The Montelores Futures Fair offers local students a chance to connect with more than 60 businesses, colleges and trade organizations, giving them hands-on exposure to career paths and educational opportunities.
The event, designed as an “exploration fair,” emphasizes early engagement for middle and high school students, helping them envision future possibilities long before graduation.
The fair will be held Wednesday, Dec. 3, at the Montezuma County Fairgrounds, 30100 U.S. Highway 160, from 8 a.m. to noon.
According to Tai Rogers, Southwest Education Collaborative’s work-based learning manager, three local districts will bring students, and more than 60 partners have signed up to participate.
“We’re continuing a strong tradition of giving our local youth this really valuable touch point for exploration,” Rogers told The Journal on Wednesday.
Rogers said the Department of Labor and Employment hosts a spring job fair they partner with, but the winter event is an “exploration event.”
“I think that’s a key difference, that there’s a Cortez spring job fair that is looking at juniors and seniors to help kids find opportunities and maybe internships,” Rogers said. “The Futures Fair is more focused on exploration for ninth graders, eighth graders, middle schoolers, so that they can think about the future in a broad spectrum.”
Last year’s fair featured businesses, colleges and trades. Students met representatives from Southwest Memorial Hospital, Cortez Police Department, Montezuma County Sheriff’s Office, EMS, Mesa Verde National Park, Cortez Recreation Center, Deer Hill Expeditions, Classic Air Medical, National Mustang Association of Colorado and more, as well as plumbing and construction trades.
Several colleges also attended.
Rogers said students share feedback after the fair, and survey data is given to school counselors to help guide career exploration.
For more information or to sign up as a partner, contact Rogers at trogers@swcoedcollaborative.org.
