Exploring is a career education program for young men and women ages 14 through 20 under the Learning for Life organization. Race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, ethnic background, economic status and citizenship are not criteria for participation. Exploring’s adult volunteer leaders give their time and expertise in order to provide real-world career experiences for young adults. The Exploring program is not about lectures and slide shows – it’s about gaining practical, hands-on experience in a career field – resulting in a program full of activities that helps youth pursue their special interests, build character, and develop life and job skills.
The overall goal of Exploring is to help young adults make a more informed decision about future careers and determine if a particular career is the right one for them. Typically, a young adult in Exploring will either (1) get involved, learn about a career, and decide to pursue it or (2) learn enough about the career to determine it’s not the right fit for them. We believe it is better for a young adult to learn more about a career earlier in life, rather than spending money and time on further education before discovering it may not be the right fit for them after all.
Each year the local Career Exploring Office, in cooperation with area middle and high schools, administers Career Interest Surveys. Students select their top two career choices from over 100 professions. This information is then used to invite these students to join local Career Exploring programs, and start new programs for career exploring opportunities which are not yet available.
Explorer posts can specialize in a variety of career skills. Exploring programs are based on five areas of emphasis: career opportunities, life skills, citizenship, character education, and leadership experience.