Career Awareness
Career Awareness Standards
- Grades K-5 - Download
The Arizona Career Literacy Standards were created in 2019 and updated and renamed Career Awareness for Grades K-5 in December 2024. The standards prepare students for middle school career exploration. This update includes the knowledge and skills needed for employment and career discovery opportunities.
Resources
Junior Achievement Programs K-5 and JA BizTown: FREE career discovery experiences aligned to the AZ K-5 Career Awareness standards.
- Grade-specific in-class programs delivered by teachers or community volunteers, typically in 5-7 lessons.
- JA BizTown is a hands-on experiential learning facility in Tempe paired with preparatory curriculum.
Contact JA COO, Anne Landers, at [email protected] to learn more!
American School Counselor Association (ASCA): Elementary School Career Conversations
"If you woke up tomorrow and were an adult, what career would you like to have?" English ~ Spanish
Arizona Science Center (Grades K-8): Guides and Curriculum
Free resources to color and display on the refrigerator for at-home career discussions!
Career Discovery Corner: Elementary Librarian Activities designed by Arizona K-5 Librarians and tied to K-5 Career Literacy Standards
Career Trek: This K-5th Grade adventure has a stop along the way for each grade that engages students with games, interactive art, and multimedia features. Scaffolded vocabulary and activities introduce and reinforce evidence-based career development concepts.
Defined Careers K-5: Students have a day in the life experience of different careers in their community and beyond. The hands-on products provide opportunities to connect classroom skills to the real world.
American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture: Free downloadable activities and agricultural education materials
iCEV Online Career: Exploration Lessons: Introduction to career clusters and pathways.
My American Farm: Free and fun agriculture discovery activities.
nXu K-5 Curriculum Overview: nXu Education: Lessons designed to build purpose, emotional wellness, and durable skills which are essential to long-term success. Curriculum is aligned to Arizona's K-5 Career Awareness Standards, with emphasis on self-awareness, interpersonal competencies, and goal-setting.
Contact [email protected] to learn more!
TeachSTEM: Explorers-Arizona Educational Foundation: Free lessons on career exploration and STEM careers.
Virtual Job Shadow Junior: Interactive Career Exploration Platform for K-5 students
Please note: The Arizona Department of Education does not endorse curriculum. The curricular resources on this webpage are posted for teacher consideration and offer instructional ideas to teach Career Awareness.