Tennessee schools are conducting bigger and better annual career exploration fairs. Fair coordinators report that health professionals from local hospitals and other provider organizations often mount the most compelling and popular exhibits.

The criteria for a successful fair, according to experts like Laurene McLemore of the Tennessee Department of Education, and Jackie Tucker, school counselor at Gibson County High School, include:

• Fair attendance should be a controlled field trip for students.
• Students should have focused assignments to complete for a grade on their return to class. This requires coordination with teachers in advance.
• Presenters should make their exhibits fun, with demonstrations, hands-on activities and promotional give-aways if possible.
• Maintaining professional trade show standards, including setup, skirted booths and a hospitality room for exhibitors, can make a difference in how seriously students—and presenters—take the experience.
• Professional décor notwithstanding, healthcare presenters should think outside the box—that is, think beyond the table—when designing exhibits. MASH-type tents and aisle-long, multi-profession exhibits attract students who might not otherwise visit health careers areas.

The Gibson County Career Fair is a collaborative, three-day career development event that rotates annually among five school districts (Bradford, Gibson County, Milan, Humboldt and Trenton). Each year, there is a different location and chairperson. Exhibitors, selected by individual school guidance counselors, represent each of Tennessee’s school-to-career clusters and 60-70 careers, along with the armed services. The clusters are:

• Health care
• Sciences/Technology/Agriculture
• Business/Marketing
• Manufacturing/Construction/Transportation
• Hospitality/Tourism
• Human Services
• Arts/Communications

Day 1 is a college fair for juniors and seniors. Days 2-3 are career fairs for students in grades 8, 10 and 12. In October 2002, nearly 3,000 attended the college day and over 1,800 attended the career fair. Eighth grade students are bused in from nine middle schools for the experience. Most students are allowed 45 minutes at the fair. Access is limited to 250 students at a time to ensure a high quality experience for all participants.

Separate career exploration activities are conducted for 9^th and 11^th graders. "Students can lose interest if they go every year," said Jackie Tucker. "We always try to give them something new each time they attend." One year the students’ assignment was a scavenger hunt that required them to interrogate presenters with specific questions. The hunt was a hit, especially with 12^th graders, Tucker said. Winners went home with home game season passes.

Popular exhibitors have included:

• Barber/cosmetologists, who gave free haircuts on the spot.
• Teachers, who employed laptops with digital pictures of students in classes.
• Morticians, who rebuilt a wax ear using embalming chemicals.
• Caterers, who gave out free cake samples.
• Physical therapists, who checked for healthy muscle reflexes in students’ arms.

Presenters seem to enjoy the event as much as the students, according to Tucker. Competition is keen among organizations that want to present at the fair. Many come from afar; one meteorologist drove 100 miles to attend. For more information, contact Jackie Tucker, 901-742-3153.

Other benchmark career fairs in Tennessee include the Williamson County World of Possibilities Career Fair. Every eighth grade student in the county, including private and home schooled students, is invited—approximately 3,000 in all. The successful inaugural event was held in April 2003, followed by another event in November 18, 2003. Preparation for the fair, attendance and graded assignments are coordinated through the school district’s career counseling curriculum. Most attendees complete a computerized career interest and aptitude inventory in advance. This time, students also received advance information about presenters and pocket folders to organize handouts.

Williamson Medical Center was an "awesome" presenter in April, according to Jackie Baggett, coordinator for career and technical education for Williamson County schools. The hospital presented a series of exhibits spotlighting different units and departments. "At one point, it was so crowded around their exhibits, students were sitting in a circle on the floor, listening to the presenters," Baggett reported. The medical center won the fair’s Best of Show award.

For more information about the fair, visit the Williamson County World of Possibilities Career Fair web site, or contact Pam Wells, nurse educator at Williamson Medical Center, for information about the hospital’s winning display, PWELLS@wmed.org, 615-595-4533.

Chattanooga’s Career Crunch: A job awareness fair hosted 3,800 eighth graders in October 2002. The Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce sponsors this annual two-day event. Students were invited to visit at least three "career role models," armed with questions about education requirements, salary and job satisfaction. For more information, contact Mattie Moran, chamber director of education and workforce development, mmoran@chattanoogachamber.com, 423-763-4339.

Seventeen East Tennessee hospitals collaborated to produce The AMAZING Healthcare Career Expo in Knoxville on February 12, 2003. Over 800 high school students and adults attended. The Expo was sponsored by Baptist Hospital of Cocke County, Baptist Hospital of East Tennessee, Blount Memorial Hospital, Claiborne County Hospital, East Tennessee Children’s Hospital, Ft. Sanders Loudon Medical Center, Ft. Sanders Parkwest Medical Center, Ft. Sanders Regional Medical Center, Ft. Sanders Sevier Medical Center, Methodist Medical Center of Oak Ridge, Roane Medical Center, St. Mary’s Jefferson Memorial Hospital, St. Mary’s Medical Center, St. Mary’s Medical Center of Campbell County, Sweetwater Hospital Association, University of Tennessee Medical Center and Woods Memorial Hospitals. For more information about the Expo, contact Jill England, Coordinated Health Services, 865-675-1664, jill@chsgpo.com.

South Carolina’s Commission on Higher Education has produced a web site based on Gear Up, a discretionary federal grant initiative. Gear Up is a five-year program designed to increase the number of low-income students who graduate from post-secondary institutions. Starting with seventh graders, its components include lesson plans, career fairs and college fairs. The web site includes a how-to guide for career fair coordinators. Download free from power2earn.com.