Tools You Can Use

Many organizations offer tools and experiences to help students explore and prepare for careers in the licensed professions. Here you will find a selection of career-development programs that offer mentoring, scholarships, experiential learning, materials for teachers, and more!

Each program listed here includes keywords that describe the types of experiences offered. For example, if a program offers guidance on preparing for and selecting a college, it would have the keywords "College Guidance" in its listing.

Tips:

Professions are listed alphabetically. There is also a category for multi-profession and miscellaneous programs.
If you are interested in learning more about what programs are available in your school district, please contact your guidance counselor.

Program Type & Keywords:

Career Exploration	Offers resources for exploring careers, including programs to increase access to the professions
College Guidance	Features guidance on preparing for/choosing a college
Curriculum	Makes curricula available to educators, or program presents its own curriculum
Experiential Components	Program includes hands-on activities or “applied” experiences (e.g., guided projects, internships)
Mentoring	Offers mentoring components or opportunities
Professional Services	Licensed professionals provide services to students in need
Scholarships	Provides or links to college scholarship opportunities
STEM	Focuses on science, technology, engineering, and math subjects/experiences

Click on the field you are interested in below to learn more about the opportunities available.

Acupuncture

Name	P-20 Audience	Summary of Activities	Program Type/Keywords
Acupuncture Society of New York	College Students	College and career information and links for professionals.	Career Exploration Scholarship

Applied Behavior Analysis

(no career/mentoring information found)

Architecture

Name	P-20 Audience	Summary of Activities	Program Type/Keywords
Ace Mentor Program	Middle/High School Students	Via mentors, immerses students in design and construction projects (e.g., contracting, engineering, architecture, and landscaping); student capstone presentation.	Career Exploration Mentoring Experiential Components Scholarships STEM
AIA NY Center for Architecture Foundation	P-12 Students Parents/Families Educators/Mentors	Weekend, vacation, and afterschool programs; residency programs and workshops; professional development for educators.	Career Exploration College Guidance Curriculum Mentoring Experiential Components Scholarships STEM
Worldstudio Foundation	Middle/High School Students	Scholarships, fellowships, grants; mentoring.	Career Exploration Mentoring Scholarships
Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC) NYS STEM Incentive Program	Middle/High School Students College Students Parents/Families	HESC is New York State's higher education financial aid agency. Users can explore the grants and scholarships available to residents attending in-state colleges and universities. Includes link to NYS Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Incentive Program.	Career Exploration Scholarships

Athletic Training

Name	P-20 Audience	Summary of Activities	Program Type/Keywords
National Athletic Trainers’ Association	Middle/High School Students College Students	College and career information.	Scholarships Career Exploration Mentoring
New York State Athletic Trainers’ Association	College Students	College and career information. Links to accredited schools in New York.	Scholarships Career Exploration Mentoring

Audiology

Name	P-20 Audience	Summary of Activities	Program Type/Keywords
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association	Middle/High School Students College Students	College and career information and links for high school students.	Career Exploration College Guidance
New York State Speech-Language Hearing Association	Middle/High School Students College Students	College and career information. Links to college and university programs in New York.	Career Exploration College Guidance Scholarship

Certified Public Accountancy

Name	P-20 Audience	Summary of Activities	Program Type/Keywords
NYS Society of CPAs	Middle/High School Students College Students	Activities at college campuses and field visits (COAP); “Excellence in Accounting” scholarship.	Career Exploration College Guidance
Start Here, Go Places	Middle/High School Students Educators/Mentors	Career and college preparation resources for students; professional development and classroom resources for high school educators. AICPA Foundation scholarships.	Curriculum Scholarships

Certified Shorthand Reporting

Name	P-20 Audience	Summary of Activities	Program Type/Keywords
National Court Reporters Association	Middle/High School Students College Students	Basic college and career guidance. NCRA’s DiscoverSteno includes resources for careers in court reporting and recruitment resources.	Career Exploration College Guidance Mentoring Scholarships
New York State Court Reporters Association	Middle/High School Students College Students	Links to scholarship, reporting schools, and a mentoring program	Career Exploration College Guidance Mentoring Scholarships

Chiropractic

Name	P-20 Audience	Summary of Activities	Program Type/Keywords
American Chiropractic Association	College Students	Resources for professionals and Student ACA members from accredited chiropractic colleges	Career Exploration Scholarships

Clinical Laboratory Technology

Name

P-20 Audience

Summary of Activities

Program Type/Keywords

American Society for Cytotechnology

College Students

College and career guidance and resources for professionals.

