Ypsi middle schoolers explore future careers through hands-on pilot program

On the Ground Ypsilanti is an “embedded journalism” program covering the city and township of Ypsilanti. It is supported by Ann Arbor SPARK, the Center for Health and Research Transformation, Destination Ann Arbor, Eastern Michigan University, Engage @ EMU, Washtenaw Community College, Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission, and Washtenaw ISD.

A new pilot program at Ypsilanti Community Middle School (YCMS) is bringing career exploration into the classroom, offering students hands-on exposure to careers in advanced manufacturing, aerospace, mobility, robotics, and engineering. Rather than asking students to make early decisions, the “From Curiosity to Career” program focuses on helping young people connect learning to real-world industries and begin imagining themselves in careers they may never have considered.

The program is made possible through partnerships with a range of local and regional employers who open their doors to students and families, including Liebherr Aerospace, Coleman A. Young International Airport, Toyota Motor North America Research and Development, Zoller, and Gene Butman Ford. It’s funded by a Michigan Economic Development Corporation grant and Washtenaw County’s recently passed CTE millage.

“Curiosity to Career is about helping young people make sense of the world by connecting school to real-world problems and industries,” says Jackson Greenstone, supervisor of career technical education, special populations, at the Washtenaw Intermediate School District (WISD). “Middle school is when students start asking, ‘What does all of this lead to?’ We give them authentic experiences in industries that are growing right here in Southeast Michigan.”

While students in Ypsi have the opportunity to take advantage of a wide range of strong career and technical education (CTE) programs, many students don’t encounter them until late in high school. By then, schedules are full and options may feel limited. From Curiosity to Career intentionally moves that exposure earlier.

“Curiosity to Career gives students a chance to explore pathways during a window when they’re naturally curious and forming identity around ‘what’s possible,'” says Greenstone, who coordinates From Curiosity to Career.

From Curiosity to Career is intentionally designed to remove pressure from the career exploration process. Over nine weeks, students rotate through different career pathways, learning from teachers, industry professionals, and student ambassadors who are currently enrolled in state-approved CTE programs. Each week centers on hands-on projects that emphasize problem-solving, collaboration, and communication alongside technical skills.

“What employers tell us they need today isn’t just technical skill,” Greenstone says. “They need people who can think, solve problems, collaborate, and communicate. That’s exactly what we ask of students in this program and it’s a big confidence builder.”

The program’s student ambassador model, which pairs middle school students with high schoolers who are already exploring these career pathways themselves.

“The student ambassador model is one of the most powerful aspects of the program,” Greenstone says. “High school CTE students make careers feel real and reachable because they’re only a few years older. They expand what middle school students can imagine for themselves.”

For Maile Chanda, a student ambassador from Saline High School, the experience was both challenging and rewarding. She helped guide middle school students through advanced manufacturing activities during the program’s classroom rotations.

“Once we got the hang of it, teaching the middle schoolers became fun,” Chanda says. “The best part was that this experience overall was super rewarding since I had the chance to share my passion with the middle schoolers and have a lot of them be genuinely interested.”

For students, the program culminates in visits to real workplaces tied to the pathways they explored during the nine weeks. Those visits help translate classroom learning into a broader understanding of how industries function at scale.

“I believe that visiting real workplaces has a huge impact on students’ understanding compared to just what they know in the classroom,” Chanda says. “When we led the teaching sessions, we could only show them a very small part of what actually goes on. Going into these industries gives them a much bigger understanding of how what we taught them translates directly into the real world.”

The capstone visits also include students’ families to help promote further learning and support for students at home.

“Bringing families into employer spaces during the capstone visits is critical,” Greenstone says. “When parents see their child engaging with flight mechanics, robotics, or precision machining for the first time, you can sense the shift where it becomes possible and real.”

For Chanda, serving as a student ambassador also clarified her own future.

“Being part of this program reinforced my passion for the subject and how much I enjoy helping others learn,” she says. “It’s impacted my confidence and I’m now considering a combination of engineering and education in college.”

WISD is planning to expand From Curiosity to Career to other schools. For more information about From Curiosity to Career and YCS’s other CTE programs, visit www.ycschools.us.

“We’re not asking 12-year-olds to pick a career,” Greenstone says. “We’re giving them the space and experiences to discover what interests them and what they’re good at, and to see that there are many paths forward.”