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Vehicle Career Day Displays for Students Possible Pathways
Between the loud horn sounded from the AutoZone 18-wheeler to the sirens of the Lavonia Police Department vehicle, North Hart Elementary School was full of energy and enthusiasm Thursday, as the school hosted the third annual Vehicle Career Day.
Spread out along the school’s track area and parking lots, 17 community operations set up shop throughout the morning to show students the possible career options in their home, centering the theme on the vehicles used to complete their jobs.
A Hart County EMS ambulance, Race Car Worley, a bulldozer from William Tucker Drilling, WKLY Radio’s mobile unit, Rolling Chefs’ food truck, Kona Ice cold treat vehicle, and even school buses, among other vehicles, were set up for students of all grades to see and hear from the adults who operate the machines and to better understand the jobs they do.
“Who knows what excavation means?” asked Chad Williams, with Tucker Well Drilling. “It means to dig. And you see this? This is a bulldozer and that is just what it does.”
In front of him, students gazed in excitement at the giant bulldozer he was about to begin operating in a demonstration. As much was seen throughout the morning’s event, where at every portal students were exposed to possible career opportunities for their futures and possible educational pathways to take once they get to high school and beyond.
“This is a great opportunity for our students to see what career options are available to them, and to learn about what is right here in our community as a way for them to begin exploring where they want their lives to go,” said school counselor and event coordinator Teresa Bishop. “It is also a great way to get the community involved in our schools, to build partnerships and open doors.”
School assistant principal Steven Burton agreed, adding that getting students out of the classroom and into a more real-world scenario showcases for students why they are learning certain lessons in the classroom, and how an academic foundation could be put to use down the road. Take, for example, the Hart County Emergency Management Service team, in attendance with an ambulance on display. The two EMS staff members explained to students how they use math skills daily in their jobs, in a range of ways. Understanding why certain curriculum will come into play in their futures is essential to students taking those lessons to heart, Burton said.
“A student may think, ‘Why am I taking calculus and how will I ever use this?’, which can limit their motivation,” Burton said. “But with real-life applications for these lessons on display, like we have here today, that is important and helps students not only stay motivated if they find a career they think they’ll have a passion for, it also motivates them to do better, do more. That’s crucial to staying on an educational path.”
Every year since the vehicle career day started three years ago, it has grown and the community has become more involved. Likewise, every year the students’ excitement for the day has grown, with students now waiting all year to have such an event, said school media specialist Shawna Rogers, who played a key part in arranging the event.
As school leadership and teachers realize students are excited to step out of the classroom and learn soft-skills as well as academics in an alternative format, administration has been more active in creating outside-the-box teaching moments. In the fall semester, the school hosts the agricultural career day with farm animals and farmers setting up display stations for students to view. The school also hosts an art career fair each winter, to display yet another outlet to fuse education with possible career paths, Rogers said.
“These are all events that open students’ eyes to all the options available to them as they move along through school and into the real world,” Bishop said. “We want our students to see how their education can be put to use and expose them to options they may have never known about or thought about. It’s always fun to get out of the classroom, have the community come to us, and show our kids that the world is theirs for the taking.”