Skip To Main Content

MDUSD's 2nd Annual Career Technical Education Fair for 8th-graders shows students career pathway options in HS and beyond

MDUSD's 2nd Annual Career Technical Education Fair for 8th-graders shows students career pathway options in HS and beyond

The 2nd Annual MDUSD Career Technical Education (CTE) Fair for middle school students on Jan. 9th at Riverview MS gave 8th-graders from all middle schools in the District the opportunity to learn about careers within different industry sectors including hospitality, trades, and photography. They also had an opportunity to learn about the different career pathways in MDUSD high schools such as construction, engineering, auto tech, digital media and JROTC. "The goal is to help students begin to explore different career interests and see how the career pathways can support those career interests as they transition into high school," said Heather Fontanilla, MDUSD's Director of College & Career Readiness.

The event featured 10 different industry partners and 10 career pathways from District high schools, with teachers and high school students showcasing the work they do. It also included post-secondary education providers including MDUSD Adult Education, Diablo Valley College and Cal State East Bay.

To help keep students engaged, they were given a "BINGO Card" that asked them to visit booths for five organizations/industry partners, along with the career pathway information tables, to state which career pathway interests them the most, and to share feedback about what they learned, said Anna Ramos, MDUSD's Manager of Youth Development & Support Services, who coordinated the fair. "We were really intentional about bringing in business partners that tie to a career pathway, so students can see what they could do after they graduate from high school," she said, adding that Elegance Party Rentals and OhReilly Productions were "the hotspots" with their chocolate fountain and popcorn, and photo booth, related to the hospitality and photography career pathways. 

Middle school students were also able to participate in some hands-on activities, such as soldering a pipe and handling a drone, under the supervision of MDUSD Career Pathways high school students. "I enjoy working with my hands," said Concord HS junior Max Platt, a construction pathways student who was showing El Dorado MS student Jaime Bermudez how to solder. Max said "Mr T." (Tom Trowbridge) is a great teacher and he wanted to help attract more students to his construction program, which he called "a viable career pathway." Although Max may not pursue construction as a career, he said he is proud that he knows how to frame a wall and could even frame a house, build things and has learned some plumbing and electrician skills. Fontanilla said students in teacher Omar Edwards' patient care pathway at Ygnacio Valley HS are learning about drone operation to prepare them to earn their Remote Pilot's certification. "It ties it into his pathway as many first responders are using drones," Fontanilla said, adding that the district has received grant funding to set up a district wide drone program which has also been implemented at College Park HS with Carrie Wilkerson (Photography), at Concord High School HS with Jennifer Kennedy (Visual Arts), and in the Multimedia pathway Mt. Diablo HS. "We purchased materials for other pathways, but they haven't yet started implementation," Fontanilla said.

El Dorado MS Principal Megan Estenson was enthusiastic about bringing her students to the event. "I think it's wonderful," she said, adding that she appreciated the focus on trades such as construction to show students they have options that may not require a 4-year college degree. Some of her students have also visited a local union shop to learn more about trades. "The exposure to different fields has been good for our kids and helps give them goals for the future," she said. 

Mt. Diablo High School's new Auto Tech team was proud to talk about their new program, which started up this year and includes 111 students in five classes. Teacher Neil Bertson said he has worked in the industry for 35 years and has two master certificates from Ford, but he always wanted to teach, so he jumped at the opportunity. This year, he is teaching basics such as how to change tires, jumpstart batteries and change oil. He will add an advanced class next year that will include diagnostics, and may include welding. Students Dreama Melendez and Citlali Torres said they wanted to learn how to fix their own cars. "I like old school cars," said Dreama. "I want to save money and know how to do it myself." Cotati said she doesn't want to depend on her parents to fix her car. She plans to enroll in Los Medanos College and would like to learn how to weld. Student Juan Aguillar said students are giving Bertson feedback on what they want to learn. "We're helping him out in trying to build a plane while flying," he said.

High school career pathway programs that participated in the fair were: Art & Digital Media at College Park HS; Art & Digital Media, and Transportation at Concord HS; Art & Digital Media, Auto/Transportation Tech, Information Computer Technology, and JROTC at Mt. Diablo HS;  and Education, Engineering, and Health at Ygnacio Valley HS. Ramos said the fair was held earlier this year and counselors attended with students so that 8th-graders could learn about potential classes before filling out their high school course cards. Students interested in programs not offered at their "home" high schools would need to apply for an intra-district transfer. Click on this reel and check out the Middle School Social Media highlights below to see more photos from the Fair.

CTE Fair

 

CTE Fair

MDUSD Middle School students and staff members enjoyed the Career Technical Education Fair! Social media highlights included: Oak Grove MS counselor Mrs. Harris meeting up with a former student who was sharing her experiences in JROTC at Mt. Diablo HS, Pine Hollow MS students having a great time at the fair, and Sequoia MS students taking advantage of the amazing opportunity to interact with high school students and Career Pathways teachers. 

  • Career Pathways