Academic Innovations, Publisher of Career Choices

“Career Choices received a Promising Intervention Award from the U.S. Department of Education in recognition of its effectiveness in reducing dropout rates and supporting higher achievement in reading and math.”

Association of Career and Technical Education’s Techniques magazine

Since March 2020, almost $190 billion in federal COVID relief funding has been made available to schools across the nation.

Reengage, Reinvigorate, and Refocus Your Students




This year, over $190 billion in federal relief funds are available to K-12 school districts around the country as part of three COVID aid packages: Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (ESSER I), Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (ESSER II), and American Rescue Plan Act (ESSER III). Take advantage of this rare opportunity by leveraging these additional funds to reengage, reinvigorate, and refocus your students.

“Giving [students] this direction is going to help with everything you can imagine in your school...whether it’s discipline...or if it’s your dropout rate or your test scores. It will help across the board.”

Rhett Carter, Principal
Orcutt Academy High School, Orcutt, California


Proven! Personalized! Powerful!

For over 30 years, our evidence-based curriculums have given schools around the nation the tools necessary to help all of their students succeed.

2.5 million

students impacted by this future-focused curriculum


30+ years

of changing attitudes and changing lives

“Whether you’re 18, 38, or 58, the career decision-making process is the same. You’ve provided a tool that can be referred to over a lifetime.”

Kenneth B. Hoyt, Ph.D.
Former Director, Office of Career Education, U.S. Department of Education
Past President, National Career Development Association
Past President, American Counseling Association

“We wanted to do something about the school’s academic culture starting with the freshman class. In our second year, we had a 38% drop in freshmen with three or more Fs, and GPAs went up 15%.”

Rudy Ramirez, Principal (1992-2016)
Indio High School, Indio, CA

“We’ve seen some very remarkable results. Our 2009 graduation rate hovered around 53%...The second cohort that was exposed to the Career Choices program, which graduated 2011‐2012 school year, had an 83% graduation rate.”

Lynnette Williams, Lead Teacher
Poughkeepsie High School, Poughkeepsie, NY

Recommended Uses for Your Funds


Delivering the ‘Get Focused’ Career Choices series course through any one of the four available formats ensures students can catch up with their learning through an academically-based course while—just as important—working through a process for creating a future-focused 10-year Plan. The result will be students with increased motivation ready to recommit themselves to their education because they recognize its value at a personal level. You’ll witness apathetic or directionless adolescents become confident, self-directed learners.

“We have a high-poverty area, and we’re seeing many more students buy into their education. Kids are realizing they have a future. There are less and less students dropping out.”

Nick Wisely, Teacher
Antioch High School, Antioch, CA


“Since we started the program, the freshman failure rate has dropped dramatically. Putting things into perspective really gets students motivated.”

Maria Hennessy, Vice Principal
Rahway High School, Rahway, NJ


“We have seen a significant increase in the number of students taking AP courses, and I think there’s more focus academically across our campus.”

Gerardo Cornejo, Principal
Carpinteria High School, Carpinteria, CA


Learn More

When students complete a course with the Career Choices series curriculum, they are not only exposed to an arsenal of social-emotional skills, but also develop a vision and comprehensive 10-year plan for a productive future. Throughout the course, they are provided opportunities to practice a variety of self-mastery skills in context as they envision the life that matches their goals, dreams, and aspirations. Their individualized plan translates to hope for the future, which is the best antidote to the setbacks of the last year.

“...[the] goals that are established in the 10-year Plan then form the foundation for our guidance counselors and our teachers to take those plans forward and continue to have those meaningful discussions with our students...”

John Farinella, Principal
Rahway High School, Rahway, NJ
New Jersey Visionary Principal of the Year, Secondary Level, 2017


“This course is about holistic student development.”

Dr. Lauren Wintermeyer, Co-Founder
Get Focused...Stay Focused!®
Counselor, Ventura College


“We have seen a significant increase in the number of students taking AP courses, and I think there’s more focus academically across our campus.”

Gerardo Cornejo, Principal
Carpinteria High School, Carpinteria, CA


Start Here

Each of the four available formats have a robust online component built on the proven My10yearPlan.com® platform. Rigorous yet engaging, the over 100 interactive activities provide the learner with a systematic decision-making process while double dosing academic skill building. Even students who are not attending regular in-person classes can experience this important course. Career Choices and Changes Online PREMIUM provides the self-directed learner or independent study student with 64 video tutorials and 15 new chapter quizzes to guide them along a self-paced path to achieve their college and career goals.

