Welcome to Worlds of Work

Each year, businesses, educators, and economic development partners in Clarke County, Frederick County, Page County, Rappahannock County, Shenandoah County, Warren County, and Winchester, Virginia, come together to host Worlds of Work.

Nearly 3,000 eighth grade students from the region will experience WoW! More than 70 businesses showcase equipment, vehicles, and machinery that students climb into, fix, and manipulate. There are animals students can touch and care for as well as life-like mannequins they might splint and stitch. The event is designed to be a hands-on exploration of possible careers.

Hands-On Activities Spark Career Interests

In Virginia, students begin considering their career journey in middle school. Worlds of Work provides an immersive career exploration experience. During the event, students move through 10 different industry sectors, or “Work Worlds,” and participate in brief, hands-on activities. More than 70 businesses participate each year providing students with a look into each of these 10 business sectors:

• Agriculture
• Communications
• Finance
• Hospitality
• Construction
• Health Science
• Information Technology
• Manufacturing
• Public Service
• Transportation & Logistics

Available to All 8^th Graders

Worlds of Work is open to all students in the 7-district region. As part of their regular curriculum, all 8th grade public school students in the WoW! service region will attend Worlds of Work. Children who attend private schools or are home-schooled are also invited to participate. Find the participation requirements here.

Exhibiting at the Worlds of Work Event

Businesses located in the WoW! service region are encouraged to showcase careers at WoW! Businesses must align with one of the ten Work Worlds and commit to providing a brief, hands-on activity correlating to career opportunities available at their business. Learn more about exhibiting and sharing career opportunities with tomorrow's workforce.

Sponsoring Worlds of Work

Sponsorship assists with site rental, the purchase of 3,000 cinch sacks printed with the WoW! logo; the creation of 3,000 WoW! booklets for student use; and lunch, beverages, and snacks for exhibitors and volunteers. Businesses interested in sponsoring can learn more here.

Volunteer at WoW!

WoW! volunteers keep the event running smoothly by assisting with bus unloading and loading, directing traffic, greeting students and handing out event materials to students, assisting business exhibitors with setup, passing out lunches, and keeping everyone on schedule. Learn more about being a volunteer here.

Worlds of Work is a career exploration event managed by Laurel Ridge Community College Career Pathways Consortium, in partnership with Northern Shenandoah Valley Regional Commission, Frederick County Economic Development Authority, Winchester Economic Development Authority, Clarke County Economic Development, Page County Economic Development, Shenandoah County Economic Development, and Warren County Economic Development.