Middle School (Grades 6-8)
Explore Your Interests. Build Your Plan.
Middle school is an exciting time to begin thinking about the future. Students start discovering their interests, developing new skills, and making choices that can shape their high school experience and future opportunities. While there's still plenty of time to explore, middle school is the perfect time to connect interests to careers, learn about education and training options, and begin planning for high school.
Whether you're a student, parent, or educator, ICAN provides resources to help you prepare for the next step with confidence.
| Career Planning | College Planning | Financial Aid |
|---|---|---|
| Middle school is the time to connect interests with future opportunities. Students begin exploring careers, discovering their strengths, and learning how education and training lead to different career pathways. | Middle school is the perfect time to begin preparing for high school and exploring education after graduation. Students learn about different postsecondary pathways while building the academic foundation needed for future success. | Middle school is a great time to build financial awareness. Students and families can begin learning about college costs, saving strategies, budgeting, and the financial aid process before important decisions are made. |
What Should You Focus on?
Parents and families play an important role during the middle school years by encouraging exploration, discussing future goals, and helping students prepare for high school.
Try These Activities
- Have regular conversations about your child's interests, strengths, and future goals.
- Explore a variety of careers together using online resources, videos, career fairs, and job shadowing opportunities.
- Encourage your child to try new activities, clubs, sports, fine arts, and leadership opportunities to discover new interests.
- Help your child set academic and personal goals, then celebrate progress along the way.
- Talk about how school subjects connect to careers and real-world opportunities.
- Encourage good study habits, organization, and time management to prepare for high school.
- Visit college campuses, apprenticeship training centers, military events, or local employers to explore different post-high school pathways.
- Encourage your child to ask questions, solve problems independently, and take on increasing responsibility.
- Continue teaching financial literacy by discussing budgeting, saving, and how education and training can affect future earnings.
- Begin talking about high school course choices and how they can support future career and education goals.
- Attend school career, college, and financial aid events together when available.
- Celebrate curiosity, resilience, effort, and growth as your child explores new opportunities and begins planning for the future.
Explore
🌟 Explore Careers & InterestsDiscover your strengths, interests, and values while learning about careers and the many opportunities available after high school. Explore: |
📚 Prepare for High SchoolThe courses you choose in high school can influence future career and college opportunities. Begin learning about graduation requirements, academic planning, and selecting classes that align with your goals. Explore:
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🎓 Explore Education & TrainingThere are many pathways after high school, including apprenticeships, certificates, community colleges, universities, military service, and workforce training. Begin learning about the options available. Explore: |
💵 Build Financial AwarenessIt's never too early to begin learning about college costs, scholarships, financial aid, and smart money habits that prepare students for future decisions. Explore: |
Recommended Resources
| Career Planning | College Planning | Financial Aid | ICAN Resources |
|---|---|---|---|
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Continue Your Journey
Middle school lays the foundation for high school success. As students enter high school, planning becomes more focused as they begin selecting courses, gaining career experience, exploring postsecondary options, and preparing for life after graduation.
