Butte School District
Butte, Montana
A year ago, if you were to ask an elementary school student in Butte, Montana, what they want to be when they grow up,听they鈥檇听probably respond听with,听鈥淎 YouTuber.鈥澨�听
鈥淥r maybe听play video games, be a听professional athlete, a dancer,听or听a听singer,鈥� said听fourth grade teacher听Bobbie Anderson.听鈥淎ll that is well and good, but听I think听students听need to be exposed to a variety of careers. The more exposure they have,听the better.鈥�
That alignment is starting to happen for students in Butte School District. They’ve been delving into 蘑菇传媒鈥檚 Career Connect, which is part of the Experience听platform.听Career Connect allows educators to bring professionals from a wide range of industries directly into their classrooms. Through these interactions, students learn firsthand about different occupations, the paths professionals took to reach their careers, and how the skills听 students are developing today may apply to their own futures.
Rather than pulling time away from the curriculum, Career Connect fits inside it, enriching听what听students are already exploring.听
Where Distance Doesn鈥檛 Limit Opportunity
Students in Butte have no shortage of curiosity, but they often have fewer opportunities to discover what is possible beyond their immediate surroundings. Home to 35,000 residents, Butte’s workforce is concentrated in mining, specialty manufacturing, healthcare, and education, with few other industries carrying similar weight.听
鈥淲hen we talk about the word 鈥榗areer,鈥櫶齣t鈥檚 usually teacher, doctor, lawyer, veterinarian,鈥� said Anderson. Students may recognize these familiar professions, she explained, without understanding the much broader range of careers they could explore.听
Fourth-grade teacher Mary Hamm elaborated further and explained that career exploration begins by helping students see work as more than simply the job an adult in their life happens to have. 鈥淚t鈥檚 important to introduce students to the idea of a career, because many of them may only think of the work their parents do as a job,” she said. Students need opportunities to understand that a career can be a path they choose based on their own interests, and one they can begin preparing for now. 听
Exposing students to careers is important, but often there听isn鈥檛听time in the school day to dedicate to it.听That鈥檚听where Career Connect from 蘑菇传媒 comes in.听听
Global AND Local
The听Butte School District鈥檚 pilot of听Experience and Career Connect was made possible through the collaborative efforts of Curriculum Director Ron Ricketts and 蘑菇传媒 Partner Success Manager Allison Nys. Together, they worked closely to bring the pilot into district classrooms and provide students with opportunities to connect their everyday learning to authentic careers and experiences beyond the school walls.
A great example听of this was when seventh-grade science teacher Alyssa Hartson听asked students to select ecosystems to study within a larger听ecology听unit. She knew听her听classroom walls could only take her students so far. So,听Hartson听looped in Career Connect听to bring听in听the Vice President of Conservation at听Polar Bears International, who gave students a presentation of her work and answered questions.听
The class learned听how the organization uses tracking devices to learn about the animals鈥� movement, behavior, and habitat, as well as diet and predators. What made the experience even 鈥渃ooler鈥� (pun intended!) is听that听although the organization tracks polar bears in Canada,听students learned that听Polar Bears International听is headquartered听in their听home state听of Montana.听This discovery helped students see that听careers听that may seem distant or difficult to pursue can be much closer, and more听attainable听than they realize.听
Rave Reviews
Ricketts听considers the听pilot听an overwhelming success.听鈥淚t was incredibly exciting to bring real people from industry directly into our classrooms and watch our students realize just how many career possibilities are available to them,鈥� he said.
Meet the Volunteer Who Never Left the Classroom Behind
The benefits of Career Connect听don’t听stop with students. The professionals who volunteer their time walk away changed, too. Such is the case with Ava Goldson Crews, who听presented听to听Mrs. Hamm鈥檚 fourth graders.听听
Goldson听Crews,听the Senior Manager of Corporate Social Responsibility at Warner Bros. Discovery,听oversees a program that empowers limited-resourced individuals with below-the-line, entry-level film and TV opportunities on WBD productions.听
She also oversees CSR’s educational partnerships, including initiatives like Story Lab, a collaboration that听leverages听the power of DC superheroes to build confidence and storytelling skills in students from elementary to high school.听Since the program’s launch, Story Lab has reached over听400,000 students听across the country.听听
听Her resume is certainly impressive, but Goldson Crews has never forgotten where she started her career鈥攊n a classroom, as a听Teach for America Corps Member.听听
鈥淭hough my formal time in the classroom was short, it shaped how I听view the power of education,鈥� said Goldson Crews.听
Her enthusiasm for her work is contagious, and the fourth graders left her session with a whole new sense of听what’s听possible.听听
The Case for Starting Early
Career education has traditionally been reserved for high school, but there is increasing recognition that by the time students reach that point, it may be too late.听鈥淓xposing students to these options at the elementary level is critical. We need to spotlight the vast range of possibilities鈥�available to them鈥攚hether they want to work with their hands, their minds, or their hearts,鈥� Goldson Crews explained.听听
This exposure is especially important as the world of work听evolves. Many elementary students will one day pursue听careers and听perhaps hold听job听titles听that do not yet exist.听鈥淭oday, the landscape is shifting rapidly,鈥� said Goldson Crews. 鈥淭ech is creating entirely new industries, yet there鈥檚 simultaneously a gap where essential, evergreen jobs aren’t getting the attention they deserve for their stability, specialized skill sets, and room for passion.鈥�听
Ricketts wholeheartedly agrees on starting the conversation early. 鈥�It is especially important at the elementary level because the earlier we can help students discover their interests and passions, the earlier they can begin dreaming big, setting goals, and seeing a future for themselves that they may never have imagined before,” he said.
With Career Connect, schools aren’t just preparing students for jobs that exist today. They’re equipping them with the curiosity and adaptability to create ones that don’t.听
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Quick Facts
District Details
- 9 facilities听serving 4,000+ students
- Partnered with 蘑菇传媒 Experience since January 2026
3 Ways Career Connect Helps Butte Students
- It brings industry experts into the classroom, despite not being in a large, metropolitan area.
- 听It connects classroom curriculum directly to real-world work.
- It plants career awareness early, not just in high school.
