K through Career Vision
A new blueprint for career pathways starts with Career. Our society starts with information. We give students lots of knowledge throughout their educational journey. Then we expect them to make sense of it all when they finish school. The best advice many students are given is to get into college, “you will figure it out there.” Many, if not most, students who go that route find themselves with a college degree and still haven’t figured it out. So most of us take whatever job we can get. Then we muddle through trying to make a career out of wherever we landed.
We often ask young people, “What is your dream?” It turns out that is an unfair question. How can they have a dream if they do not know what is possible to dream about? Career Labs starts with giving students the ability to dream.
The reimagined view of career pathways starts as early as possible and continues throughout a student’s future career. It starts by giving students possible dreams. Then it helps them narrow down to a small set of possible dreams that align with their own abilities and interests. Armed with inspiration, knowledge, and life skills, students will be able to plan their own futures. With a vision, students are motivated and put in the work that classroom assignments alone cannot produce. At every step along the way, career professionals are engaged to help in that journey of discovery
Career Labs USA has begun with a focus on the Middle School years. We call those years the “Age of Discovery.” We found a critical gap. Starting career pathways in High School is too late. Students need to discover and explore a variety of different careers to be prepared for more in-depth application in High School. The programs we have implemented to date have focused on that Age of Discovery.
We believe the most effective blueprint for career pathways starts with reimagining the culture of work itself. It doesn’t really work if the employers and professional are not involved. This is especially true in the High School years, but is needed at all stages in the educational journey. Career Labs was started by professionals and began by reaching out through our networks to connect professionals and employers with students. That was something that was easy for us. But it is very hard for educators. We believe it will not be as hard as it may seem if we start with our professional networks and build programs around their participation.
In our society, the driving “meaning” behind work is to make money so we can get the things we want in life. Most career professionals I speak to don’t want it to be that way. When given the opportunity to give back through participating in a Career Labs program, everyone I have spoken to has been excited about the prospect. This goes for both professionals and employers. They often do not have time or do not know how to go about making it work out. But they want to do it almost every time
Online Career Discovery Courses
Students discover possible dream careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math. Each unit includes an overview of five key career sectors, an inspirational career story from a successful professional in the field, and career challenges for teams or individuals reflecting true-to-life work scenarios.
Science
Heroes
Medical Research
Energy Science
Food Science
Oceanography