IU1’s Career Mobile Lab takes students’ career dreams from virtual to reality

WASHINGTON COUNTY, PA (WTRF) – Students as early as kindergarten start getting asked the question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?”

With a world of opportunity out there, it can be difficult to have an answer by the time those students are graduating high school.

That’s where the Career Mobile Lab steps in to help.

”There’s been such a need to bring career exploration activities into our school districts, especially elementary education. There’s not a whole lot of those resources available. And we want to bring things in that are engaging, not things that you can just find on the Internet.”

Elizabeth Meerdo – Career Readiness Coordinator, Intermediate Unit 1

Intermediate Unit 1 is located in Washington County, Pennsylvania and serves schools mainly in Washington, Fayette, and Greene County.

However, their work expands down to schools right in the Northern Panhandle of West Virginia.

”In many cases, we’ve worked just as much with West Virginia schools as we have with our Pennsylvania schools and our IU1 schools. The really cool thing is that West Virginia and Pennsylvania have two absolutely polar opposite education systems. But it just works with us. We’re able to learn from one another and we really, really appreciate and value our West Virginia partners.”

Don Martin – Executive Director, Intermediate Unit 1

The mobile Career Lab is just that – MOBILE – with the goal of benefiting as many students in the tri-state area as possible with this unique approach using curriculum known as Pathways to Careers.

”It’s a careers-based assessment program where it gets kids guided or puts them on some pathways and also provides some math, additional tutoring and some support programs for that, which is really important,” Executive Director Don Martin emphasized. “There are VR headsets which really put students in that that real time, real world position based upon any of their careers that they want to do.”

There are around 30 simulations running 5 minutes in length, spanning all different types of career clusters that are engaging and realistic according to Career Readiness Coordinator, Elizabeth Meerdo.

These scenarios range from taking someone to the hospital and fixing broken bones after a car accident, to manufacturing, to fixing electric poles, and more.

After several years of discussions and working with partners like the Benedum Foundation, the lab is already filling a schedule with schools that are interested.

”We’re really excited for the Career Mobile Lab to hit the road and to engage with as many young people and families and communities as possible and thinking about how they’re preparing them for their future and really to thrive in life.”

Melanie Claxton – Senior Program Officer for Education, Benedum Foundation

The lab was unveiled in front of community partners, state and local legislators, and districts that the lab will serve.

”It’s been a long time coming since we sat down and started to have these conversations where we say we sort of might off the wall and see what sticks. But obviously this stuck and this is a very, very special day for us.”

Don Martin – Executive Director, Intermediate Unit 1

Anyone interested in bringing Intermediate Unit 1’s Career Mobile Lab to their school can contact Elizabeth Meerdo at Elizabeth.Meerdo@iu1.org or by calling her office at 724-938-3241 ext. 283.

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