Career Exploration
College Guidance
Scholarships

National Society for Histotechnology

College Students

College and career guidance and resources for professionals.

National Laboratory Professionals Week – last full week in April.

Career Exploration
College Guidance

Dentistry

Name

P-20 Audience

Summary of Activities

Program Type/Keywords

American Dental Association and ADA Foundation

General/All Ages

Basic college and career guidance.

Foundation: “Give Kids a Smile” provides free oral health services to underserved children.

Career Exploration
College Guidance
Professional Services

Dietetics and Nutrition

Name	P-20 Audience	Summary of Activities	Program Type/Keywords
New York State Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics	College Students	College and career guidance and resources for RDNs and NDTRs	Career Exploration College Guidance Scholarships Mentoring

Engineering

Name	P-20 Audience	Summary of Activities	Program Type/Keywords
Virginia Middle School Engineering Initiative	Educators/Mentors	Completed—project yielded engineering teaching kits.	Curriculum STEM
Project Lead the Way	P-12 Students Educators/Mentors	Applied-learning curricular modules—engineering, computer science, biomedical engineering.	Curriculum Experiential Components STEM
MESA: Engineering Pipeline (Oregon)	Middle/High School Students Educators/Mentors Parents/Families	Hands-on math, science, engineering, and technology projects at school sites; competitions; links to career, college, and scholarship resources.	Career Exploration College Guidance Curriculum Experiential Components Scholarships STEM
NYS STEM Education Collaborative	P-12 Students Educators/Mentors	Collaboration/advocacy to strengthen and align STEM teaching and NY math, science, and technology learning standards.	STEM
Math Counts	Middle/High School Students Educators/Mentors	Competitions, clubs, projects; curriculum (free and by subscription).	Curriculum STEM Experiential Components
Design Squad--PBS	Middle/High School Students Educators/Mentors Parents/Families	TV series with guides, lessons, and activities for students, educators, and parents on STEM topics.	Curriculum STEM Experiential Components
Discover Engineering “Discover E”	P-12 Students Educators/Mentors Parents/Families	Resources for students, educators, and volunteers: STEM activities, guides, projects, competitions, education, diversity initiatives, and careers.	Career Exploration College Guidance Curriculum Mentoring Experiential Components STEM
National Society of Black Engineers	P-12 Students College Students	3-week “SEEK” summer commuter program for grades 3-5. Pre-college initiative for K-12 students who join “NSBE Jr.” for a nominal fee, including STEM focused programs, competitions, and events.	Career Exploration College Guidance Curriculum Mentoring Experiential Components STEM
National Society of Professional Engineers	Middle/High School Students	College scholarships (other products for members).	Scholarships STEM
National Academy of Engineering—Engineer Girl	P-12 Students	Career information (preparation, settings, specialties), history, and “Ask an Engineer” about education and career matters; links to competitions, scholarships, clubs.	Career Exploration College Guidance Mentoring Scholarships STEM
Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC) NYS STEM Incentive Program	Middle/High School Students College Students Parents/Families	HESC is New York State's higher education financial aid agency. Users can explore the grants and scholarships available to residents attending in-state colleges and universities. Includes link to NYS Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Incentive Program.	Career Exploration Scholarships

Geology

Name	P-20 Audience	Summary of Activities	Program Type/Keywords
Earth Science Week	P-12 Students Educators/Mentors	Program and education resources for educators and students.	Curriculum
American Geophysical Union AGU Bright STaRS	Middle/High School Students	Students engaged in research experiences present results to the scientific community.	Career Exploration
Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC) NYS STEM Incentive Program	Middle/High School Students College Students Parents/Families	HESC is New York State's higher education financial aid agency. Users can explore the grants and scholarships available to residents attending in-state colleges and universities. Includes link to NYS Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Incentive Program.	Career Exploration Scholarships

