At the beginning of November, students from all across Washington County, along with their families, gathered for an event that opened their eyes to the limitless career possibilities right in their own backyard. BB2C’s Family Career Fest was more than just an event—it was an opportunity to connect students and their families with the community, the businesses that thrive here, and the diverse career paths that await them after graduation.

Career exploration is more than having students identify and follow predetermined career paths, it is about empowering them to combine their interests and experiences to create unique career pathways. Students can be career path-makers, not just career path-takers. 

Alexis White, a junior at Fort Frye High School, has charted an inspiring career path in agricultural communications through her involvement with FFA, 4H, and media reporting.

The BB2C Makerspace has already had a busy month! A collaboration with Peoples Bank Theatre for their upcoming Ben Fold concert as part of his Paper Airplane Request Tour was showcased at Marietta Main Street's October First Friday event. The next day, the Makerspace held a community-wide Open House that included Sips Coffee Truck, J's Dog House food truck, local musicians, and fun classes.

Noon Rotary had the idea to create a Little Free Library and set it in the Rotary Centennial Park. The idea quickly grew to include a Little Free Pantry alongside the library. Interested in exploring what the BB2C Makerspace can do and brainstorming ideas together? Let us know!

Helping middle school students with decision-making and goal setting can set a solid foundation for their future academic and career choices. By pairing them with career mentor volunteers, this BB2C program provides guidance and real-world insights that can be incredibly valuable for 7th and 8th graders.

Moving into the Epicenter in March 2024, Julie has been excited to collaborate with students and explore new product lines. For example, using equipment in the Makerspace she can now create specialty art tote bags she had previously outsourced.

The first middle school STEAM camp at BB2C was a resounding success, providing students with a well-rounded and immersive experience in the world of science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics. The camp not only sparked curiosity and creativity but also equipped students with valuable problem-solving and communication skills. BB2C looks forward to hosting more events like this in the future, continuing to inspire and educate the next generation of innovators.

As a BB2C intern, I get to work with the financial data of the company and create reports from the data. I also work with the process of obtaining the data.

BB2C put on their 4th annual high school STEAM Camp last week. The camp, hosted at the BB2C Makerspace, provides students with an opportunity to work together in teams to strengthen both their soft and hard skills. Utilizing different equipment and materials from the Makerspace, students create individual Rube-Goldberg machines with their teams.

I am the Makerspace Intern, I will be helping run our STEAM summers camps as well as helping out around the shop troubleshooting and building things. I will be working under [Makerspace Director] Jared Wittekind.

At the beginning of the school year, BB2C met with administrators and educators at each school district in the county to establish the goals they had for their district. BB2C collaborated closely with these schools, who are official BB2C School Partners—Belpre, Frontier, Fort Frye, Marietta, Warren, Wolf Creek, the Washington County Career Center, and Washington State College of Ohio. They included educators, students, and community members to identify their unique needs and objectives. 

“In the heart of our community lies a haven for young minds eager to explore, create, and innovate: the Makerspace. Amidst the whirring of 3D printers and the hum of robotics, a homeschool club finds its home, embarking on a journey unlike any traditional school environment could offer.”

What do you need to know about being a mental health counselor? This is the question that 7th grader Gabriel Inman had. Through BB2C’s Career Mentor program, he was able to interview counselor Larkin Warsinsky from the Southeastern Ohio Counseling Center.