IALR August 2024 Newsletter

The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR) seeks businesses, organizations and volunteers to support the 11th annual Career ChoICE Youth Expo. This year’s expo events will be on Sept. 25-26 in Chatham and Oct. 9-10 in Farmville.

Through the Career ChoICE Youth Expo, students IMAGINE their potential, CONNECT with employers and EXPLORE career possibilities. Career ChoICE connects students to regional employment information and employers through hands-on activities and virtual resources.

On Sept. 25-26, the Career ChoICE Youth Expo West at the Olde Dominion Agricultural Complex in Chatham will involve schools in the following school divisions: Danville, Halifax, Henry, Martinsville, Patrick and Pittsylvania. On Oct. 9-10, the Career ChoICE Expo East at Hampden-Sydney College in Farmville will serve schools in the following divisions: Amelia, Buckingham, Brunswick, Cumberland, Charlotte, Lunenburg, Mecklenburg, Nottoway and Prince Edward.

Thousands of students attend these annual events, which are part of IALR’s commitment to work-based learning and connecting students to careers.

“The Career ChoICE Youth Expo exposes students to different career opportunities in our region and allows local companies to meet and educate their future talent. We are looking for volunteers, activity providers and sponsors to support this impactful event that allows students to discover and explore future career opportunities.” – Jessie Vernon, Director, Employer Engagement & Experiential Learning, IALR

There are several ways to support the Career ChoICE Expo events in Chatham and Farmville.

Hands-On Activities

• IALR is looking for businesses, organizations and educational institutions that can facilitate hands-on activities. These activities make the Expo memorable and impactful. Employers and educational providers benefit from introducing students to their organizations, giving them a snapshot of working in different fields.
• Activity forms must be received by Sept. 2 to be included on the students’ activity maps.
• Any organization interested in facilitating an activity that needs help developing an idea should contact jessie.vernon@ialr.org.

Organize & Facilitate a Hands-On Activity

Volunteer 

• IALR needs volunteers to help welcome students, pass out backpacks, guide groups through the Expo and ensure smooth operation.
• Volunteer registration deadlines: Sept. 11 for the Chatham event and Sept. 25 for the Farmville event.

Register to Volunteer

Submit a Young Professional Profile

• Young professionals in the region can submit a Young Professional Profile (or encourage a young professional you know to submit a profile) for the Career ChoICE website and potential inclusion in the Career ChoICE booklet.
• Profiles submitted by Aug. 21 will be considered for this year’s printed Career ChoICE booklet, which is given to every student who attends.

Submit a Professional Profile

Sponsor 

• Sponsorships will support both Career ChoICE and AspHIRE mock interview days. As such, sponsorship levels include benefits through both programs, increasing the organization’s visibility through both the number of student participants and the number of events.
• Sponsorship commitments, logos and ads must be received by Aug. 16 to ensure they appear in the printed Career ChoICE booklet.

Suport the Career ChoICE Expo