Skill Tree
The Skill Tree expands the Career Tree® family with the core skills that K–16 students need for education—and life.
New Product Sneak Peek!
Welcome to a sneak peek at our newest product, the Skill Tree! With this turnkey tool, students of all ages—kindergarten, elementary, middle school, high school, college, workforce training, and beyond—can build the core skills to thrive in their education, career, and life journey.
Access to the Skill Tree will be included in the Career Tree license. Stay tuned for the full Skill Tree launch, coming soon!
What is the Skill Tree?
Long-term student success starts young—which is why our Skill Tree lays the foundational skills for the journey!
To thrive at school, all students need vital human skills like adaptability, communication, coping, self-management, and more. The Skill Tree is designed to introduce students of all ages to these concepts, motivating their growth with a powerful reason: their personal competitive advantage.
Every student has a dream of what they want their life to be someday. When they realize that achieving that lifestyle is directly related to their skills like teamwork, critical thinking, empathy and more, they’ll discover a new drive to start practicing these positive behaviors.
The Skill Tree is designed for students at all stages of their K–16 journey, with three age-appropriate curriculum tracks:
K-6
Curriculum Track for Kindergarten through Elementary
Use our K–6 curriculum track with students in kindergarten through sixth grade to build their academic, social, and life skills in preparation for a positive middle and high school experience. The K–6 track includes an introduction for the teacher/counselor, social story, journal and drawing prompts, discussion questions, student worksheet, and other activities to reinforce each of the 21 skills on the Skill Tree.
7-12
Curriculum Track for Middle and High School
Starting in seventh grade, students can dive deeper into honing their professional skills through our 7–12 curriculum track. These robust lessons meet middle and high schoolers where they’re at in their education, social, and career exploration journey—and move them toward becoming their best self. Whether students envision a grand, modest, or laid-back lifestyle for themselves, the skills they develop now will help them reach it.
13-16
Curriculum Track for College/Workforce Development
In the workforce, professional skills are in increasingly high demand. Young adults and older learners pursuing a degree, certification, trade, or new life direction can enhance their personal competitive advantage with these valuable strategies. Designed with meaningful group and individual activities, our 13–16 track gives learners the tools to build confidence and develop positive, productive habits for a lifetime.
1 Tree. 3 Tracks. 21 Vital Skills.
The Skill Tree features 21 interrelated professional and life skills that are relevant to every age and stage, including:
1: Small Steps/Consistency
Building Momentum, Growing Consistency, and Owning Your Future
2: Human Connection
Building Relationships, Creating Trust, and Growing Through Others
3: Self-Management
Taking Ownership, Building Focus, and Following Through
4: Emotional Intelligence
Understanding Emotions, Navigating Relationships, and Leading with Insight
5: Coping
Managing Stress, Building Inner Strength, and Responding with Resilience
6: Communication
Expressing Ideas, Listening Well, and Building Mutual Understanding
7: Active Listening
Paying Attention, Building Trust, and Strengthening Understanding
8: Empathy
Understanding Others, Building Compassion, and Growing Connection
9: Leadership
Inspiring Others, Owning Responsibility, and Making a Positive Impact
10: Teamwork
Collaborating Effectively, Sharing Responsibility, and Growing Together
11: Adaptability
Embracing Change, Staying Flexible, and Thriving Through Uncertainty
12: Problem-Solving
Thinking Critically, Taking Initiative, and Creating Real-World Solutions
13: Critical Thinking
Analyzing Information, Making Better Decisions, and Thinking for Yourself
14: Time Management
Planning Ahead, Prioritizing What Matters, and Owning Your Schedule
15: Work-Life Balance
Managing Responsibilities, Protecting Wellbeing, and Living with Intention
16: Networking
Building Relationships, Creating Opportunities, and Growing Together
17: Creativity
Thinking Differently, Expressing Yourself, and Solving Problems with Imagination
18: Punctuality
Being Reliable, Building Trust, and Owning Your Time
19: Negotiation
Speaking Up, Finding Solutions, and Creating Win-Win Outcomes
20: Conflict Resolution
Managing Disagreements, Repairing Relationships, and Building Peace
21: Bully-Proof
Standing Strong, Staying Safe, and Supporting Others with Courage
With the Skill Tree, the Career Tree product family is now a complete K–16 solution for professional skill development and career exploration!
The K-16 Career Tree® System
Built around Mark C. Perna’s Competitive Advantage philosophy, the Career Tree® System grows with your students to promote their success at every stage. Empower your learners to build their own personal competitive advantage for school, career, and beyond!
SKILL TREE
K-16
Empower students of all ages to build the foundational life skills to thrive in their education, career, and life journey.
PATHWAY TREE
7-16
Spark the ongoing dialogue, research, and self-discovery that enhance academic performance and career clarity.
ACADEMIC TREE
7-16
Bring the power of purpose to academic classrooms, where students can see the relevance of today’s learning to the future lifestyle they want to live.
Motivating Positive Behaviors
As educators, we want to encourage positive behaviors—but we still need to address the negative ones. The Skill Tree is the perfect tool to make these conversations more productive. Referencing the student’s Skill Tree chart, we can point out how the negative behavior doesn’t advance them toward the personal competitive advantage they need and suggest positive actions they can take instead.
When a student displays a particular skill on the Skill Tree, we can reward that effort with a sticker on their personal Skill chart. The sticker should be used as an age-appropriate mastery or understanding of the skill based on their maturity level. For students, earning this recognition is a moment of pride and accomplishment!
Additional Materials: Available Soon!
SKILL TREE WALL GRAPHICS
Each classroom can be outfitted with a large Wall Graphic as a visual reminder of the Skills they’re working toward and the behaviors that move them closer to their goals.
SKILL STICKERS
When a student demonstrates a particular Skill, they can be rewarded with the corresponding Skill Sticker to adhere to their personal Skill chart.
SKILL JOURNAL
Available to download on your organization’s Career Tree portal, the Skill Journal gives students a single place to record their journey. The Skill Journal is designed as a sketchbook for younger grades and a lined notebook for older students.
STUDENT SKILL CHARTS
Students will each receive a personal 8.5”x11” Skill chart to track their progress. The charts may be displayed on the wall or kept in the teacher’s Skill Tree binder.
CURRICULUM TRACKS
Use our robust Skill Tree curriculum (authored by Mark C. Perna) to easily teach the Skill Tree. Available in age-appropriate tracks for K–6, 7–12, and 13–16 College/Workforce Development.
THE SKILL TREE IS ACCESSIBLE TO ALL ORGANIZATIONS WITH AN ACTIVE CAREER TREE LICENSE.
The Skill Tree is launching soon on the TFSCareerTree.com portal.
To join the Career Tree community, contact us today to get started!
Get In Touch
Contact us today to help your students build the skills for success—at every step of their educational journey!