K-5 Growing Career Awareness

While our students are still mastering their ABCs and 123s, they are also beginning their journey along the Michigan Career Development Model. February is National Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month, and it’s the perfect time to celebrate how we bridge the gap between the classroom and the "real world."

How can you celebrate in your classroom?

• Identify the 'Why': When teaching a math lesson, take 60 seconds to mention a career that uses that skill (e.g., "Contractors use this type of measurement to build houses!").

• K-2 Focus: Focus on "Self-Awareness." Use CTE month to talk about how a student’s interests (drawing, building, helping others) turn into careers like Architecture, Engineering, or Healthcare.

• 3-5 Focus: Focus on "Career Awareness." Highlight the Six Career Zones used in Michigan. You can challenge teachers to "Spot the Zone" during their normal lessons.

• Highlight Hands-On Learning: CTE is all about doing. Share a photo of your students engaged in a hands-on project this month and tag it with #CTEMonth!

• "Guest Reader" Series: Invite a local CTE student (a high schooler from the Career Tech Center or CTE program in your high school) to Zoom into the classroom or visit to read a book related to their trade.

By fostering career awareness now, we empower our students to see the purpose in their learning and the endless possibilities in their future.

Each month I will share information highlighting a specific target and connecting activities to the targets.

🎯 Target 1: Career Zones

Familiarize students and families with the Michigan Career Zones and provide opportunities for career discovery.

Michigan Six Career Zones:

1. Arts and Communications - The Creative Path

2. Business, Management, Marketing, & Technology - The Business Path

3. Engineering/Manufacturing & Industrial Technology - The Building & Fixing Path

4. Health Sciences - The Health Path

5. Human Services - The Helping Path

6. Natural Resources & Agriscience - The Nature Path

🏗️ What is the CTC? (K-5 Edition)

The Muskegon Area Career Tech Center (CTC) is a special school right here in our county. While most kids go to high school to sit at desks, the 11th and 12th graders at the CTC spend half their day in "laboratories" that look like real-world workplaces.

Think of it this way: It’s where students go to become "Junior Professionals" in things like building houses, fixing cars, or helping people in hospitals.

What Career Zones Do You See?

🧭Connecting to Michigan’s 6 Career Zones

You can help students understand what happens at the CTC by grouping their programs into the 6 Michigan Career Zones. Here is a video of some of the Programs at the Muskegon Area Career Tech Center: Future. Focused. Promo Video

What happens at the CTC?

Arts & Communications - Students learn Graphic Production—making posters, shirts, and digital art.

Business, Mgmt. & Tech -Students explore Computer Technologies and how to run a business.

Engineering/Manufacturing - This is the "Maker" zone! Students do Welding, Machining, and Construction.

Health Sciences - Students learn to be Doctors, Nurses, and Dental Assistants in real medical labs.

Human Services - Students learn to be Teachers (Teacher Academy) or Police Officers (Criminal Justice).

Natural Resources - Students work with plants and animals in Agricultural and Natural Resources program.

💡 Cool Facts

• It’s Hands-On: At the CTC, "homework" might be fixing a real car engine in Auto Service or baking a 3-tier cake in the Hospitality and Tourism Management kitchen.

• The "Big Kids" are Experts: The high schoolers at the CTC often participate in competitions across the state to show off their skills—just like athletes do in sports!
• It’s the Future: Everything students learn in K-5 (like how to measure in math or work in a team) is exactly what the CTC students use every day.

🎒 Fun Ways to Engage K-5 Students

1. The "When I Grow Up" Connection: Use the Future. Focused. Promo Video and ask: "Which room at the CTC would you want to play in for a day?"

2. KickStart Connection: Remind students that the money in their KickStart to Career savings accounts can one day help them buy the tools or pay for the training like they see at the CTC.

Xello + CTE Month = Future Ready!" This February, let’s show our students how their Xello journeys lead to real-world opportunities. When students explore Career Town (K-2) or complete Missions (3-5), they are discovering the same Career Zones that our high schoolers study at the Muskegon Career Tech Center!

In Xello, CTE Month is less about "technical training" and more about "Exploration and Solving Mysteries." Because the Michigan Career Development Model (MCDM) focuses on Career Awareness for K-5, you can use Xello to show students that the "cool jobs" they see at the Career Tech Center start with the skills they are learning right now.

🕵️ K-2: The "Career Town" Connection

In Xello K-2, students explore Career Town. During CTE Month, you can frame these locations as "Mini Tech Centers."

• The Activity: Have students visit the Construction Site or Doctor’s Office in Career Town.

• The Connection: "Just like the characters in Career Town need special tools to solve problems, high schoolers at the Muskegon CTC use real tools like welding torches and stethoscopes to help our community!"

• MCDM Goal: Helps meet the "Self-Awareness" and "Career Awareness" targets by connecting interests to community helpers.

🚀 3-5: Missions & Career Matches

For older elementary students, Xello uses Missions (interactive lessons). CTE Month is the perfect time to assign Missions that highlight "doing" and "problem-solving."

• The Activity: Assign the "Interests," "Problem Solving" or "Skills" Mission (3rd/4th) or have them look at their saved "Skills" or "Interests" (3rd-5th).

• The Connection: After students see their "Career Matches" in Xello or look at their "Saved Careers", have them look for those same careers in the CTC Program List.

