Career-Connected by Design: Building a Districtwide Continuum from Awareness to Workforce Readiness

Career-connected learning is not a single course, event, or platform. It is an intentionally designed ecosystem that grows with students. This poster presentation shares how Dallas ISD is building a PK-12 continuum that begins with career awareness in elementary school, expands into hands-on exploration in middle school, and leads to career preparation, credentials, and work-based learning in high school. Explore scalable initiatives including elementary Career Awareness kits, mobile career exploration labs, a districtwide Career Exploration Showcase, and high school readiness experiences. You will examine the partnerships, funding strategies, implementation structures, and design principles that connect these efforts across grade levels. You will leave with a framework for assessing your existing career-connected learning opportunities, identifying gaps, and developing a more equitable and cohesive continuum from awareness to workforce readiness.