What do you want to be when you grow up?
This is a changing question for anyone. 4-H can help youth explore career options by sparking their interest in learning about careers and the thousands of options that are available to them.
How do we expect young people to dream if they don’t know what they can dream about? 4-H can give members information and learning experiences that will help them open doors to their future. Opportunities for career exploration give 4-Hers a broader exposure to the working world they will enter. It helps them “connect the dots” between school and career in ways that keep them motivated to graduate with the skills they will need for the future.
Career exploration experiences can improve academic performance. They increase the likelihood that members complete high school and pursue post-secondary education.
Career exploration opportunities improve attitudes of youth about their career possibilities, motivating them to persevere.
Career exploration improves members’ knowledge of career options, encouraging them to develop and work toward goals during the critical years when they are also beginning to venture beyond their families.
With understanding the working world, youth can envision how they successfully fit in. Knowing the preparation they need for specific careers, members set realistic goals and pursue them.
Students involved in career exploration plan their high school courses carefully to gain the skills they will need. Members participating in career exploration as middle-schoolers enroll in higher level math courses in high school and have higher self-esteem.
For additional resources and information 4-H and career exploration contact your local Nebraska Extension Office or go online to 4h.unl.edu
