INTERESTS AND APTITUDES

Give each Explorer a Zeroing in on My Interests activity sheet. Explain that this activity is one method of identifying interests. Ask Explorers to reflect on what they have done outside of school time during the last seven days. Then have them write down the things they did during their leisure time each day for the last week.

After Explorers have had sufficient time to list their leisure-time activities for all seven days, ask them to review their lists. Have them place a check mark by activities on the list that appear more than twice; these should be written under “Frequent Activities.” Then ask them to review their lists again and place a star by activities that appear more than four times. These should be listed under “Favorite Activities.” In groups of three or four, allow them to share their lists and brainstorm possible careers that are related to their interests. After a brief period of time, have a few volunteers share examples of their frequent activities, interests, and possible careers.

Give each Explorer a Focusing on My Aptitudes activity sheet. Ask them to review the seven headings and circle the items they feel they do well in each area, filling in specifics as needed. Usually, participants need encouragement to identify areas in which they excel. After a sufficient period of time, ask Explorers to reflect on each topic and then list under “My Main Aptitudes” the ones that they feel are their strongest. After they have finished, have them gather in groups of three or four to brainstorm occupations related to the main aptitudes of everyone in their group. Each Explorer should then list the occupations relevant to them under “Possible Careers” on their own worksheets. After a brief period of time, have a few volunteers share examples of their main aptitudes and possible careers.