Educators Share Why and How to Engage Students Early in Career Exploration

Introducing students from an early age to different career pathways can be transformative to their development. We asked the LEGO^® Education Ambassadors - classroom educators across the US - to share why it’s important to start career exploration in elementary school and how they are integrating career exploration into their curriculum.

Why is engaging students in career exploration in elementary school important?

Elementary school is the peak of creativity and innovation for students. Students are open to so many new possibilities and are exploring many different interests through play and peer collaboration.
- Erin Hardy, Second Grade Teacher, Richland County, Illinois

It sparks students' interests and passions while showing them a wide range of amazing career paths. This helps my students see how different jobs and people make a difference in the world and how they can too. Plus, it teaches them that their future options are endless, encouraging them to dream big and be confident.
- Amy Dekker, Instructional Technology Coach, Sheboygan Area School District, Wisconsin

Elementary school aged children are imaginative, and it would give them an opportunity to begin seeing themselves in a variety of possible futures. Unfortunately, children begin to limit themselves as they get older, and potentially miss out on future possibilities.
- Jason Zobl-Tar, Reading Specialist, Beacon Elementary, Michigan

Students should start being exposed to all types of careers, so they are motivated for what they want to do when they grow up. There are so many different careers and by starting as early as elementary school, students will have plenty of time to see the varieties as well as see the ever-changing world.
- Rebecca Gorlin, Robotics Teacher, Granite Falls School Middle School, WA

Early career exploration exposes students to the vast array of career paths available, sparking curiosity and helping them realize there are more options beyond what they may be familiar with. By learning about different careers, elementary school students can start making connections between their interests and potential future jobs. This can make schoolwork more engaging as they see how what they're learning could be applied in the real world.
- Carly Sapp, District Innovation Teacher, Redlands Unified School District, CA

Takeaways

Elementary school is when students are the most creative and often the most passionate about learning. Exposing them to different types of career paths can help them make important real-world connections to the concepts they learn in the classroom.

What are the benefits of introducing younger students to different careers?

Students get to learn all about our big wide world and what cool things they can do in it. It’s all about asking students what problems they want to solve.
- Tzvi Hametz, Director of EdTech and Innovation, Berman Hebrew Academy, CA

The benefits of early introduction to careers are many - students have opportunities to "see what's out there" beyond the scope of their everyday lives and may find a spark of interest that otherwise might not have been there. Soft skills that are transferrable to any career, including ones that have not been created yet, are reinforced and enhanced, allowing students the ability to explore multiple interests in a low-stakes environment.
- Amanda Chacon, Librarian, H.M. Carroll Elementary School, TX

A benefit is students get to see how many different topics and fields are integrated and connected. An Accountant must have Math skills but must also be able to read and write. Students can begin to realize that careers are multi-faceted and more connected in ways we don't always see.
- Giavanni Coleman, Teacher, East Avenue Elementary, CA

You never know what lesson or experience will be the spark that ignites a child's passion. Why not give them as many opportunities as possible to find that passion from an early age. It's unfortunate the types of careers that exist that students aren't even aware that they can have!
- Nichole Gard, Gifted and Talented Teacher, Palmyra R-1 School District, Missouri

Discovering various careers at a young age not only excites students but also alleviates worries about their future. Introducing the idea of their journey at a younger age allows them to follow their passions and nurtures a sense of excitement for personal development, goal setting, and success ahead!
- Ali Schilpp, Media Specialist, Northern MIddle School, Maryland

Career exploration is integrated into everything that I do. Whenever we are working on a project or assignment there is always a real-world connection that I try to bring into my classroom. By doing this they not only understand the "why" we are learning these skills or information, but also how these skills can translate to the real world. By exposing my students to these real-world connections and careers, they are able to start thinking about what they want to be when they get older. I have had students decide to go into some engineering fields based upon their time in our classes!
- Ryan Riess, Technology and Engineering Teacher, William Annin Middle School, New Jersey

Takeaways

Introducing elementary students sets them on a journey to explore their passions while making connections to what they’re learning in the classroom. It helps them think about what problems they want to solve in the future and think beyond the scope of their everyday lives. Career exploration helps students focus on personal development and goal setting and can spark a love of learning in and outside the classroom.

