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.

During these tours, educators were encouraged to ponder two critical Guiding Questions:

“What are the most important skills students must have to be successful within this specific industry and why?”

“How should (and can) education change to be more relevant to students’ lives and future careers?”

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.

BB2C’s Makerspace partners with area businesses and organizations to bring to life new ideas and innovations that underscore what thriving communities look like. This collaborative project harnessed the power of the sun!

Bridging the gap between education and employment is all about business partners connecting with and working with educators and students. BB2C’s 2023 Business Partners of the Year worked through our programs and events to engage with schools in unique and deeply appreciated ways.