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At The DeBruce Foundation, we’re gearing up for National Career Development Month in November by inviting educators to Change the Question.
For generations, we’ve asked students, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” –which can imply one answer and one career path. But the workforce is changing, and today’s students will likely navigate multiple jobs and careers over their lifetimes.
We invite elementary, middle, and high school educators to join the Change the Question Classroom Challenge: complete one free career literacy activity with students in November. By creating opportunities for exploration and growth, we can build career confidence starting right in the classroom.
Read on to learn how educators are using The DeBruce Foundation’s free career literacy activities to Change the Question in their classrooms.
Career Exploration Activities for Elementary, Middle, and High School
With activities designed for elementary, middle, and high school learners, the Change the Question Classroom Challenge gives every student a chance to explore what matters to them and see many possibilities for their futures.
Elementary School: Meet the Agilities™
Elementary schoolers can engage in the Classroom Challenge by watching a fun, animated video to introduce the 10 Agilities—work skills used across all jobs. The videos explain what the Agilities are and provide examples of the Agilities in action. While watching the video, students can complete the corresponding activity sheet and answer classroom discussion questions.
Lisa Elaine Peters, an elementary school educator, has already started engaging her second graders in the challenge. By identifying what they enjoy doing and where they’d like to grow, her students are discovering their interests and the skills they want to develop. As she shared, her students’ takeaways from the activity were endless:
- “I learned that because I love to be a leader, this will help me be a veterinarian.”
- “I learned that because I love to help others, this will help me be a cop.”
- “Because I love to shop, this will help me be a great model and boutique owner.”
When students recognize that their favorite skills will be valuable in many careers, they are better equipped to see themselves in many futures. As Lisa shared, “For young students, career readiness is really about self-discovery.”
Learn more about how Lisa’s class participated in the Classroom Challenge:
Middle School: Create a Network
For middle schoolers, the Classroom Challenge includes learning about the importance of personal and professional networks – and how the people they know can connect them to new opportunities. Students begin by identifying members of their existing network, then create a network web to visualize the connections between their relationships before exploring ways they can grow their networks.
In Megan Forbes’s classroom, students are using the Classroom Challenge to write networking plans tailored to their unique personalities, whether that means joining a club or reaching out to a family friend. She shared, “My middle school students don’t need to worry about applying for jobs yet, but I want them to start learning about the value that personal and professional networks could add to their lives.” Her class explored questions like, “How could a strong network help you evolve?” and “What could you do to create change in your life using your network?”
Learn more from Megan about building networks in the classroom:
High School: Take the Agile Work Profiler
We invite high school students to join the Classroom Challenge by taking the Agile Work Profiler™, a free assessment to help them discover their unique strengths and interests.
These insights can help students build confidence and broaden their awareness of career possibilities. Maynard Okereke, also known as the Hip Hop MD, is using the Classroom Challenge with his STEM students to help them develop the language to talk about what they enjoy and do well, then connect those interests and skills to careers they can explore.
He shared, “I work regularly with students and often see bright young minds freeze the second they’re asked: ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’” Youth are designing robots and inventions that could solve real-world problems, but still doubt their future success in a STEM field. “Kids don’t need to fit into some rigid job title, but rather, let them understand and explore the things they’re good at – right now.”
We invite high school students to join the Classroom Challenge by taking the Agile Work Profiler™, a free assessment to help them discover their unique strengths and interests.
These insights can help students build confidence and broaden their awareness of career possibilities. Maynard Okereke, also known as the Hip Hop MD, is using the Classroom Challenge with his STEM students to help them develop the language to talk about what they enjoy and do well, then connect those interests and skills to careers they can explore.
He shared, “I work regularly with students and often see bright young minds freeze the second they’re asked: ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’” Youth are designing robots and inventions that could solve real-world problems, but still doubt their future success in a STEM field. “Kids don’t need to fit into some rigid job title, but rather, let them understand and explore the things they’re good at – right now.”
Hear more from the Hip Hop MD:
Share Your Classroom’s Experience
Now, it’s your turn! Join the Change the Question Classroom Challenge and do one career literacy activity with your class in November during National Career Development Month.
Then, we want to hear from you! Share your #ChangeTheQuestion classroom experience, student reflections, or photos on social media and tag @DeBruceFound. Together, we can Change the Question and help students imagine more futures.
