Explore College, Career and Life Options with Learners

NOTE: This strategy is part of the self-paced Partner with Learners to Reach Their Full Potential

Preparing learners for their next steps in life involves exposing them to a variety of options for life after high school and this can begin with young learners. Through exploring a variety of different career options and thinking about their strengths, over time, learners will develop the knowledge and skills they need to be college, career and life ready.

Bright Spots

Gain inspiration from authentic examples of this strategy shared by teachers who have used them with their learners.

Creating your own Bright Spots? Let’s get them out into the world! Share yours here.

Pretend Play

Students at Duquesne City Public Schools have a space for K-2 learners to immerse themselves in the world of work by exploring career options and using pretend play to experience different career and life options for the future.

World of Work

Students at Cajon Valley Union School District use the World of Work curriculum and program to help them explore different career and life options starting in Kindergarten. Career exploration is incorporated into the curriculum and students reflect on their strengths, using the RIASEC framework. These programs leverage Pathful, VitaNavis and Beable platforms.

Interest Profiler

Using tools such as the O*Net Interest Profiler or the San Diego Workforce Partnership career and interest assessment can help learners self-reflect and discover different career options and help them determine the level of education needed for those different careers.

Device Accessibility Settings

Most devices, including chromebooks, have accessibility features built in that learners can leverage while using the internet and apps.

Source: Oregon Goes to College

This tool is used by high school students in Oregon to compare different college campuses as each student explores the right fit for them personally.

Resources

Inspired? Use the resources below to bring this learner-centered strategy to your learning community.

🧰 Career Assessment Tools
📖 8 Key Steps to College & Career Readiness in Elementary
📖 Exploring Entrepreneurship Through BUILD
🖥 Multiple Pathways to Success

Associated Learner-Centered Competencies:

Prepare learners for their next steps in life: I provide age-appropriate and individualized career exploration, planning, and connections counseling to help each learner explore, plan, and take the necessary steps to navigate their path in college, career, and life.