“It’s like having a career counselor in a package. It gently guides the reader through the process of making some of life’s most important decisions.”

Pat Schwallie-Giddis, Ph.D.
Past President, National Career Development Association
Former Chair, Department of Counseling & Human Development,
The George Washington University


See an Example

Students rave about this course. Why? Because it is all about them—Who Am I? What Do I Want? How Do I Get It? Make this course part of an extended learning program or a summer enrichment offering for all secondary grades. When students create an online 10-year Plan for their life goals in an easily digestible format, you’ll help them approach each of their classes with increased confidence.

“...it’s an opportunity in the regular school day that is gifted to our students where they get to focus on themselves.”

Amy Gil, Teacher
Carpinteria High School, Carpinteria, CA


“I think the number one reason that we do this program is because all evidence that we have to this point demonstrates that this has a positive effect on the lives of young people in planning ahead, beyond just what they are going to do in a public school setting, but they are also planning for whatever their life career is going to be.”

Dr. Dan Mielke, Executive Director
Eastern Promise, Eastern Oregon University


Get Started

We’ve made it easy for you. Academic Innovations offers a variety of online teaching tools––like these online class agendas––that give teachers everything they need to successfully teach this course. We also have more online professional development and training opportunities than ever before for new or returning teachers.

“Wow, what a great suite of tools you have curated for educators!”

David Cash, Ed.D.,
Governance Chair, EDL Program
Rossier School of Education, University of Southern California


"We are transforming what it means to teach and learn.”

James Harris, Principal
Bethel High School Freshman Academy


"Before the October Virtual Conference, I was unsure and on the fence on whether the Get Focused...Stay Focused!® School-Wide Initiative was the right program for the students in our district, but after attending the virtual conference, I am now 100% certain GFSF is the right choice for our students. The sessions were informative, practical, and relevant to our goal of better preparing our students for their post-secondary career and college endeavors."

Antonio Munguia, Principal
Brawley Union High School District


Contact me for an online tour


The Career Choices Series Curriculum Has Your Complete Solution!

It offers a variety of delivery options:

  • Hybrid or online-only options
  • Freshman transition course
  • Summer enrichment opportunity
  • Online independent study course
  • Middle school bridge program
  • Online 10-year career and education planning process
  • Whole-school academic coaching & advisory tools

Learn More

Invest in Your Students’ Future Today
and You’ll Gift them a Lifetime of Self-Sufficiency —
Both Financial and Emotional

“I have seen my students start to connect to resources that have always been available. They are now willing to jump in and try new things. We want them to be in the driver’s seat of their own lives.”

Rachelle Fast, Teacher
Sierra High School, Manteca, CA

“Students seem to be more connected to school, are here in the classroom more, and are just not getting in trouble as much...they understand that they need to be here and why their decisions will affect them in the future.”

Erin Hansen, Freshman Seminar Teacher
Carpinteria High School, Carpinteria, CA

“It’s like having a career counselor in a package. It gently guides the reader through the process of making some of life’s most important decisions.”

Pat Schwallie-Giddis, Ph.D.
Past President, National Career Development Association
Former Chair, Department of Counseling & Human Development,
The George Washington University

“I think the number one reason that we do this program is because all evidence that we have to this point demonstrates that this has a positive effect on the lives of young people in planning ahead, beyond just what they are going to do in a public school setting, but they are also planning for whatever their life career will be.”

Dr. Dan Mielke, Executive Director
Eastern Promise, Eastern Oregon University

“The biggest surprise has been the brevity...it only took a year to make a major impact on our students.”

Bobby Cunningham, Former Principal
McCormick High School, McCormick, SC

Inspiring students to reengage, reinvigorate, and refocus on their future is the key to get through this time of unparalleled learning loss and student distress.

Let our team of experts assist you in finding the solution that will work best for you and your students. Time is limited to take advantage of your ESSER funds, so don’t delay!

Changing Attitudes & Changing Lives

Career Choices was used by Santa Barbara City College’s Dual Enrollment Get Focused...Stay Focused!® Program which contributed to the college being recognized by the Aspen Institute in 2013 as the #1 Community College in the United States.

In 2015, the United States Congress awarded Career Choices author Mindy Bingham a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition for Innovative Approaches to Curricula.

Act Now

Or call us at (800) 967-8016

Quotes have been collected from educators over the past three decades. Titles were accurate at the time the quote was made.

© 2021 Academic Innovations. All rights reserved.
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