Career Awareness
Students at Rainbow Ridge Elementary explore careers from Kindergarten, Throughout all grade levels, we use developmentally appropriate classroom school counseling lessons. These lessons occur during advisory periods for grades 3-6.
In Kindergarten we work to introduce students to job sectors, discuss the skills and education required for different roles, and highlight how different careers contribute to the community. We play career-themed games, and create spaces in the classrooms to discover, pretend and play in different fields like “medicine,” which has a doctor station, a pharmacy station, an ambulance, a nursery, etc. that the students help design and then explore with their play.
In first and second grade we play career-themed games, and work collaboratively with their classroom teacher’s units in other subjects. When students read the book “The Last Stop on Market Street,” in their literacy unit—we explore the different careers depicted in the text in our school counseling lesson.
We also have virtual field trips to workplaces like the Rainbow Ridge Fire Station, Prism Country Library, and Rainbow Ridge City Hall. This early exposure helps students understand the relationship between work and their interests, passions, and skills. We work to show diverse and non-traditional career paths in addition to classic trajectories, fostering a sense of possibility and future-oriented thinking.We also have virtual field trips to workplaces like the Rainbow Ridge Fire Station, Prism Country Library, and Rainbow Ridge City Hall.
This early exposure helps students understand the relationship between work and their interests, passions, and skills. We work to show diverse and non-traditional career paths in addition to classic trajectories, fostering a sense of possibility and future-oriented thinking.
Career Exploration Resources
Comprehensive Platforms & Programs:
Kuder Galaxy: (https://www.kuder.com/education-solutions/galaxy/) This is a game-based online platform specifically designed for PK-5th grade students. It uses interactive activities, games, and videos to help young learners explore different careers based on Holland's theory of vocational choice. It also includes resources for educators and parents.
Kids Work! (Knowitall.org): (https://www.knowitall.org/series/kids-work) This virtual community of workplaces provides an interactive job exploration experience, connecting schoolwork to real-world jobs for grades K-5. It features profiles of real professionals in various fields.
ICAN Career and College Readiness Curriculum (Elementary Level): (https://www.icansucceed.org/curriculum) While this is a K-12 curriculum, their elementary level aims to ignite curiosity and encourage young students to explore diverse career paths and connect education to future goals. You may need to contact them for specific access to their resources.
Government & Educational Resources:
Career Exploration - K-12 Student Resources (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics): (https://www.bls.gov/k12/students/careers/career-exploration.htm) This page offers various resources, including career information, games, quizzes, and links to the Occupational Outlook Handbook, tailored for students.
Elementary Career Readiness Resource Round Up (Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction): (https://dpi.wi.gov/sites/default/files/imce/sspw/pdf/Elementary_Career_Readiness_Round_Up_Resource.pdf) This comprehensive PDF provides numerous links to lessons, activities, surveys, and other resources for elementary career exploration.
Elementary (K-5) Activities (Ohio Department of Education and Workforce): (https://education.ohio.gov/Topics/Career-Tech/Career-Connections/In-Demand-Jobs-Week-Tookit/Elementary-K-5-Activities) This toolkit offers various activities like defining career vocabulary, exploring careers through books, and writing letters to their future selves about career aspirations.
When I Grow Up - Elementary School (Workforce Solutions, Houston-Galveston): (https://www.wrksolutions.com/for-individuals/career-exploration/when-i-grow-up/elementary-school-grades-p-5) This provides TEKS-aligned career education lessons for Pre-K through 5th grade, including downloadable curriculum guides and activity masters.
Resources from Educational Platforms:
Career Exploration Elementary (Teachers Pay Teachers): (https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/browse?search=career%20exploration%20elementary) This marketplace offers a wide variety of paid and free resources created by educators, including worksheets, games, activities, and lesson plans focused on elementary career exploration. You can filter by grade level and resource type.
Career games (Wordwall): (https://wordwall.net/en-us/community/career-games) This platform provides interactive career-related games and activities created by other users, which can be adapted for elementary students.
Activities and Ideas:
Career Conversations Elementary School (American School Counselor Association - ASCA): (https://www.schoolcounselor.org/getmedia/63b74c57-b671-41b9-a6d3-bab22e81f973/Career-Conversations-Elementary-School.pdf) This PDF offers conversation starters for parents, community members, teachers, and students to encourage career exploration.
6 Career Exploration Activities To Encourage Your Elementary Students (Mrs. Bell The Crafty Counselor): (https://mrsbellthecraftycounselor.com/2023/05/career-exploration-activity/) This blog post provides practical and easy ways to integrate career exploration into the elementary school day, such as a "Career of the Month" and career sort games.
Career Exploration K-12 Students & Families Appreciate (ParentPowered): (https://parentpowered.com/blog/college-and-career-readiness/career-exploration-k-12/) This article offers guidance on nurturing career dreams in young students, including assessing interests, connecting them to careers, and having career conversations.
List created with assistance from (Google, 2025, Gemini Pro). [Large language model]. Available at: [https://gemini.google.com/app/b63e031696506a5b].