Many people think of career exploration as something that happens when students get to high school. But at John Reith Elementary School in Sacramento, California, career exploration begins as early as transitional kindergarten and continues at all grade levels.
Our students are taking part in hands-on learning that’s linked to specific career fields from the very youngest ages. As a result, they’re gaining early exposure to possibilities for their future — and we’re seeing engagement soar.
As part of a voluntary enrichment program this past summer, students in grades TK-2 took on the roles of professionals such as astronauts, engineers, emergency first responders, marine biologists and entrepreneurs as they completed hands-on tasks and projects. Meanwhile, students in grades 3-6 received extra literacy instruction while they designed their own video games and created digital advertisements and products for imaginary clients.
Authentic links
Our TK-2 career exploration program leveraged young children’s enjoyment of immersive, pretend play to introduce them to a wide range of career fields across different themes, such as critter care, building buddies and community heroes.
Each theme included several adventures, with hands-on activities for students to complete. The activities were all linked to core learning standards in subjects such as science, math and ELA. To get kids into the spirit, they wore items and used props that actual professionals in those fields would use, like a construction worker’s hardhat and safety vest or a doctor’s mask and stethoscope.
The program was a huge success. Our students were so excited to come back to school every day. We didn’t have a single child off task, because they were 100% engaged in their learning.
For students in grades 3-6, a “career-embedded” approach to literacy instruction took advantage of high-interest topics like graphic and video game design to teach foundational literacy skills such as listening, speaking, writing and storytelling. At the same time, students learned practical workplace skills and explored possible career paths that can lead to successful, high-paying jobs in the future.
In the video game design unit, students designed their own video game, complete with characters and a setting. In the graphic design unit, students designed T-shirts, posters and logos for a memorable brand they created.
As students completed these activities, they learned important vocabulary words that research shows are critical for academic success.
Linking core curricular instruction with authentic job skills is a powerful educational strategy. In a typical classroom, educators are teaching reading, math and science separately, as distinct topics.
In our summer program, teachers were addressing these standards simultaneously, in one series of activities — and students were also getting practical, hands-on career experiences. This approach could truly be a game changer.
Why career exploration is fun
Learning in the context of career exploration brings many advantages. It helps students understand how the skills they’re acquiring are used in the real world. It also exposes students to many more options for their future, while making their education more directly relevant.
When students start planning for their future, their dreams are limited by the career choices they know about, like jobs they’ve encountered in their own environment or careers they’ve seen in movies and on TV.
But many satisfying and rewarding careers aren’t showcased in Hollywood productions, and students from low-income families typically aren’t exposed to as many career options as their peers from wealthier communities. Career exploration shows students a wider range of options than they’re likely to discover on their own.
Hands-on career exploration at a young age also lets students try out various job roles in a low-risk setting to see which ones they might like. Developmentally, this is when students are most receptive to trying new experiences and exploring new interests. It’s also when students are exploring their own identities and beginning to develop their sense of self.
Plus, taking on various career roles is a lot of fun for students. It makes their learning highly enjoyable. It’s always exciting for young children to pretend to be grown-ups doing grown-up tasks.
If schools aren’t teaching foundational knowledge in the context of career exploration beginning in the very earliest grades, they’re missing a key opportunity to reach and engage all students.