Interior Design

Name	P-20 Audience	Summary of Activities	Program Type/Keywords
American Society of Interior Designers	College Students	General information site geared towards professionals. Includes scholarship and grant information.	Scholarships Career guidance
Parsons Scholars Pre-College Program (NY)	P-12 students	Program offers age-appropriate courses in subjects including interior design, drawing, graphic design, and photography. Parsons Scholars Program is available to 10th grade students from NYC public schools	Experiential Components College Guidance Scholarships
Interior Design Educators Council	Educators/Mentors	3 interior design modules (9 lesson plans).	Curriculum

Land Surveying

Name	P-20 Audience	Summary of Activities	Program Type/Keywords
New York State Association of Professional Land Surveyors	College Students Educators	Career development and scholarship information.	Career Exploration Curriculum Mentoring Scholarships
National Society of Professional Surveyors	P-12 Students	Links to programs/activities related to surveying - GPS Adventures, GPS on Bench Marks, Boy and Girl Scout Surveying Merit Badge, Trig-Star Competition.	Experiential Components Career Exploration College Guidance Scholarships
Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC) NYS STEM Incentive Program	Middle/High School Students College Students Parents/Families	HESC is New York State's higher education financial aid agency. Users can explore the grants and scholarships available to residents attending in-state colleges and universities. Includes link to NYS Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Incentive Program.	Career Exploration Scholarships

Landscape Architecture

Name	P-20 Audience	Summary of Activities	Program Type/Keywords
American Society of Landscape Architects	Middle/High School Students Educators/Mentors	Classroom activities aligned to national teaching standards; green roof program.	Career Exploration College Guidance Experiential Components

Massage Therapy

Name	P-20 Audience	Summary of Activities	Program Type/Keywords
American Massage Therapy Association	Middle/High School Students College Students	Career and education information.	Career Exploration College Guidance Scholarships

Medical Physics

Name	P-20 Audience	Summary of Activities	Program Type/Keywords
American Association of Physicists in Medicine	P-12 Students College Students	Includes a student guide to a medical physics career	Career Exploration College Guidance

Medicine

Name	P-20 Audience	Summary of Activities	Program Type/Keywords
Northwell Health Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research	College Students High School Students	Includes links to the Summer Research Internship Program (college students) and Summer Visiting Scholar Program (high school and college, aged 16+)	Career Exploration Experiential Components Mentoring
Mentoring in Medicine	P-12 Students College Students	Programs engage and educate students about biology and healthcare careers. Activities, field trips, mentoring experiences, and health-related community service.	Curriculum Experiential Components Mentoring Scholarships STEM

Mental Health Practitioners

Name	P-20 Audience	Summary of Activities	Program Type/Keywords
New York Mental Health Counselors Association	College Students	Mentoring program for students and recent graduates.	Mentoring Career Exploration
American Art Therapy Association	College Students	Education section provides information about education requirements and licensure in the profession and links to scholarships for AATA members.	Career Exploration College Guidance Scholarships
American Music Therapy Association	Middle/High School Students College Students	Provides students with information about education and licensure in the profession and links to scholarships available to AMTA members.	College Guidance Career Exploration Scholarships

Midwifery

Name	P-20 Audience	Summary of Activities	Program Type/Keywords
American College of Nurse-Midwives	College Students High School Students	General site for families, students, and professionals.	Career Exploration College Guidance

Nursing

Name	P-20 Audience	Summary of Activities	Program Type/Keywords
Office of the Professions	Middle/High School Students	Basic directory of scholarships, grants, and loans.	Scholarships

Occupational Therapy

Name	P-20 Audience	Summary of Activities	Program Type/Keywords
American Occupational Therapy Association	College Students	The site is primarily aimed at practitioners. It also includes information about accredited programs and career planning.	Career Exploration College Guidance Scholarships

