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Where classrooms meet real‑world careers

Thank you for joining us for our first-ever Discovery Education Futures Fair!

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Where classrooms meet real‑world careers

On November 5, classrooms across the country came together for a day of inspiring learning and career exploration. We joined with educators to connect more than 13,000 students with professionals shaping the world of tomorrow.

Featuring Professionals from

CVS
Illumina
Nucor
Honda
Verizon
3M
Honeywell
DEA
CVS
Illumina
Nucor
Honda
Verizon
3M
Honeywell
DEA
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The inaugural Futures Fair brought together inspiring professionals from STEM, the arts, skilled trades, entrepreneurship, public service, and more.

Each 25-minute virtual session gave students a firsthand look at the skills shaping the future. The day concluded with a special, all-grades broadcast live from Churchill, Manitoba— the polar bear capital of the world!

Explore additional resources for the sessions below!

Elementary School Track

ASME
Lights On! How Engineers Design for Electricity
Speaker(s):
Caleb Feltmeyer
Manager Design Engineering at ComEd

Turning on a light might seem simple, but it takes a whole team of smart thinkers to make sure electricity gets to your classroom safely and reliably.

Clayco
Building for the Future
Speaker(s):
Sean Moran
Construction Sustainability Director

Sean Moran has built homes, schools, and big buildings, and now he's working on an exciting new project for the future. Learn how he uses teamwork, creativity, and problem-solving to help people design and build in ways that are good for both people and the planet.

Warner Brothers Discovery
Art as Access: Driving Opportunity Through Creative Engagement
Speaker(s):
Ava Goldson Crews
Senior Manager, Arts-Based Community Engagement

Discover how Warner Bros. Discovery harnesses the power of storytelling and art through programs like Access to Action and Story Lab, helping over 700 people launch exciting careers in entertainment and education.

Norton
Bright Minds, Safe Futures: Exploring Smart Tech & Creative Problem-Solving!
Speaker(s):
Iskander Sanchez-Rola
Director of AI & Innovation

Discover how smart technology and creative ideas help keep people safe online. Learn how tools are built to protect personal information and make the internet a safer place for everyone.

Home Depot
From Pipes to Sinks: The Plumbing Magic Behind Everyday Water!
Speaker(s):
Casey Nix
Director Omni Retail Sales

Ever wonder how water gets to your sink so you can brush your teeth or wash your hands? Find out how faucets are made and how plumbers use special tools and skills to install them!

The Hartford
Fire Detectives: Solving Mysteries with Science
Speaker(s):
Ben Smith
Forensic Engineer

Fires can be tricky to figure out, but science helps us solve the mystery. Discover how engineers investigate fire scenes to learn where and how a fire started.

Polar Bears International
Drawing the Narrative: How Visual Art Shapes Arctic Stories
Speaker(s):
Aaron Blaise
Wildlife Artist and Former Disney Animator

Join renowned wildlife artist and former Disney animator Aaron Blaise live from Churchill, Manitoba, as he shares his inspiring journey and explores how art can connect humans with wild animals, including the majestic polar bear. Hear about his unique career path using his creativity.

Middle School Track

LIV Golf
Beyond the Game: Building a Winning Career in Sports Impact!
Speaker(s):
Gabriella Thompson
Senior Manager - Impact

Many students dream of working in the exciting world of sports, but how do you turn that dream into a career? Follow Gabriella's career journey from a sports marketing intern to Senior Manager at LIV Golf. Learn how she combined an interest in sports with important skills to build a successful career.

Meta
Medicine Meets Machines: Exploring the Future with a Tech-Savvy Doctor!
Speaker(s):
John MacDonald
Director, Product Management

Hear from a dynamic technology leader and former physician as they share their journey developing and launching groundbreaking innovations in augmented reality, wireless power, and digital health, and how they bridge medicine and tech to shape the future.

Drug Enforcement Administration
Staying Safe, Thinking Smart: Behind the Scenes of Drug Prevention with the DEA!
Speaker(s):
Catie Drew
Sr. Prevention Program Manager
Brenda Horner
Community Outreach Specialist

Meet the Senior Prevention Program Manager at the DEA, who shares a journey from Education Coordinator to leading national drug prevention initiatives. Learn how professionals create programs like Operation Prevention to help communities make safe, healthy choices.

Honeywell
From Cockpit to Cutting-Edge: A Journey into Aerospace Innovation
Speaker(s):
Thea Feyerelsen
Distinguished Technical Fellow, Aerospace Technologies

From instructing pilots in the wild skies of Alaska to leading global teams that design flight instruments and safety systems, this presentation reveals how a passion for aviation evolved into shaping the future of aerospace technology.

3M
From Farm Fields to Lab Discoveries: A Scientist's Journey to 3M!
Speaker(s):
Jeff Emslander
Corporate Scientist

Get inspired by Jeff Emslander's journey from growing up on a small-town farm to becoming a scientist at 3M. Learn how Jeff turned curiosity and creativity into a career solving real-world problems, earning 49 patents in product innovation.

Prologis
From Click to Doorstep: Exploring the Hidden World of Supply Chains!
Speaker(s):
Samantha Klug
Director of Sustainability

Ever wonder how something you order online gets to your door? Learn how Samantha Klug helps make sure products get from where they're made to where they're needed.

