In the heart of Oklahoma, the Eastern Oklahoma County Technology Center (EOCTC) supports four neighboring districts with a shared mission: transforming how students perceive and prepare for their careers. The EOCTC is uniquely positioned to serve the four high schools and six middle schools within these districts – serving thousands of students from a central campus each year. The dedicated EOCTC team includes Justin Gerry as the EXPLORE Coordinator and Kasey Franks as a REACH Coordinator. Justin and Kasey, along with team members, work with each school to integrate career readiness into their students’ lives early on using creative curriculum and the robust career readiness solution OKCareerGuide, featuring Kuder Navigator®.
Beginning in 6th grade, career exploration is introduced with a palpable sense of excitement and curiosity. Students embark on a campus visit to the EOCTC, where they are introduced to careers through interactive activities and a guided discussion. As part of this experience, students complete the first of the three career assessments available within Navigator. They reflect on how their interests align with available careers before engaging in a group discussion about what they learned about themselves and potential career paths.
The EOCTC team also leads students through a lively PowerPoint covering the six major career fields. This includes engaging with interactive sounds representing various job environments—think the blaring siren of an ambulance or the rhythmic beeps of a heart monitor. This sensory approach makes the abstract concept of career fields more tangible.
Justin Gerry, EXPLORE Coordinator at EOCTC, crafted a specialized career exploration course tailored to accommodate differing school schedules, including a 7-week, 9-week, and entire semester-long course. This adaptability ensures that all students can benefit from early self-discovery through the assessments in Navigator and builds a culture of career readiness.
“Career exploration is not a one-size-fits all model. We have found an approach that casts a wide net and works well with the students we serve in our districts. OK Career Guide is the rope that ties it all together and allows us to establish a framework and speak a common language from start to finish as we guide our students on their career exploration journeys.” – Justin Gerry
As students move into 7th grade, their career exploration becomes more interactive. They visit the tech center and participate in an engaging “Escape Room” challenge. Divided into teams, students tackle puzzles and tasks related to the six career fields. The escape room introduces students to different career paths and showcases the diversity within each field. For instance, students learn that within Health Sciences, careers extend beyond doctors and nurses to include data analytics and record-keeping roles.
This hands-on activity includes solving riddles with clues from Navigator videos and completing crossword puzzles to complete a larger picture of career possibilities. The competition between teams adds an element of excitement, fostering teamwork and a deeper understanding of various roles.
By 8th grade, students take their career exploration to the next level with two visits to the EOCTC. The first visit is a comprehensive tour, while the second involves an introspective “My Future Story” session. Here, students reflect on their career assessment results from Navigator and envision how they connect to their options in high school and desired future careers. They connect their interests and skills with potential career paths, laying the groundwork for their high school experience. Kasey Franks, REACH Coordinator, shared that they utilize the assessment results to tie to the programs available within their technology center that students may want to enroll in once they get to high school.
In the spring, 8th graders participate in a shadowing day, a practical experience that allows them to explore programs that align with their interests and skills. This hands-on experience helps them visualize their future and make informed decisions about their educational paths, showcasing the real-world impact of the program on students.
“OKCareerGuide enlightens students by making them aware of careers that they may have never thought existed. The system provides tailored exploration based on students’ interests and strengths to help them plan to be successful in the career pathway of their choice.” – Kasey Franks
When students reach 10th grade, their career readiness journey culminates in a standalone semester class called “Explore.” Students are transported to the central campus for two daily class periods. They dive deep into their career assessments and participate in five career program rotations, such as therapy and performance technology. This hands-on learning approach includes exploring real-world applications of these fields, allowing students to gain valuable insights and experiences.
The program’s effectiveness is evident in their high engagement rates: around 60% of 10th graders who participate in the Explore class return for full-time CTE programs.
One student who has had his future impacted through the work that the EOCTC has put forward is an individual who moved from Texas to Oklahoma and was exposed to a career and technical education program for the first time in 8th grade. Through the job shadow days, he saw what options were available to him and enrolled in a CTE course that led him to graduate high school career-ready. Such stories underscore the program’s role in shaping students’ career decisions.
Staff members also appreciate the structured approach Navigator enables, which includes features like SMART goal setting and occupation research. These tools help students create actionable career plans and align their high school experiences with their future aspirations. The four-year planning component ensures that students and schools are aligned in their career readiness efforts.
The career readiness programming driven by the EOCTC is a testament to the power of early and interactive career exploration. By integrating Navigator into its engaging activities, the EOCTC has created a dynamic and engaging environment where students can discover their passions and prepare for their futures. From 6th-grade curiosity to 10th-grade hands-on experiences, the program has empowered students to take ownership of their careers and build a foundation for lifelong success.