Ophthalmic Dispensing

Name	P-20 Audience	Summary of Activities	Program Type/Keywords
New York State Society of Opticians	College Students	Mentoring program available to assist students and newly-licensed ophthalmic dispensers.	Mentoring

Optometry

Name	P-20 Audience	Summary of Activities	Program Type/Keywords
American Optometric Association and AOA Foundation	College Students Educators/Mentors	Association is aimed at optometry students and practitioners. AOA Foundation supports programs such as InfantSee (free assessment for infants); VisionUSA (services for low-income, uninsured people); and funds programs for underserved children.	Career Exploration College Guidance Curriculum Professional Services Scholarships
SUNY College of Optometry	College Students	Career development and mentoring opportunities for SUNY students, residents, and alumni.	Career Exploration Mentoring

Pathologists' Assistant

Name	P-20 Audience	Summary of Activities	Program Type/Keywords
American Association of Pathologists’ Assistants	College Students	Advocacy organization; membership required to access scholarship information.	Scholarships

Perfusion

Name	P-20 Audience	Summary of Activities	Program Type/Keywords
American Board of Cardiovascular Perfusion	College Students	Accreditation, certification, and examination information for students.	College Guidance

Pharmacy

Name	P-20 Audience	Summary of Activities	Program Type/Keywords
APhA - American Pharmacists Association	College Students	Student section (APhA-ASP) includes information about leadership opportunities, projects and outreach, career development, and scholarships.	Scholarships Career Exploration

Physical Therapy

Name	P-20 Audience	Summary of Activities	Program Type/Keywords
American Physical Therapy Association	Middle/High School Students	Career overview, development, and management for PTs and PTAs	Career Exploration College Guidance Scholarships

Podiatry

Name	P-20 Audience	Summary of Activities	Program Type/Keywords
American Podiatric Medical Association	Middle/High School Students College Students	Career overview, educational requirements, and links to colleges of podiatric medicine and residency programs. The Student Resources section has links to grants and scholarships.	Mentoring College Guidance Scholarships

Polysomnographic Technology

Name	P-20 Audience	Summary of Activities	Program Type/Keywords
American Association of Sleep Technologists	College Students	Career and college information, education resources, scholarship information.	Career Exploration Scholarships

Psychology

Name	P-20 Audience	Summary of Activities	Program Type/Keywords
American Psychological Association (APA) and APA-YMCA partnership	College Students P-12 Students Educators/Mentors Parents/Families	Professional development, curricula, activities, guides, videos for P-12 teachers (may require membership). “Help Center” for general audiences. APA public education campaign—tools and strategies to foster healthy lifestyles, behaviors, and choices.	Career Exploration College Guidance Curriculum

Respiratory Therapy

Name	P-20 Audience	Summary of Activities	Program Type/Keywords
American Association for Respiratory Care	College Students	Basic career and college information; links to some scholarship programs.	Career Exploration College Guidance Mentoring Scholarships

Social Work

Name	P-20 Audience	Summary of Activities	Program Type/Keywords
National Association of Social Work	College Students	Career planning information, links to fellowships, scholarships and research awards.	Career Exploration Scholarships

Speech-Language Pathology

Name	P-20 Audience	Summary of Activities	Program Type/Keywords
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association	Middle/High School Students College Students	College and career information and links for high school students.	Career Exploration College Guidance

Veterinary Medicine

Name	P-20 Audience	Summary of Activities	Program Type/Keywords
Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine	P-12 Students Educators/Mentors	Activities, guides, curricula and teaching resources, after school programs, Vet Camp. Programs supported by NIH Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA) – "This is How We “Role” for kids in grade K-4	Curriculum STEM Experiential Components
American Veterinary Medicine Association	Middle/High School Students College Students Educators/Mentors	Career PowerPoint presentations for grades K-college and other activities and lesson plans for K-12 educators. Professional development section contains information about veterinary colleges and accreditation.	Curriculum Career Exploration College Guidance Scholarships
Cornell Cooperative Extension – Suffolk County	Middle/High School Students	Veterinary Medicine Career Exploration Program- Shadowing experience and 5-week lecture series. $100 fee to attend. Program graduates eligible for Vet School Scholarship.	Experiential Career Exploration Scholarship
Cornell Cooperative Extension – Rockland County	Middle/High School Students	Veterinary Science Career Exploration – 4-H youth development program. 8 sessions including a “day in the life of veterinary practice.”	Experiential Career Exploration

