Video: Students Get Interactive Look At Career Fields During Unique Expo

TUPELO, MISS. (WCBI) – Dennis Hill knows he wants to be a pilot after high school.

So he spent part of his time at this expo at the Air Force exhibit.

Hill is one of several thousand eighth graders who visited the “Imagine the Possibilities” Northeast Mississippi Career Expo.

The event is sponsored by the Toyota Wellspring Education Fund at CREATE.

“These students are the future of our workforce and we recognize that and how we need to build the momentum for the next few years for the students here, it’s extremely important,” said Sean Suggs, vice president of manufacturing at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Mississippi.

Each student has two hours to experience four to eight career pathways. Those pathways include aerospace, education, health sciences, manufacturing, law enforcement and many others.

Those visiting the furniture industry’s exhibit were able to wear virtual reality headsets to see how furniture is made in a plant.

“We hope we can start an education program with kids, starting at this age level to educate them that, furniture industry is a good career, you can make a good living and it’s not as people perceive it to be, it’s a clean environment, you do have to work hard,” said Bill Martin, of the Franklin Furniture Institute at MSU.

At the technology and communications space, students were able to stand in front of a green screen and try to do a weather forecast, with help from WCBI Anchor Steve Schill.

“It is very very difficult, to understand you have to be in a certain position to do the weather,” said Amory eighth grader Donna Parker.

Teachers say the opportunity to visit with professionals in this setting , under one roof , is eye opening.

“I think seeing the hands on exhibits helps them a little more than them just sitting in a classroom and listening to their other teachers tell them what they need to do, they can see it in a more real way when they are out here,” said Stephanie Stroud, a teacher at Oak Hill Academy in West Point.

Students will take what they experienced at the expo, and develop a direction for their high school pathway choice.

This year, all 17 counties served by CREATE will take part. The expo runs through Thursday.