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Career Exploration Strategic Planning

In this section, you’ll find resources to guide districts and schools through a 7-step process for designing effective career exploration programs, setting goals, and building strong employer partnerships. Tools include sample agendas, planning templates, a design lab activity, frameworks for work-based learning, and resources aligned to Arizona’s career literacy standards. This collection also offers an implementation planning guide, resource documentation templates, and a sample kickoff meeting agenda to support a successful program launch.

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Planning Session

Step 1 District Planning Session: Sample Agenda
Time icon 90 mins
Edit icon Center for the Future of Arizona

This sample agenda supports the district Career Exploration Strategic Alignment Process.


This resource is free to use, adapt, and share for non-commercial purposes with credit to Center for the Future of Arizona. Please review and follow our full Terms of Use.

Career Exploration Strategic Planning
Resources: MS Resources Prez
Time icon N/A
Edit icon Center for the Future of Arizona

This resource outlines key resources to support the development of high-quality career exploration experiences for students.


This resource is free to use, adapt, and share for non-commercial purposes with credit to Center for the Future of Arizona. Please review and follow our full Terms of Use.

Career Exploration Strategic Planning
Resources: Process Overview
Time icon N/A
Edit icon Center for the Future of Arizona

This overview outlines the 7-step Strategic Alignment Process schools can follow to create effective career exploration programs for students.


This resource is free to use, adapt, and share for non-commercial purposes with credit to Center for the Future of Arizona. Please review and follow our full Terms of Use.

Career Exploration Strategic Planning
Resources: At-A-Glance
Time icon N/A
Edit icon Center for the Future of Arizona

This document offers an overview of the 7-step process and includes links to the sample agenda, supporting resources, and presentations.


This resource is free to use, adapt, and share for non-commercial purposes with credit to Center for the Future of Arizona. Please review and follow our full Terms of Use.

Career Exploration Strategic Planning

Partner Overview

Step 2 Partner Overview: Sample Agenda
Time icon 60 mins
Edit icon Center for the Future of Arizona

This Career Exploration Strategic Planning agenda is designed to guide school teams in understanding career exploration resources and building strong employer engagement practices.


This resource is free to use, adapt, and share for non-commercial purposes with credit to Center for the Future of Arizona. Please review and follow our full Terms of Use.

Career Exploration Strategic Planning
Resources: MS Resources Prez
Time icon N/A
Edit icon Center for the Future of Arizona

This resource outlines key resources to support the development of high-quality career exploration experiences for students.


This resource is free to use, adapt, and share for non-commercial purposes with credit to Center for the Future of Arizona. Please review and follow our full Terms of Use.

Career Exploration Strategic Planning
Resources: Process Overview
Time icon N/A
Edit icon Center for the Future of Arizona

This overview outlines the 7-step Strategic Alignment Process schools can follow to create effective career exploration programs for students.


This resource is free to use, adapt, and share for non-commercial purposes with credit to Center for the Future of Arizona. Please review and follow our full Terms of Use.

Career Exploration Strategic Planning
Resources: Employer Engagement
Time icon 60 mins
Edit icon Center for the Future of Arizona

This framework outlines various employer engagement strategies including descriptions of work-based learning activities and estimated times to complete.


This resource is free to use, adapt, and share for non-commercial purposes with credit to Center for the Future of Arizona. Please review and follow our full Terms of Use.

Career Exploration Strategic Planning
Resources: Partner Worksheet
Time icon 60-90 mins
Edit icon Center for the Future of Arizona

This worksheet helps schools identify partners and document contacts for work-based learning activities.


This resource is free to use, adapt, and share for non-commercial purposes with credit to Center for the Future of Arizona. Please review and follow our full Terms of Use.

Career Exploration Strategic Planning

Design Lab

Step 3 Design Lab: Sample Agenda
Time icon N/A
Edit icon Center for the Future of Arizona

This process agenda guides schools in setting middle school career exploration goals, aligning initiatives with stakeholder needs, and identifying resources to strengthen career exploration programs.


This resource is free to use, adapt, and share for non-commercial purposes with credit to Center for the Future of Arizona. Please review and follow our full Terms of Use.

Career Exploration Strategic Planning
Resources: Process Overview
Time icon N/A
Edit icon Center for the Future of Arizona

This overview outlines the 7-step Strategic Alignment Process schools can follow to create effective career exploration programs for students.


This resource is free to use, adapt, and share for non-commercial purposes with credit to Center for the Future of Arizona. Please review and follow our full Terms of Use.

Career Exploration Strategic Planning
Resources: Design Lab Activity
Time icon N/A
Edit icon Center for the Future of Arizona

This Design Lab Activity helps schools identify desired career exploration outcomes, selecting effective strategies and activities, and recognizing assets to link and leverage for stronger program development.


This resource is free to use, adapt, and share for non-commercial purposes with credit to Center for the Future of Arizona. Please review and follow our full Terms of Use.

Career Exploration Strategic Planning
Resources: Prototyping Template
Time icon N/A
Edit icon Center for the Future of Arizona

This template helps schools document the identified career exploration strategies, activities, and assets.