Multi-Profession and Miscellaneous Programs

Name	P-20 Audience	Summary of Activities	Program Type/Keywords
BOCES New Visions	Middle/High School Students	Offers highly-motivated seniors a non-traditional, and academically challenging, senior year. Integrates required high school credits with targeted studies in a wide range of fields. Available through multiple BOCES programs. Link is to QuestarIII BOCES	Curriculum Career Exploration College Guidance Mentoring STEM Experiential Components
College Science and Technology Entry Program (CSTEP)—NYSED	College Students	Assists underserved College Students in STEM-related majors: academic enrichment, test prep, mentoring, tutoring, advisement and grad school counseling, research guidance, conferences.	Career Exploration College Guidance Mentoring STEM
Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC)	Middle/High School Students College Students Parents/Families	HESC is New York State's higher education financial aid agency. Users can explore the grants and scholarships available to residents attending in-state colleges and universities. Includes link to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).	Career Exploration Scholarships
Liberty Partnerships—NYSED	Middle/High School Students	Program for students at-risk of dropping out of school: college and career skills, support and enrichment activities. Community, family, and college partners.	Career Exploration College Guidance Mentoring
New York State Early College High School Programs—NYSED Smart Scholars Smart Transfer	Middle/High School Students Educators/Mentors	High school and college partners collaborate to help students graduate high school with 24-60 transferable credits and/or an associate degree. “Transfer” extends “Scholars” by supporting completion of a bachelor’s degree.	College Guidance These general programs seek to close high school and college achievement gaps; they do not have a professions-specific focus.
Pathways in Technology Early College High School (P-TECH)—NYSED	Middle/High School Students Educators/Mentors	Early-college program prepares students for STEM careers in targeted “high-tech” jobs; requires partnership of eligible school districts, colleges, and employers. Students graduate with an associate degree.	Career Exploration College Guidance Experiential Components Mentoring STEM
Science and Technology Entry Program (STEP)—NYSED	Middle/High School Students	For underrepresented and economically disadvantaged students pursuing professional licensure or math, science, tech, or health careers. Research training, internships, education/career counseling, test prep.	Career Exploration College Guidance Experiential Components Mentoring STEM
Big Brothers Big Sister NYC	P-12 Students General/All Ages	Includes mentoring in traditional programs as well as programs for juvenile justice, immigrants, youth with incarcerated parents or in foster care, and work place mentoring.	Mentoring Career Exploration
Boys and Girls Clubs of America	P-12 Students	Career, high school completion, college readiness, STEM, and summer enrichment programs.	Career Exploration College Guidance STEM
Business Mentor NY	College Students	Free site connecting entrepreneurs and experienced business professionals to build small businesses together	Mentoring
Capital District YMCA Black and Latino Achievers Program	Middle/High School Students	College and vocational readiness; career exploration.	Career Exploration College Guidance Experiential Components
Children of Promise, NYC	P-12 Students General/All Ages	Brooklyn-based program offering mentoring and family and mental health services to children of incarcerated parents. Includes career planning and exploration.	Career Exploration Mentoring Professional Services
Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum	P-12 Students Educators/Mentors	Educator resources and lesson plans. Focused programs for families, teens, and K-12 school groups.	Curriculum Experiential Components
EntreSkills	Middle/High School Students College Students Educators/Mentors	Provides an introduction to entrepreneurship and the skills needed to start and operate a business. Educators can create customized assignments, track students’ grades, and view students’ progress.	Curriculum
Ford Next Generation Learning	Middle/High School Students Educators/Mentors Community Groups/Employers	Supports collaborations of educators, employers, and community leaders to transform secondary schools via career and interest-themed academies. Infuses college preparation with Career Technical Education (CTE).	Career Exploration College Guidance Experiential Components Mentoring STEM
