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Congratulations on being finished (or almost finished) with another school year! We’ll be taking a break from the newsletter in July, and then coming back in August to help you prepare for a new school year. In the meantime, we have a few fun programs scheduled this summer which we’d love to see you at! Plus, read on for more information about career fairs in Wisconsin – with many of them happening in the fall, this summer is a great time for planning!
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Don’t forget – if you’re reading this newsletter on a school or work email account that you're leaving at the end of this school year, make sure to subscribe now with an alternate email address so you can KEEP Current! | |
Reserve kits now! Looking for a last-minute hands-on resource for a summer school, camp, or other event? KEEP's Kit Program continues all summer!
Ready to start planning your schedule for next fall? KEEP has you covered with our hands-on energy kits! We’re continuing to offer free shipping for kits this summer and next school year, so submit your reservations now to have the best chance of getting the kits you want for the dates you need them.
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Join us at WAAE! KEEP will be at the Wisconsin Association of Agricultural Educators (WAAE) Professional Development Conference (PDC) in Oshkosh June 22-26.
Visit our exhibit table, check out our KidWind Mini Challenge session, or join us on an agrivoltaics-focused field trip.
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Scholarships are still available! The Teach Climate Network Summer Institute will be held online July 14-15, with an in-person Wisconsin Cohort Day July 17 at Horicon Marsh.
Limited scholarships are available! On the registration page, complete all required fields and click “Check here if you would like to be considered for a scholarship” to be contacted by Climate Gen.
| | | | Career Fairs in Wisconsin! | | |
Most career fairs (23) are hosted by a high school. Most of these fairs are for the students attending that school. However, there are several examples of high school hosted events where students from other public and private schools in the vicinity are invited. One notable example is the Watertown High School fair, which hosts students from all high schools in Jefferson County and several Dane County schools. This event is coordinated by the Watertown Area Chamber.
The remaining career fairs are held in a community space and hosted by industry sector alliances. These career fairs are attended by hundreds or even thousands of students. Wisconsin Builders Association helps coordinate five multi-school “Build My Future” career fairs around the state. Other large career fairs include Future Fox Cities Career Expo (Appleton), Future Quest (Dane County), the Heavy Metal Tour (Wausau), and Experience the Trades Expo (Waukesha).
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Who is attending?
Only 26 of the 40 career fairs reported grade bands. Of these, 10 serve middle school grades, including two that are exclusively for 8th-grade students. The remaining 16 career fairs are for high school students only.
| | When are career fairs happening? | | |
One quarter (10) of career fairs took place in March. October and April each had eight career fairs. As organizers consider school calendars, testing, time for promotion and recruitment, weather, and transportation, the window of opportunity becomes quite narrow. For organizations and companies with a statewide reach, knowing well ahead of time when career fairs are scheduled is critical for planning and participation!
| | Number of high school career fairs by month (2024-25 school year, Wisconsin) | | |
Who is exhibiting or presenting?
Most career fairs have a broad range of careers options that are presented to students. Several of the large, industry-hosted fairs are focused on the trades with pathways into manufacturing or architecture and construction. No matter the focus of a career fair, hosts seek engaging, hands-on experiences for students. Future Quest has developed a list of exhibit ideas.
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Are students learning about careers in all economic sectors?
In December 2024, the Wisconsin DPI Pathways coordinator sent out a mid-year report on CBLE student engagement. At that time career fairs comprised 10% of CBLE experiences. In aggregate students explored careers in all economic sectors.
Any educator accompanying students to a career fair is encouraged to connect with their career fair liaison to determine who will submit tracker information. This assists the DPI in gathering accurate information about all the collaboration and partnerships taking place that support student exploration and engagement with careers in all sectors.
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How to include Energy in a career fair you are planning:
For career fair planners wishing to engage students with hands-on experiences in energy careers, consider requesting the Wisconsin Energy Workforce Consortium’s Mobile Learning Lab by filling in the request form on the Industry Calendar. Or, if your school is interested in participating in one of several high school energy career fairs that are organized in collaboration with Slipstream, a Wisconsin nonprofit working to grow the clean-energy workforce as a key part of its mission to accelerate climate solutions for everyone, submit this form to be notified of the fair schedules.
| | Energy professionals make up a growing portion of Wisconsin’s workforce, and career fairs are an excellent entry point for introducing students to these critical careers. If your school is hosting a career fair, are energy careers represented? If not, this might be a great moment to start! | | Upcoming Professional Development Opportunities | | • KidWind Educator Workshop | 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., August 8 | Sheboygan South High School, Sheboygan | • KidWind Educator Workshop | 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., August 19 | Madison College, Madison | |  | |
Join the Wisconsin Energy Partnership for this webinar series that will help your facility improve energy efficiency and start planning for renewable energy.
Register for any of the following sessions:
- June 9 - How to Read a Utility Bill & Benchmark Your Facility’s Energy Use
- June 16 - LED Lighting and Beyond: Savings with LED’s and Smart Lighting Controls
- June 23 - Solar PV 101: System Basics, Life Cycle Costs, Current Incentives
- June 30 - What’s Using Energy? Save Energy Costs with Sub-Meters and Sensors
| | Watt's Your Appliance now available in Spanish! | |
| How did you like this newsletter? | | | | Feedback is always welcome at keep@uwsp.edu. | | Did someone forward you this email? | | The KEEP program is funded with generous support by Alliant Energy, Madison Gas and Electric, We Energies, Wisconsin Public Service, WPPI Energy, and Xcel Energy. | | | | |
