Career exploration in BVSD: How students are dreaming big early
4 min read
Walk the halls of a Boulder Valley elementary school during their Dare to Dream week, and you’ll find a flurry of action and excitement. A parent in a lab coat demonstrates how to use a microscope. Kids wriggle excitedly in their seats, their hands flying into the air to play a guessing game — which mystery resume belongs to their favorite teacher?
These moments are more than just a fun break from the usual school day routine; they’re bridges to kids’ futures. With funding from Impact on Education, the nonprofit supporting the Boulder Valley School District (BVSD), “Dream” programming is rolling out across the district — inspiring youngsters from pre-K to eighth grade to explore professional possibilities.
Students at Mesa Elementary learning how to examine a leaf under a microscope from a local parent and botanist
Bringing the “real-world” to the classroom
At both the middle and elementary levels, participating schools bring in local speakers from a wide range of fields, from science and technology to the arts. So far this spring semester, more than 100 guest speakers have participated — bringing the local community directly into the classroom. That included an anthropologist, a botanist, a marketer, an architect, and an aerospace engineer, just to name a few, sharing their professional journeys with students.
Louisville Middle School students getting an ambulance tour and learning what it’s like to work in the field of emergency medicine
“Just speaking from getting to see kids in the room…. they’re super dialed in and excited about interacting with these presenters,” said Zoe White, a seventh-grade teacher at Louisville Middle.
“This gives them a really natural connection for them to be able to see, there are all of these paths you can take, but having foundational skills in order to get there is really important.”
While elementary students get early exposure to different careers, middle schoolers begin to connect what they are learning in school with their immediate futures. Middle school Discover Your Dream career days are timed perfectly for eighth-graders, who are currently picking their high school electives.
“I think so often, especially with middle schoolers, we [hear students say], ‘oh, we’re doing this because we’re in school and we have to do it,’” said Zoe. “This gives them a really natural connection for them to be able to see, there are all of these paths you can take, but having foundational skills in order to get there is really important.”
Louisville Middle School students posing for a photo outside the ambulance they toured
Playing with purpose
While the younger students focus on what they can become, older students dig into the details of how they’ll navigate adulthood. For middle schoolers, this can include a life-like simulation game. Students are assigned an income, a career, and a family. They play out different scenarios — weighing complex financial decisions, such as car payments versus cell phone plans.
And just like in real life, they’re thrown curveballs.
Flatirons student art sharing their dream to become a hero
When a teacher puts a broken washing machine card onto a student’s desk, the lesson shifts from career discovery to real-world trade-offs. Students must manage their income against their needs, their wants, and life’s unexpected costs (like damaged appliances). This forces them to assess what they value most and try to balance financial security, time with family, and the pursuit of a professional passion.
In the elementary program, students engage with both the art and science of career exploration. They complete an age-appropriate, evidence-based career interest survey that connects their personality traits to potential career paths. They also create art, such as a collage or a mobile, that reflects their career aspirations.
Investing in kids’ dreams
The magic of this program is clear, but ensuring it reaches every student — not just a lucky few — requires a sustainable system. Despite broad buy-in, securing a dedicated budget proved challenging this year.
That’s when Impact on Education stepped in, committing up to $20,000 to cover the majority of the costs and keep the elementary and middle school Dream programs going strong.
“Funding is critical,” shared Lynette Welk, BVSD’s director of career and technical education. “This program wouldn’t happen without it. We can’t just rely on one passionate person at a school — we must build systems that allow all students to have access to these opportunities.”
Most career days depend on one passionate parent or educator to lead the charge. The goal is to move past that model and make career exploration a district-wide standard.
“Funding is critical. This program wouldn’t happen without it. We can’t just rely on one passionate person at a school — we must build systems that allow all students to have access to these opportunities.”
Most of Impact on Education’s investment supports supply kits for each school — printing lesson plans, ordering books, and providing the games that bring learning to life. The curriculum is packaged at the district level, making it easier for schools to manage without as many logistical headaches. Educators and schools can adapt lessons as needed, but they have a framework to guide them. This approach provides a scalable formula for career education that improves access and opportunity for students across the district.
More schools, more dreams
The Dream programming began as the brainchild of Jessica Seevers, the principal of Flatirons Elementary. What started as a two-school pilot in the 2023-24 school year, has expanded rapidly with funding from Impact on Education. Last year, the program grew to 11 elementary schools and a few middle schools.
Increased funding this year is propelling that growth even further.
Flatirons Elementary kicking off their Dare to Dream week with an assembly led by Principal Jessica Seevers
This school year, 10 elementary and four middle schools have hosted events, with 20 more elementary schools planning to participate in the coming months. The goal is to expand early career exploration district-wide.
“We don’t want students to have career exploration by chance because one teacher planned guest speakers or career experiences,” explained Lynette. “We must be diligent in creating the landscape where all students get career exploration on purpose — in each and every one of our buildings.”
BEFORE YOU GO
Impact on Education is an independent nonprofit supporting the Boulder Valley School District. We depend on the generosity of our community to put our mission into action.
Will you help us provide opportunities and resources to local students?
