The purpose of this Handbook is to stimulate discussion among senior managers, managers, practitioners, administrative staff, collaborating partners, and stakeholders about how staff members can make the most effective use of their time in implementing changes in the design and delivery of career interventions for adolescents and adults who need…

Background: Although the importance of directing students to career options in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields at early ages has been emphasized in the literature, it has not been clearly stated just who will play a role in this process and what kind of consultancy process will be followed. It is of great importance…

For students with disabilities in rural locations, there can be unique barriers related to postsecondary transition. Reverse Career Fairs (RCFs), wherein employers take the role of attendees and students with disabilities focus on showcasing their skills and talents, are one way to provide U.S. students with experiences that support evidence-based…

The United States is experiencing a physician shortage and rural areas are especially impacted. Programs exist to recruit college and medical students to work in rural areas, but few programs are focused on the high school "pipeline." Medical students, residents and physicians who have lived in rural areas are more likely to practice in…

States and districts use career pathways in a variety of ways, in a variety of settings, and under vastly different circumstances to give young people access to meaningful careers and stable lives. In this report, the authors conducted case studies of career pathways initiatives in Texas, Ohio, and Colorado to better understand the triumphs and…

An e-mentoring program was established to support females who were studying or intending to study or work in Science, Technology, Engineering or Maths related disciplines (STEM) and were located in regional, rural or remote areas. Mentors and mentees were matched based on their shared interests, fields of study and area of employment. The…

This report guides implementation of Purpose First, Complete College America's (CCA's) strategy that creates a "missing link" between career choice, guided pathways, and first-year momentum. This report lays out the components of a Purpose First experience focused on helping students explore interests and careers, make informed choices…

In the context of the modern dynamic socio-economic environment, career-related issues are becoming relevant to psychological and pedagogical sciences as it is professional development that enables people to realize their abilities, capabilities, and needs. Career orientation should be identified as early as possible in order to obtain significant…

The purpose of this article is to report the development and implementation of a STEM teacher attraction intervention based on person-environment (and person-vocation) fit theory. Study 1 reports the administration of a 'realistic job preview' (RJP) intervention requiring participant responses, followed by experienced teacher feedback and a…

How to address the gender gap in STEM has been widely debated. Among the ways to encourage females to pursue STEM careers are outreach programs offered by schools and universities. This manuscript reviews the implementation of a novel program, the Women in Science Experience (WISE), a STEM-focused residential summer camp for high school females,…

The purpose of the study was to investigate preservice teachers' (PSTs) attitudes and beliefs towards their PK-12 field trip (FT) experiences as students, their memories, influences in their lives, impact on their educational approaches and career choices, as well as how, as future teachers, they would implement FTs to their future students to…

Large numbers of students entering community colleges are deemed not academically prepared for college-level math. These students have historically been assigned to one or more non-credit-bearing courses for remedial, often called developmental, math instruction before they can take college-level courses. Research has found that most students…

DegreePlus is a recently developed program at Western Carolina University (WCU) that aims to develop transferable skills, including professionalism, cultural responsiveness, leadership and teamwork, in students via their participation in extracurricular activities. A mixed-methods study that included focus groups and a survey was used to identify…

Case study methods were used to examine the implementation and process used to recruit STEM majors of color into teaching. This article describes a one-year pilot designed to recruit biology majors into teaching. Analyses of the meeting minutes, as well as focus group, and field notes, and participants' reflections revealed that mentorship was an…

Underrepresented populations such as women, African-Americans, and Latinos/as often come to STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) careers by less traditional paths than White and Asian males. To better understand how and why women might shift toward STEM, particularly computer science, careers, we investigated the education and…