NEK middle schoolers explore careers at Kingdom Career Connect

LYNDONVILLE, Vt. -- Some 400 7th and 8th-grade students from more than a dozen schools around the Northeast Kingdom will have a chance to explore career possibilities through a series of hands-on workshops on Oct. 4. Kingdom Career Connect at Northern Vermont University-Lyndon will provide students an opportunity to explore potential careers and connect those jobs to courses they should take during high school and beyond.

This career exploration event on Tuesday, Oct. 4 from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on the NVU-Lyndon campus in Lyndonville, will feature more than 20 employers from a variety of industries who will talk with students about their careers and lead them in a hands-on activity related to their work.

Students will get to try out developing a new business idea, reviewing blueprints, building a mountain bike trail, creating a song with music production software, designing a bridge, exploring a plow truck, writing a mystery, and more. All students will also take part in a hands-on workshop to learn about matching their interests to high-pay, in-demand careers in Vermont.

This event is produced by the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation’s GEAR UP program in partnership with Northern Vermont University-Lyndon, the J. Warren & Lois McClure Foundation, and Northeastern Vermont Area Health Education Center.

GEAR UP serves more than 250,000 students throughout the country. Here in Vermont, GEAR UP services are available to eligible students in 37 schools. A full list of those GEAR UP schools can be found at vsac.org/gearup. If you attend one of these schools and think you might be interested in participating in GEAR UP, talk to your school counselor for information on how to apply.

Need help with pursuing your career goals and education needs? VSAC is here to help you at vsac.org.

ABOUT VSAC – Changing Lives through Education and Training since 1965: Vermont Student Assistance Corporation is a public, nonprofit agency established by the Vermont Legislature in 1965 to help Vermonters achieve their education and training goals after high school. VSAC serves students and their families in grades 7-12, as well as adults returning to school, by providing education and career planning services, need-based grants, scholarships and education loans. VSAC has awarded more than $600 million in grants and scholarships for Vermont students and administers Vermont’s 529 college savings plan. Visit www.vsac.org or check in on Facebook and Twitter