the lifestyle first approach. Students talk about earning badges, the learning experience, and how it’s personalized to them.
Administrator and Teacher Overview
Administrators and teachers review the Find Your Grind platform, and how it has helped their students and schools build 21st century skills and career confidence towards their next steps.
Favorite Feature Overview
A BCAM Student walks us through her favorite features inside the Find Your Grind platform. Explore the dashboard, and learn why students love using it to personalize their own learning journey.
Overview of Entire Case Study
Learn why BCAM in New York City has been successful using Find Your Grind. Educators talk through the excitement and impact of their own experiences, students break down skills and product highlights, and counselors can talk to students individually about their next steps.
Looking Ahead: Expanding Impact
As BCAM enters its second year with Find Your Grind, Principal O’Brien is eager to build upon the program’s success. Future enhancements include:
- Customization for Greater Relevance – Incorporating local community organizations, internships, and guest speakers.
- Parental Engagement – Providing resources to help families support their students’ career exploration.
- Integration with Other School Initiatives – Expanding connections between FYG and BCAM’s mentorship and internship programs.
Conclusion
Through Principal O’Brien’s commitment to providing a high-quality advisory curriculum, BCAM has successfully created an engaging and impactful experience for students. The Find Your Grind partnership has not only simplified curriculum delivery for teachers but has also empowered students to take ownership of their futures. As BCAM looks ahead, the continued integration of Find Your Grind promises to further strengthen its mission of preparing students for successful, fulfilling lives.