This resource is free to use, adapt, and share for non-commercial purposes with credit to Center for the Future of Arizona. Please review and follow our full Terms of Use.

Career Exploration Strategic Planning
Resources: Broadening the Path
Time icon N/A
Edit icon Center for the Future of Arizona

This excerpt from Advance CTE's report "Broadening the Path" outlines a theory of action for quality career exploration

Career Exploration Strategic Planning
Resources: AZ 5-8 Career Literacy Standards
Time icon N/A
Edit icon Center for the Future of Arizona

Grades 5-8 Career Literacy Standards from the Arizona Department of Education

Career Exploration Strategic Planning
Resources: Employer Engagement
Time icon N/A
Edit icon Center for the Future of Arizona

This framework outlines various employer engagement strategies including descriptions of work-based learning activities and estimated times to complete.


This resource is free to use, adapt, and share for non-commercial purposes with credit to Center for the Future of Arizona. Please review and follow our full Terms of Use.

Career Exploration Strategic Planning
Resources: 5-8 Career Literacy Graphic
Time icon N/A
Edit icon Center for the Future of Arizona

This visual from the Arizona Department of Education depicts Grade 5-8 career literacy outcomes and recommended activities.

Career Exploration Strategic Planning
Resources: Example District Implementation Plan
Time icon N/A
Edit icon Center for the Future of Arizona

This sample District Career Exploration Implementation Plan outlines strategies organized by individual schools.


This resource is free to use, adapt, and share for non-commercial purposes with credit to Center for the Future of Arizona. Please review and follow our full Terms of Use.

Career Exploration Strategic Planning

Resource Demo

Step 4 Resource Demo: Sample Agenda
Time icon 60 mins - virtual
Edit icon Center for the Future of Arizona

This resource outlines the process in Career Exploration Strategic Planning that familiarizes schools with resources available for career exploration from several sources.


This resource is free to use, adapt, and share for non-commercial purposes with credit to Center for the Future of Arizona. Please review and follow our full Terms of Use.

Career Exploration Strategic Planning
Resources: DEMO Prez
Time icon N/A
Edit icon Center for the Future of Arizona

This presentation demonstrates available resources for career exploration.


This resource is free to use, adapt, and share for non-commercial purposes with credit to Center for the Future of Arizona. Please review and follow our full Terms of Use.

Career Exploration Strategic Planning
Resources: Resource Review Worksheet
Time icon N/A
Edit icon Center for the Future of Arizona

This template allows schools to document the various resources they would like to use for career exploration.


This resource is free to use, adapt, and share for non-commercial purposes with credit to Center for the Future of Arizona. Please review and follow our full Terms of Use.

Career Exploration Strategic Planning

Implementation Planning

Step 5 Implementation Planning: Sample Process
Time icon 5-10 hours in-person
Edit icon Center for the Future of Arizona

This resource outlines the process schools will use to determine their career expiration goals and document an implementation plan.


This resource is free to use, adapt, and share for non-commercial purposes with credit to Center for the Future of Arizona. Please review and follow our full Terms of Use.

Career Exploration Strategic Planning
Resources: Implementation Planning Guide
Time icon N/A
Edit icon Center for the Future of Arizona

This Implementation Planning Guide engages schools to identify career exploration goals and draft an implementation plan.


This resource is free to use, adapt, and share for non-commercial purposes with credit to Center for the Future of Arizona. Please review and follow our full Terms of Use.

Career Exploration Strategic Planning
Resources: Could→Should→Will
Time icon N/A
Edit icon Center for the Future of Arizona

This resource provides a format to document your Career Exploration Implantation Plan.


This resource is free to use, adapt, and share for non-commercial purposes with credit to Center for the Future of Arizona. Please review and follow our full Terms of Use.

Career Exploration Strategic Planning
Resources: Implementation Timeline
Time icon N/A
Edit icon Center for the Future of Arizona

This template helps schools document their implementation timeline.


This resource is free to use, adapt, and share for non-commercial purposes with credit to Center for the Future of Arizona. Please review and follow our full Terms of Use.

Career Exploration Strategic Planning
Resources: Feedback Sheet
Time icon N/A
Edit icon Center for the Future of Arizona

This resource provides a format to capture feedback on the strategies for implementation and the desirability, feasibility, and viability of those strategies.


This resource is free to use, adapt, and share for non-commercial purposes with credit to Center for the Future of Arizona. Please review and follow our full Terms of Use.

Career Exploration Strategic Planning

Professional Development

Step 6 Professional Development
Time icon N/A
Edit icon Center for the Future of Arizona

TBD by site Implementation Plans

Career Exploration Strategic Planning

Celebration

Step 7: Celebration
Time icon 60-90 mins
Edit icon Center for the Future of Arizona

This sample agenda outlines a celebratory meeting to kick-off implementation.


This resource is free to use, adapt, and share for non-commercial purposes with credit to Center for the Future of Arizona. Please review and follow our full Terms of Use.

Career Exploration Strategic Planning