Foundations | Grades 5-9

In Career and Technology Foundations (CTF), students plan, create, appraise, and communicate to explore interests and passions as they learn about various career possibilities and occupational areas. CTF responds to the context of the school, community, and student interests and passions, and as a result, looks different in every school. This flexibility allows teachers to design meaningful learning experiences for students.

At the heart of CTF are the four central processes: plan, create, appraise, communicate. Students engage in CTF tasks, alternating between the four central processes. These central processes span 28 different occupational areas. Occupational areas are categorized by five clusters (Human Services, Business, Communication, Resources, and Technology) and include disciplines such as foods, computing science, design studies, environmental stewardship, and construction, just to name a few. Each CTF task should align with at least two occupational areas. 

Because the four central processes can be adapted to any topic of study, students are emphasizing universal skills and processes, which makes learning more meaningful and connected than ever. Hands-on, relevant, and purposeful learning is very important to the middle years learner.

Grade 9s: Economics for Success

In this in-class program, students use games and multimedia to:

• Learn why it’s important to stay in school and explore post-secondary destinations
• Gain an understanding of life after high school; map interests, skills, and passions to career options
• Create a budget and consider the financial reality of post-secondary life
• Learn how to network, identify a mentor, and create a strong personal brand
• Develop and implement strategies to help achieve goals
• Students use the “Keep Your Balance” online tool to see how their lifestyle choices impact their budget and the environment.

By the end of the program, students will learn how their choices can positively impact their future dreams and outcomes. This will help them set goals, seize opportunities, and create a future that fuels their passions.