It was all fun and fabulousness for more than 800 fourth graders from Battle Ground Public Schools as they converged at the district’s first Career Exploration Fair to learn about the kinds of activities that employees take on in a variety of job fields.
Coordinated by the district’s new team of primary school counselors alongside high school Career and Technical Education programs, the fair featured 19 stations led by CTE students and teachers as well as local businesses and agencies. Fourth graders arrived on buses from the district’s seven primary schools throughout the day to explore careers.
Students wearing protective helmets watched as a high schooler lit up a torch and demonstrated welding techniques, others listened to the beat of their hearts through stethoscopes, and still others took a turn stitching fabric on a sewing machine, examining a car engine, assembling sections of water pipe and fittings, or recording a video before a green screen that let them insert virtually any background.
Prior to the event, all fourth graders completed a lesson with their primary school counselor that included a Career Interest Survey. From the survey, students identified their top three Career Clusters and were matched with three stations to visit during the career fair. The students also had the opportunity to visit a career station of their choosing.
“My fourth graders had an amazing time at the Career Exploration Fair,” said Pleasant Valley Primary teacher Marina Heinz. “I loved seeing my students so engaged and participating in new activities. Thank you to everyone involved for planning such a memorable experience!”
Battle Ground Public Schools’ departments of Social Emotional Learning and Career and Technical Education coordinated the event to create excitement around what they want to become when they grow up.
“We hope that by providing opportunities for students to learn about careers, they will see that they can become something in the future and that what they learn in school today will apply to what they decide to do,” said Sandy Mathewson, Battle Ground’s director of Social-Emotional Learning.
