Prince William County Public Schools
Self-Discovery
School counselors and educators deliver this curriculum annually through grade-level enrichment activities. Students use Virginia Wizard and Naviance—analytical tools often referred to as “inventories”—to support this process.
By Grade Level
Elementary School Career Exploration
Students begin their personalized journey using Virginia Wizard, engaging in a variety of interactive activities:
- Watching recorded videos
- Completing self-reflection exercises
- Creating word clouds
- Taking inventories on interests, values, and skills
Students can access Virginia Wizard through PWCS Portal. Families are encouraged to log in alongside their student to support shared reflection and discussion.
Middle & High School Career Development
Students continue their journey with VA Wizard and begin using Naviance to support deeper exploration and planning. Key focus areas include:
- Deepening self-awareness
- Developing evolving postsecondary goals
- Engaging in career exploration and inventory assessments
Students receive personalized feedback and can retake inventories as they grow and change. Strengths Explorer is a one-time assessment completed in eighth grade.
Access remains available through PWCS Portal. Family involvement is encouraged to support ongoing reflection and goal setting.
Naviance Self-Discovery Assessments
This personalized self-discovery data builds with the student to formulate their personalized academic and career plan (ACP), updated yearly in grades 6-12. The student's Naviance account is accessible while enrolled in any PWCS school. The ACP is compiled within Naviance as the "Student Readiness Report, " and is updated as a PDF at the end of the year. This PDF can be found under the "About Me" tab within Naviance.
The Naviance platform supports translation into over 75 native languages. After logging in, click the globe icon in the top-right navigation menu to select your preferred language from the available options. Parents/guardians are encouraged to log in with their child so that together they can explore and strengthen the student's plan.
Families are encouraged to log in to Naviance with their student to explore and strengthen the student's plan together.
AchieveWorks Intelligences
AchieveWorks Intelligences is embedded in the sixth grade counseling curriculum. This tool helps students uncover their different intelligences and learn how to leverage them. In the results, students discover how to deal with information, solve problems, and create things, as well as learn how to use their strengths in school, work, and other activities.
Career Cluster Finder
The Career Cluster Finder is embedded in the seventh grade counseling curriculum. This tool helps students indicate activities and school subjects that they like or dislike and personal qualities they possess. In the results, students learn how well each of the 16 National Career Clusters fits their current interest and qualities.
StrengthsExplorer
StrengthsExplorer is embedded in the eighth grade counseling curriculum. This tool help students uncover their talents and reveals their potential strengths. This is the only assessment tool that can only be taken once. Assessment results provide explanations of students' top three themes, strategies on how to capitalize on their success, and a list of action items so students can continue building on their strengths. Results also include a list of best fit career pathways.
AchieveWorks Learning and Productivity
AchieveWorks Learning and Productivity is embedded in the ninth grade counseling curriculum. This tool helps students identify their sensory and mindset preferences to help them develop study practices. Students will find out how they learn the best and how they can be most productive. The results include tips for making studying easier and more effective and strategies for how students can be more comfortable and successful in class.
Career Interest Profiler
The Career Interest Profiler is embedded in the tenth grade counseling curriculum. This tool captures students' interests to help identify their personality traits and suggests careers based on the U.S. Department of Labor's data. The results include students' personality traits according to the Holland Code and information about how their personality traits will help with career exploration and planning. Students also see career recommendations based on their personality traits.
AchieveWorks Personality
AchieveWorks Personality is embedded in the eleventh grade counseling curriculum. This tool helps students identify their personality type by asking them to choose scenarios that best represent how they behave in real life. Results include students' personality type and provide tips to achieve success, as well as best-fit career options.
AchieveWorks Skills
AchieveWorks Skills helps students identify and develop their skills and connects their skills to careers that might be of interest. The results include the student's current skill profile and recommendations for developing those skills.
Career Key
The Career Key helps students identify their traits, best-match work environments, and related careers by asking questions about their interests. Student assessment results include an explanation of their personality traits according to the Holland Code and information on how those traits help with career exploration and planning.