Career Exploration

Our counseling team provides numerous opportunities for students to explore different care paths and areas of interest. Check out our newest opportunity to meet with real people currently in professions of interest!

All Colorado students are REQUIRED to complete an ICAP – Individual Career and Academic Plan.  The FHS ICAP has several components, all of which must be completed during your HS career. See your counselor if you have questions or need assistance logging in to your Naviance account.

What is the ICAP?
The purpose of the ICAP is to assist students and their parents / legal guardians in exploring the post-secondary career and educational opportunities available to the student, aligning course work and curriculum, applying to post-secondary education institutions, securing financial aid and ultimately entering the workforce.

ICAP is a multi-year process, one that will span the lives of students who are now in middle and high school and that will continue into adulthood.  By adopting research-based best practices and by revamping our knowledge for developmentally appropriate ICAP activities with secondary students, Colorado’s schools and districts now focus on a meaningful process which results in a plan.

ICAP must include:

  • Career and college interest surveys,
  • Written postsecondary and workforce goals, intermediate benchmarks and data reflecting progress toward those goals,
  • scores on assessments,
  • experiences in service learning and/or work environments,
  • activities that establish connections between school-based instruction and the world of work,
  • an intentional sequence of courses that reflect progress towards the postsecondary goal
  • academic progress,
  • college application(s), a resume, or alternative work-based applications,
  • an understanding of the financial impact of life after high school, including an education


ICAP High School Quality Indicators:Self-Awareness: Understand how one’s unique interests, talents and aspirations play a role in decision-making and interpersonal relationships and how individual thoughts and feelings get students excited about life and learning.

Career Awareness: Know the difference between jobs, occupations and careers. Articulate a wide range local regional of local regional, national and global career pathways and opportunities. Consider economic and cultural influences and the impact of stereotypes on career choice.

Postsecondary Aspirations: Participate in career exploration activities centered on students’ passions, interests, dreams and visions of their future self and perceived options.

Postsecondary Options: Be aware of and participate in a variety of postsecondary and career opportunities. Use tools such as career clusters, personality assessments and learning style inventories to highlight individual strengths and capabilities.

Environmental Expectations: Consider how school, family, community, culture and world view might influence the students’ career development and postsecondary plans.

Academic Planning: Apply the skills and knowledge necessary to map out and pass the academic courses required to achieve postsecondary goals.

Employability Skills: Define, develop and hone skills that increase the likelihood of becoming and remaining successfully employed and civically responsible citizens.

Financial Literacy: Recognize personal financial literacy and financial aid topics and vocabulary and know what options are available to pay for postsecondary. Understand and articulate personal financial literacy concepts, the cost of postsecondary options and apply this awareness to the postsecondary career and academic planning process.

Recent News

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May 4, 2026

Frederick High SRO Andrew Fairbanks Named Colorado School Resource Officer of the Year

When students walk the halls at Frederick High School, Officer Andrew Fairbanks is a familiar and trusted presence. Through daily interactions, classroom engagement, and active involvement in the school community, Officer Fairbanks helps create a supportive and connected environment. That daily commitment has earned him statewide recognition as School Resource Officer (SRO) of the Year...<br><a title="Frederick High SRO Andrew Fairbanks Named Colorado School Resource Officer of the Year" href="https://www.svvsd.org/2026/05/04/frederick-high-sro-andrew-fairbanks-named-colorado-school-resource-officer-of-the-year/" class="button read-more-link"><span class="sr-only">Frederick High SRO Andrew Fairbanks Named Colorado School Resource Officer of the Year </span>Read More</a>

Apr 29, 2026

St. Vrain Valley Schools Earns National Recognition as a Best Community for Music Education for Sixth Consecutive Year

St. Vrain Valley Schools has been recognized by the NAMM Foundation as one of the nation’s Best Communities for Music Education, marking the district’s sixth consecutive year receiving this prestigious honor. This national designation celebrates school districts that demonstrate exceptional commitment to ensuring all students have access to high-quality music education as part of a...<br><a title="St. Vrain Valley Schools Earns National Recognition as a Best Community for Music Education for Sixth Consecutive Year" href="https://www.svvsd.org/2026/04/29/st-vrain-valley-schools-earns-national-recognition-as-a-best-community-for-music-education-for-sixth-consecutive-year/" class="button read-more-link"><span class="sr-only">St. Vrain Valley Schools Earns National Recognition as a Best Community for Music Education for Sixth Consecutive Year </span>Read More</a>

Mar 23, 2026

Student Leaders Experience Government in Action at the Colorado State Capitol

On March 13, student leaders from across St. Vrain Valley Schools stepped beyond the classroom and into the heart of Colorado’s legislative process. As members of the district’s Student Advisory Council—a group of high school students representing their schools and helping inform district decisions—these students traveled to the Colorado State Capitol for a firsthand look...<br><a title="Student Leaders Experience Government in Action at the Colorado State Capitol" href="https://www.svvsd.org/2026/03/23/student-leaders-experience-government-in-action-at-the-colorado-state-capitol/" class="button read-more-link"><span class="sr-only">Student Leaders Experience Government in Action at the Colorado State Capitol </span>Read More</a>

Frederick High School