Polar Bears International
Drawing the Narrative: How Visual Art Shapes Arctic Stories
Speaker(s):
Aaron Blaise
Wildlife Artist and Former Disney Animator

Join renowned wildlife artist and former Disney animator Aaron Blaise live from Churchill, Manitoba, as he shares his inspiring journey and explores how art can connect humans with wild animals, including the majestic polar bear. Hear about his unique career path using his creativity.

High School Track

Verizon
No Straight Lines: Charting a Bold Career Path in Tech
Speaker(s):
Shaniek Wiltshier
Solutions Architect

Shaniek will share a journey from student to Solutions Architect and leader at Verizon and why the best career paths are rarely a straight line. Discover how a love for technology helped build a successful career in a fast-paced digital world.

Honda
Crash Science: How Engineers Design Cars to Keep You Safe!
Speaker(s):
Paige Vernon
Crash & Safety Test Engineer
Susan Mostofizadeh
Principal Automotive Crash Safety Engineer

Ever wonder what really happens during a car crash and how vehicles are designed to keep you safe? Honda safety engineers will explain how cars are designed to manage energy during collisions and protect passengers.

Genentech
Science That Heals: Exploring Biotech Breakthroughs with Genentech

Step inside the world of biotechnology with a professional from Genentech, a leader in cutting-edge medical innovation. Learn how science, technology, and a passion for helping others come together to develop life-changing medicines. Discover the career journey of a Genentech expert, explore how biotech is transforming healthcare, and find out what it takes to thrive in one of the most exciting fields in science today.

Nucor
Breaking the Mold: How Courage, Curiosity, and Steel Spark Lifelong Growth!
Speaker(s):
Victoria Kirk
Branch Manager

Trying something new can feel scary, but it's also how we grow and learn. Victoria will talk about the power of being brave, taking risks, and learning from mistakes. Discover how those moments can lead to exciting opportunities in your future career.

Illumina
Genes, Germs, and Discovery: A Biologist's Mission to Make Science Make Sense!
Speaker(s):
Chris Beierschmitt
Senior Scientist

Meet a senior scientist from Illumina who works at the cutting edge of genomics and virology. With a background in molecular biology and hands-on lab experience, Chris explores how tiny organisms and powerful technologies can unlock big discoveries in health and science.

CVS Health
Behind the Counter: Exploring the Science and Service of Pharmacy Careers!
Speaker(s):
Mark Adams
CVS Pharmacist | Campbell University Adjunct Faculty
Grishma Ajmera
CVS Pharmacist | Campbell University Adjunct Faculty

Have you ever wondered what it's like to be a pharmacist or work in a pharmacy? Get a behind-the-scenes look at how pharmacy professionals help people every day including preparing medicine and making sure patients understand how to use it safely.

Polar Bears International
Drawing the Narrative: How Visual Art Shapes Arctic Stories
Speaker(s):
Aaron Blaise
Wildlife Artist and Former Disney Animator

Join renowned wildlife artist and former Disney animator Aaron Blaise live from Churchill, Manitoba, as he shares his inspiring journey and explores how art can connect humans with wild animals, including the majestic polar bear. Hear about his unique career path using his creativity.

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The Discovery Education Futures Fair was a one-day, interactive event that invited K–12 classrooms to explore careers through live, virtual sessions with real-world professionals. Educators and students tuned in from around the country to discover how today’s learning connects to tomorrow’s opportunities.

Whether you joined one session or the whole lineup, you helped give your students a front-row seat to a variety of career paths and the confidence to dream big.

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The event was designed for K–12 classrooms, with sessions tailored to elementary, middle, and high school learners.

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Futures Fair was a half-day virtual event featuring a lineup of live 25-minute sessions delivered via Zoom. Educators could choose the sessions that best fit their schedule and students’ interests.

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Inspiring speakers helped students see how the skills they’re developing today open doors to the careers of tomorrow. Futures Fair sessions built meaningful connections between school and the working world, supporting districts’ goals for future readiness.

Resources shared after each session helped educators extend the learning beyond the event.

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The Futures Fair was just the beginning! Imagine if every student could see, hear, and interact with the people shaping the world they’ll one day lead. That’s exactly what Discovery Education makes possible—every month of the school year.

Experience is the only teaching & learning solution that makes it easy for every K12 educator to connect career exploration to their curriculum. Career Connect is built into Experience, making it safe and easy to bring industry professionals directly into classrooms. These connections aren’t just inspiring—they’re practical, giving students a window into diverse career paths, the skills they’ll need, and the confidence to pursue them. And with our Careers Hub, educators can tap into curated resources aligned to 14 career clusters, complete with profiles, virtual field trips, and immersive tools. Whether you’re working with K–5 learners just beginning to dream or 6–8 students craving real-world connection, or 9-12 students ready to plan, these collections make career exploration part of everyday learning.

If your district doesn’t already partner with Discovery Education, we offer a robust collection of free career-exploration resources. This content is created in partnership with business leaders across high-growth industries, and designed by our instructional team to support your HQIM. These resources include:

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Find Out How to Bring Career Exploration Resources into Your Classrooms!

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