As the California community colleges are implementing Guided Pathways programs, much time is devoted to the construction of the pathway via program mapper and other tools; however, the opportunity to engage with students in the “guiding process” is left to chance encounters, especially when connecting pathways to career options. All college stakeholders, specifically discipline faculty, can engage students in the career development process. Often, students are not provided the opportunity to be “guided” into their major or receive information about the career opportunities associated with their pathways and the skills they are learning in their courses. This post-conference session will focus on the career exploration component of Guided Pathways, using the Community College Research Center (CCRC) framework—Ask, Connect, Inspire, Plan—to support students throughout the pillars. Participants will discuss the value of bringing career exploration curriculum into the classrooms and how to use project-based learning as a way to enhance students’ opportunities to have real-world experience and exposure to careers.
Using student survey data about career exploration, participants will redesign a component of their course. Together, we will pivot the focus from the “decision” to the “process” and discover new ways to support all students—both decided and still exploring—through ongoing career exposure and self-reflection. We encourage participants to bring with them a learning artifact from their course—such as their syllabus, module, assignments, or essay prompt—that they would like to redesign with a focus on career exploration and an opportunity to create a project-based lesson.
Presenters: Kimberly Rosenfeld, California Community Colleges’ Success Network (3CSN); Jessica Cristo, Deborah Harrington, and Joanna Zimring Towne, Los Angeles Community College District/California Community Colleges’ Success Network (3CSN); Giselle Ramirez, Los Angeles Community College District