• Match with 'Building'? Check out CTC Construction.

• Match with 'Helping Animals'? Check out CTC Agriculture.

• MCDM Goal: Supports the "Career Awareness" phase and helps build the foundation for their future Educational Development Plan (EDP).

Xello Elementary is Growing in Muskegon County!

Xello is our Tier 1 K-12 career and college readiness platform, provided free to our local districts through the Muskegon Area Promise and aligns directly with the Michigan Career Development Model targets.

Check out: K-2nd Career Town and the 3rd-5th Xello experience.

If you interested about starting Xello Elementary in your classroom, building, or district; let's connect and I can share how districts are engaging in this work

• Schedule Meeting
• mkuck@muskegonisd.org
  
• 231-767-3626

Recently all the 5th grade students from Lincoln Park Elementary (Mona Shores), Ravenna Middle School, and Edgewood Elementary (Fruitport) completed the Money Smart Career Choices Activity.

• Students explore personal interests, potential careers, and education levels to begin thinking about their future career goals.
• Future salaries and taxes are discussed.
• Students are reminded about the importance of saving for their future career & college goals.
• Students earn money for their KickStart to Career accounts.

Corey VanSchaik, 5th grade teacher at Lincoln Park Elementary, shared, "We had some meaningful discussions and I noticed many students making connections between their interest inventories and the six career zones. In fact, I even saw some students researching during indoor recess to discover colleges that they might want to attend, based on a career they are interested in, which put a smile on my face. Overall, another successful lesson!"

This is the last month to register for the great activity!

Remember this activity connects to ELA, Financial Literacy & M-Step Prep.

• 👉Activity Details

• ✍🏻Register HERE!

Students in Ms. Ralston's 2nd grade class at Campbell Elementary (Mona Shores) recently completed the KickStart to Career Connection Activity. This activity helps students start building an awareness of careers, career zones & making connections between the world of work and classroom work through fun books.

• This can connect to ELA, Social, Studies or SEL standards.
• ⭐💰 Upon completion students receive an incentive deposit into their KTC account.

👉 Activity Details

This could be a great activity for March is Reading Month!

• ✍🏻 REGISTER HERE!

Resources to Support Building Career Awareness:

Career Zone Activities: Activities in each newsletter highlight careers in each of the six Career Zones and are filled with activities that support career awareness. You can use the activities in the classroom or send home to families to further explore.

• Build A Business! activities highlight careers in the Business Path.
• BECOME A BUILDER! activities highlight careers in the Building & Fixing Path.
• Helpers in Our Community! activities highlight careers in the Helping Path.
• Let's Be Creative! activities highlight careers in the Creative Path.
• Become an AG-explorer! activities highlight careers in the Nature Path.
• Become a Healthcare Hero! activities highlight careers in the Health Path.

Community Resources to Use in Class:

• MeL Resources: Michigan has adopted six career zones, which are ideally introduced to students and families in the early childhood and elementary school years. You can look under Career Zone in the eBook K-8 Collection.
• Muskegon County Bar Association: Law Day 3rd-5th Grade Art Contest
• Grand Teton National Park: Snow Desk K-5 Experiences - fun interactive virtual experiences for K-5 students. Park Rangers broadcast LIVE to classrooms at the base of the Teton Range. Rangers will talk with students about animal adaptations, snow science, the water cycle and more.

Financial Literacy Resources

• Coin Classroom - several fun activities to support coin identification.
• $martPath Financial Education Program - $martPath is an engaging, interactive, and easy-to-use way for elementary and middle school teachers and credit union financial educators to embed relevant and fun economic and financial education in their classrooms, and activities.

Off-Campus Activities or Field Trips to Support Career Awareness:

• Lakeshore Museum Center: STEM programs are now free of charge until June! Did you know the museum offers several hands-on STEM programs that put students in the role of testers? These programs give students a chance to be creative with science and history while learning along the way, and partner well with many of our traditional programs.
• To schedule a program today call 231-722-0278 or emailing kimberlynn@lakeshoremuseum.org.
• Muskegon Farmer's Market Field Trips: Bring your students to the Muskegon Farmers Market for a Kids Power of Produce (POP) Field Trip! Your class will enjoy hands-on activities that teach healthy eating, where food comes from, and even get tokens to shop with our farmers. It’s a fun, interactive way to connect classroom lessons with real-world learning—while creating future healthy eaters and market shoppers! To Learn More & Register.
• Nature Awaits 4th Grade Field Trips - Michigan State Parks: Nature Awaits offers a new opportunity for children to experience Michigan outdoors. All 4th grade classrooms are eligible for a free field trip to select state parks to support their learning! To Learn More & Register.

Events and Activities to Share with Families:

• Hackley Public Library - Lego Education Wednesdays Activity
• Muskegon Art Museum - Calendar of Events
• Muskegon Museum of Art - Super Saturday STEAM activities
• Muskegon Lakeshore Museum - Calendar of Events
• Grand Rapids Children's Museum - Exhibits
• Grand Rapids Public Museum - Exhibits

CCR Professional Development:

• Counselors - Do you need Career Consultation, College Prep and Selection or Military Exploration SCECHs? Link here for a full line up of local, regional and state offerings. These can also be used by classroom teachers.