The guest for this episode of College & Career Readiness Radio is Dr. Matthew Woods.

Dr. Woods starts by telling the audience about his children’s book series, which is dedicated to helping K-5 students understand and explore careers that they might not otherwise learn about.

Not only did he want students to see a representation of different careers, he wanted them to see representations of themselves in the characters.

Don’t miss his line of thinking around how he designed each book to be able to help students uncover the language regarding careers and career exploration.

The books started as a gift for his son, and then others were asking for them because of the need to help young people explore careers in early grades.

We discuss the power of work-based learning and getting kids into internships and other work experiences where they get to see diversity beyond their school and community.

Listen to what he says about selecting careers for the books and using his son’s interest to drive future stories. The idea is to ensure that young readers are never limited in what they believe they can be and do in life.

Dr. Woods talks about imaginary boundaries that we place on ourselves based on what we see and experience in school and life.

Matt explains why career exploration has to start early in life rather than the typical experience in middle and high schools. It’s important to begin the conversation when students are still curious and before they make up their minds about life’s possibilities.

He tells a heart-wrenching story about a parent who didn’t want their child to have career exposure because it might mean that they leave the community and not return.

He ends with a call-to-action to be more candid with students about career paths and what it takes to reach their goals.

The more you pour into students at a younger age, the more they gain the confidence to grow into beautiful adults. ~ Dr. Matthew Woods.

If you want to learn more about supporting K-5 students with career exploration, book a time to see a demo of the MaiaLearning games that teach students both career awareness and financial literacy.