NFTE Exploring Careers: Introduction to Entrepreneurship and the Working World

Program Details

• Course Requirements and Recommendations
  • Grades 7–10 
  • Full-year course implementation recommended 
  • Semester implementation available
• NFTE Career-Readiness Measures

  Student career readiness is measured on the three dimensions that the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) utilizes to evaluate career readiness:

  • Academic: Content assessments from Pearson and Steve Mariotti’s Exploring Careers for the 21^st Century curriculum
  • Employability: Entrepreneurial mindset evaluated through Startup Showcase presentations, teacher classroom rubrics, and NFTE’s Entrepreneurial Mindset Index (EMI), a formative assessment of students’ noncognitive skills
  • Industry: Application of Academic Planning, Entrepreneurship, Personal Finance & Career Readiness Industry-Recognized tools through experiential activities from Exploring Careers for the 21st Century curriculum
• Student Startup Showcase
  • Students present their business ideas and marketing materials in a tradeshow-style setting, with opportunities to network with and sell to professionals from the local business community. 
  • Top teams selected by expert judges receive prizes.
• Volunteer Support
  • Volunteer Showcase expo judges use a scoring rubric to provide feedback to students and select winners.
• NFTE’s Entrepreneurial Teacher Corps: Professional Development and Benefits
  • Intensive face-to-face curriculum training (“NFTE U”), leading to Certified Entrepreneurship Teacher (CET) certificate 
  • Quarterly in-person Professional Learning Communities 
  • Monthly Professional Development Webinars 
  • Annual Teacher Summit 

  • Online access to all instructional and training materials through NFTE Digital Classroom 
  • Other Support Services
• Units of Learning
  • Careers and You
    Through exploring the world of work and various careers, students discover their personal strengths and begin to activate their entrepreneurial mindset. 
  • Preparing for a Career
    Students learn a variety of skills that are vital to their success including: academic planning, communicating with others, building relationships, basic math, and technology. 
  • Career Development
    Students explore all phases of managing a career including what assessing jobs fit their skills and personality, how to find a first job, how to advance in their chosen career and how to balance work and life.   
  • Entrepreneurship
    Students practice the steps to starting, planning and managing their own business, including analyzing trends, assessing markets, developing strategies, and financing options.   
  • Financial Management
    Students learn basic economics, personal money management and financial planning, and introductory business financial management and calculations.