ExploreHealthCareers.org	Middle/High School Students	Health career profiles and preparation information; focus on workforce underrepresentation and shortages of professionals in underserved communities.	Career Exploration College Guidance Scholarships
Geriatric Career Development program (at The New Jewish Home)	Middle/High School Students Educators/Mentors	Immerses 10th-12th grade students from underperforming and under-resourced schools in work experiences in a long-term-care setting. Graduates qualify for various allied healthcare certifications. GCD also offers 3-month programs for young adults (18-24 years old)	Career Exploration College Guidance Curriculum Experiential Components Mentoring
Horatio Alger Association	High School Juniors	The Horatio Alger Association provides need-based college scholarships for career and technical education, bachelor's degree programs, and major- and college-specific programs. Additional services and opportunities are available to Horatio Alger Scholars	College Guidance Mentoring Scholarships
KnowHow2Go	Middle/High School Students Educators/Mentors	Guidance on college and college preparation, including materials for mentors.	College Guidance Mentoring
Junior Achievement	P-12 Students Educators/Mentors	Sequentially themed, hands-on activities designed to foster work-readiness, entrepreneurship, and financial literacy. Job shadowing and after school programs.	Curriculum Experiential Components Scholarships (for JA students)
MENTOR	General/All Ages Educators/Mentors	The national mentoring partnership. MENTOR maintains a national database of youth mentoring programs.	Mentoring
Mentor New York (a MENTOR affiliate)	General/All Ages Educators/Mentors	Affiliate of MENTOR: The national mentoring network. They also help with designing and managing mentoring programs.	Mentoring
MyPlan.com	Middle/High School Students	Commercial site—broad career and college guidance.	Career Exploration College Guidance
NAF (formerly known as National Academy Foundation)	Middle/High School Students Educators/Mentors Community Groups/Employers	Partners with high schools in high-need communities on STEM-focused academies—small learning communities within the given school. Finance, hospitality & tourism, information technology, engineering, health sciences	Career Exploration College Guidance Curriculum Mentoring Experiential Components STEM Includes 61 NYS academies.
National Education Equity Lab	Educators	This non-profit coordinates with selective colleges and universities to offer college credit-bearing courses to high-achieving and underprivileged high schoolers primarily from Title1/Title 1 eligible schools. Interested high school administrators apply through the interest form	Career Exploration Curriculum Mentoring
New York State 4-H	Middle/High School Students	3-day Career Explorations Conference on the Cornell Campus. Two age-based career exploration programs are offered.	Career Exploration Experiential Components
The New York State Mentoring Program	P-12 Students Educators/Mentors	State-wide, one-to-one, school-based mentoring program with a mission to prevent students from dropping out of school.	Mentoring
The Opportunity Network	Middle/High School Students College Students	Works with students from underrepresented communities from NYC’s five boroughs. Career development, “education-to-career connections,” work place learning, internships, enrichment programs.	Mentoring Career Exploration Experiential Components
PBS Career Connections	Middle/High School Students College Students Parents/Families Educators	Collection of career videos introducing students to in-demand jobs. Some videos also provide supporting material including national and state standards, discussion questions and video viewing guides	Career Exploration Curriculum
Pencil	Educators/Mentors Community Groups/Employers	Partnerships between business volunteers and NYC public schools; summer workshops; one-day events. Seeks common ground among school and business needs, capacity, and interests.	Career Exploration College Guidance Curriculum Experiential Components Mentoring
Say Yes to Education - Buffalo and Syracuse	Middle/High School Students College Students	Partners school districts, parents, the larger community, and businesses to increase high school and post-secondary graduation rates. Businesses are encouraged to offer internships.	Mentoring Experiential Components Scholarships

Comments and suggestions on Careers in the Licensed Professions: paths2profs@nysed.gov