ORCID
Kristine Ramsay-Seaner: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3691-2485
Amber Letcher: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8993-0834
Meagan Scott Hoffman: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7831-0928
Laura Hasselquist: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5490-932x
Abstract
This article highlights a career exploration curriculum that was developed to support the vocational guidance needs of school counselors working in six rural, high-need communities in North Dakota and South Dakota. Based on social cognitive career theory, Careers in a Box was created to bridge existing gaps in career exploration curricula for rural middle school youth. This grab-and-go curriculum introduces participants to specific careers across the spectrum of food, agriculture, natural resources, and human sciences and provides them with hands-on activities associated with these careers. While program evaluation is ongoing, preliminary results indicate an associated increase in personal resilience in relation to teamwork and job skills among youth in the identified counties. In this article we describe our approach as well as implications for rural vocational guidance programming.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Ramsay-Seaner, K. M.,
Letcher, A.,
Koob, E.,
Scott Hoffman, M.,
&
Hasselquist, L.
(2026).
Careers in a Box: A Promising Career Exploration Curriculum for Rural Youth.
The Rural Educator, 47(2), 25-32.
https://doi.org/10.55533/2643-9662.1500
