ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — As society, technology and jobs change at an ever-increasing pace, high school graduates must be prepared for relationships and community, for lifelong education and training, and for the reality of the workplace. The transition from school to world can indeed be traumatic. School to World, sponsored by Sandia National Laboratories, hopes to provide a glimpse of the world that awaits New Mexico’s youth.
The School to World expo will be held on Saturday, March 10, at the Albuquerque Convention Center Northeast Ballroom from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Business, government, and education come together again to present 8th and 9th grade students with an opportunity to examine a variety of paths to their professional future. The expo hopes to provide students a better awareness and understanding of what awaits them in the “real world” in the areas of education, jobs, careers, community involvement, and life.
More than 150 careers will be represented at the expo. The event is organized into career clusters, each focused around a specific industry. Career clusters represented will include: Health & Medicine; Science and Technology, Engineering; Art, Communications and Entertainment; Business and Management; and Public Services.
More than 500 volunteers in these clusters will explain their job duties, detail the education and skills are needed to qualify for their occupation, and describe why they chose their specific career or job.
Volunteers will show students the link between the school subjects they learn today and the work skills and experiences needed to pursue their future career interests. In addition, there will be representatives on site from vocational schools and colleges/universities to talk with students, as well as community agencies to promote citizenship and hands-on skill development.
Sandia is a National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) laboratory.
Parents are welcome to attend with their children. Some schools, including most Albuquerque Public School middle schools, will provide bus transportation to and from the event for students.
Some 2,500 students from all around New Mexico are expected. The event is free to students or parents, made possible by business sponsorships. More information is available at http://www.schooltoworld.org.