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Career Education: Students & Families

Empowering Students to Be Future Ready

Preparing for Future Careers

Part of empowering students to be future ready involves preparing them for life beyond high school graduation. Anthony Wayne Local Schools encourages students to consider their future plans by helping them become aware of their strengths and interests, the many career options available to them and the various pathways to achieving their goals.

Career Awareness, Exploration and Planning
Anthony Wayne Local Schools provides comprehensive career awareness, exploration and planning opportunities for all students, grades K-12 with the goal of helping students prepare for their chosen post-high school pathway.

Elementary Career Awareness

Grades K - 4

Young students can be introduced to the idea that some people build/create things, some people help others and some people sell things. Jobs look different, but people have jobs and go to work to support themselves. 


Goal: Students understand that people have jobs to make money, and that this money has a purpose in our economy.

Awareness Activities: Students take part in classroom lessons about different types of jobs, hear from guest speakers in our community and attend field trips.

Middle School

Grades 5 - 8

Career Houses are a simple way to start to introduce students to the idea that the world of work can be aligned to their personal aptitudes, interests and passions. As they begin to dive deeper, they can explore the many types of careers that are available in each "house."



Goal: Students will have a better understanding of their interests and talents and how they could align with potential career options. They are aware of the six career houses and types of jobs within each.

Exploration Activities: Students begin to explore the six career houses and the three post-high school pathways. They use software such as YouScience, to begin to discover what makes them unique and which careers may be a good fit for them in the future. Students are also exposed to various types of careers through classwork and assignments, guest speakers and field trips.

  • 6th Grade: AWLS begins to monitor a student’s path to graduation through the Student Success Planning Process.

  • 7th Grade: Students begin to learn about the six career houses to explore various career field and understand how jobs are related to one another. They also attend a spring career day for hands-on exploration of each career house.

  • 8th Grade: Students learn about the 3Es: Education, Employment and Enlistment – options to consider upon graduation. They also visit Penta Career Center to explore what it means to enroll in a career technical education center.

High School Career Planning

Grades 9 - 12

The Ohio Means Jobs Career Clusters are an organizing tool that categorizes the vast variety of career options into 16 categories to help learners discover their interests and empower them to choose the pathways that will help them accomplish their future goals.


Goal: Students will identify how their passions and aptitudes align with a future career. They will graduate high school with a plan for reaching their career aspirations.

Planning Activities: Students expand on the six career houses to learn about the 16 career clusters and the jobs within them. They begin to determine which of the 3Es they will pursue upon graduation to help them reach their career goals. High school students experience connections between the curriculum and careers through guest speakers, field trips, career talks, job visits, summer career research, and various other exploration and planning activities. Students work to complete their My Grad Planner, sharing it with their parent/guardian and school counselor.

  • 9th Grade: Students identify their strengths, skills, aptitudes and interests through programs such as YouScience. They also attend JA Inspire, where they participate in hands-on activities in each of the 16 career clusters.

  • 10th Grade: Students begin to narrow their choices of career clusters, and rank the 3Es in their preferred order. They attend Explore Penta Day to learn about the career technical education programs available at Penta Career Center.

  • 11th Grade: Students narrow their choices to two of the 3Es, and identify 2-4 of the career clusters of interest. They are encouraged to begin to articulate why these choices were made and potential jobs within these career clusters.

  • 12th Grade: Students take action steps toward their post high school path. They attend an In-Demand Jobs and Career Day for opportunities for summer and seasonal work, various training opportunities, interview experiences and networking.

The Three E's

Education, Employment, Enlistment

Before graduation, students should know the next step along their pathway of lifelong learning. They may choose to pursue additional education or training, enter the job market or start a business, or enlist in the military in order to work toward their career aspirations.


EducationGraduates enroll in a two- or four-year college or university, or pursue apprenticeship or other post-high school training.


EmploymentGraduates enter directly into the workforce with either full- or part-time employment.


EnlistmentGraduates enlist with a branch of the U.S. military.
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