🌠 Pathfinders: Discovering Passions, Building Futures
🎒 An Afterschool Experience for Ages 12–14
🧭 Explore What You Love. Build What You Dream.
Middle schoolers are full of ideas, interests, and questions about the future—but they don’t need to have it all figured out just yet. Pathfinders is a hands-on, future-focused afterschool journey where students explore careers, unlock their talents, and begin to connect what they love with what they can become. It’s about discovering who they are now—and who they’re excited to grow into.
🔍 How It Works
Pathfinders blends self-discovery with real-world exploration through:
🧠 Interest & Strength Mapping: Interactive activities to help students identify what excites them—and where they shine.
🛠️ Career Discovery Labs: Dive into real careers through simulations, challenges, and mini-projects.
🎤 Mentor Moments: Meet professionals (virtually or in-person) who share their career journeys and answer questions.
🎨 Creative Showcases: Use art, design, storytelling, and digital tools to express big dreams and real plans.
🗣️ Future Talk: Build confidence in talking about personal goals, challenges, and what success really means.
🛠️ Sample Missions
Each week, Pathfinders take on exciting missions like:
🌍 Career World Tour: Explore careers in health, tech, arts, sports, education, and more through mini challenges and team games.
🎬 Dream Job Diaries: Create a video, podcast, or illustrated guide about a job they want to learn more about.
💼 Real-World Roleplay: Try out real-life decision making—run a classroom, design a logo, plan a travel route, solve an emergency!
📣 Passion Pitch: Build and share a “My Dream, My Why” presentation about their goals and gifts.
🧩 Team Builders: Work in groups to solve real-world problems using collaboration, creativity, and leadership.
🎉 Pathfinder Showcase
The program ends with a Pathfinder Showcase—a celebration where students:
🎤 Present their “Passion Pitch” or Dream Job projects
🎨 Exhibit creative work and career-inspired projects
🤝 Network with guest professionals and community leaders
🌟 Receive certificates and shoutouts for growth, teamwork, and creativity
A meaningful way to celebrate every student’s unique path.
🎁 Take-Home Kits
Every Pathfinder receives a Build-Your-Future Kit, including:
📓 “All About Me” career journal
🛠️ DIY career challenge cards for home fun
🧭 Strengths + Interests map template
🎯 Goal-setting stickers and affirmation cards
📚 Mini resource guide for future exploration
🌟 What Students Walk Away With
🧠 Self-Awareness: A stronger sense of what they love and why it matters
🎨 Creative Confidence: The ability to express their dreams in different ways
🗣️ Communication Skills: Comfort talking about goals and passions
🤝 Collaboration: Experience working with others and leading together
🚀 Inspiration: A spark of motivation to keep exploring and dreaming
✨ Because Every Journey Starts With Knowing Who You Are
Pathfinders gives middle schoolers space to explore, express, and expand their sense of what’s possible.
🌟 Their interests.
🎤 Their voice.
🚀 Their future.
Let the discovery begin!