This summer, I completed an externship with the Idaho State Department of Education’s Next Steps Idaho team. My primary project was to help support the implementation and continued development of Next Steps Idaho 2.0. My work included exploring the platform from the perspective of different users, developing user personas, identifying opportunities for standard operating procedures and training, observing the platform for usability and user experience, helping develop educator roadshow materials, and creating an implementation guide focused on how educators can use NSI with students.

The overall goal of my work was to help make Next Steps Idaho easier for educators and students to understand, navigate, and implement. A major focus became identifying ways educators could move beyond simply knowing that NSI exists and actually incorporate it into classroom instruction and career planning throughout the school year. My final implementation guide included grade-level implementation ideas, classroom activities, multiple pathways after high school, family involvement, and practical strategies for using NSI with students.

This experience significantly expanded my knowledge of career and postsecondary planning. I gained a better understanding of the many pathways students can take after high school, including four-year colleges, community colleges, technical and trade programs, apprenticeships, military service, industry certifications, and direct entry into the workforce. I also developed a stronger understanding of the resources available to Idaho students for career exploration, scholarships, financial aid, college research, and career planning.

Most importantly, the externship changed the way I think about teaching career readiness. I realized that students do not necessarily need more information. They need help knowing what to do with the information they already have. This will influence my teaching style by encouraging me to provide more structure, model processes before asking students to work independently, and connect activities to realistic decisions students will make after graduation.

I also want to bring more authentic career exploration into my classroom. Instead of treating career planning as a single lesson or assignment, I can incorporate it into projects, discussions, research activities, budgeting, goal setting, and other classroom experiences. My externship gave me the opportunity to see career readiness from a statewide perspective, and I can now bring that knowledge back into my classroom in a way that is practical, relevant, and meaningful for my students.