How do you integrate career exploration into your curriculum?

Incorporating career exploration into my elementary STEM education is essential for inspiring my students and equipping them for future success. This has been achieved by inviting STEM professionals to share their insights, arranging virtual field trips to relevant workplaces, integrating projects focusing on careers into the curriculum, and providing access to resources and role models. These initiatives serve to expand my students' horizons, render STEM concepts more tangible, and spark their curiosity about prospective career paths. Through the integration of career exploration into my STEM curriculum, my students are gaining a deeper understanding of STEM principles and encountering a variety of career possibilities. These experiences cultivate enthusiasm and motivation for their future educational and professional endeavors.
- Kelly Parker, STEM/Coding Teacher, Midway Elementary School, SC

Integrating real-world context and career exploration into the classroom helps learners to truly understand the relevance of what they are learning. Reaching out to professionals in the local community, or even globally, has been a great way to learn about various careers. This can be through school-wide teach-in opportunities, Zoom chats, or in-person and virtual field trips. I have had great success incorporating the LEGO^® Education STEAM Heroes Career Toolkit, exposing my students to more untraditional careers as well as critical STEAM connections, such as a dance technologist or ocean advocate. Anything to inspire students to discover and create what they are passionate and naturally curious about will help to shape confident and successful learners!
- Jill Johnson, STEM Educator, Andover ES, Florida

I integrate career exploration by including college and career readiness activities, inviting guest speakers, and using class projects that relate to various jobs.
- Jennie Costa, Teacher, Planada Elementary School, CA

I routinely connect units to different careers, such as finance and engineering with math, using 3D printing to showcase engineering and using short videos or clips of people with different careers to start a unit and spark curiosity.
- Kathy Hardesty, Teacher of the Gifted, Smith STEM School, CT

As we engage in different topics, I try to relate the careers that may use that math in real life or discuss people/characters in stories. When we work on STEAM activities, I also make sure to name careers that may work together to solve real-world problems. When we learn about fossils or build things, I call my students paleontologists or engineers.
- Karla Alfaro, Teacher, Coldwater Canyon Elementary School, CA

When working with children in my setting, we are regularly coding, building, and creating. Constantly we are discussing architects, engineers, voice overs, graphic design and animation - positions that require not only their academic success but also their abilities to think creatively.
- Katie Scherhaufer, Instructional Technology Facilitator, Barnard Early Childhood Center, NY

Any time I can connect what I am teaching or what they are learning in their classrooms to a career, we stop and discuss what that may look like. I have talked with my students about designing roller coasters, writing code for video games, and building amphitheaters. They see these things but do not make the connections that someone has to design and/or make them. By hooking them when they are young, they are more likely to explore different avenues and possibilities.
- Lacey Ashton, STEM Teacher, Washington Primary School, Ohio

We begin with a large concept and then break that concept down into several smaller areas. It's good to look at the big picture first and then look at all of the people involved and the roles they play. For example, when we did the preparing for the weather lesson in LEGO^® Education SPIKE^™ Essential, we talked about all of the jobs or careers that would be involved to make something like this work such as the structural engineers, the architects, the meteorologists/NOAA analysts, the computer science engineers and alike. This way they can see all the hands at play and get a better appreciation for how many careers can be involved with solving problems.
- Garrett Gross, K-5 STEM Instructor & Tech. Coordinator, St. Mary School – Riverside, Illinois

Takeaways

Bringing in professionals and making community connections are good ways to start integrating career exploration in elementary school. Focusing on real-world connections helps students understand how concepts in math or science relate to different jobs and STEAM careers. Discussing how skills connect to different jobs helps with integrating career exploration with curriculum.