By Jonathon Bower/The University of Alabama
Many West Alabama high school students face an uncertain career path because they are underinformed about career paths that exist and emerging industries in the state of Alabama. West Alabama Works’ event, named World of Works, aims to change the status quo by bringing awareness of different career pathways to more than 4,000 Alabama ninth-grade students. The University of Alabama & Shelton State Community College BattChallenge team was excited to exhibit at the West Alabama Works’ Worlds of Work event.
The Worlds of Work event serves 13 counties in the West Alabama region. Each of the counties served by the event has a higher percentage below 150% of the poverty line than the national average, according to the National Institute of Health. Worlds of Work addresses the historically under-severed, limited-income demographic of West Alabama by highlighting high-paying job opportunities and different pathways to realize those opportunities.
The UA & SSCC BattChallenge team’s exhibit included an interactive activity where WoW participants operated a do-it-yourself motor consisting of a AAA battery, two small magnets, wire and a paper propellor. This activity gave participants the opportunity to visualize a smaller-scale and simplified versions of how an electric vehicle motor can be powered by a battery.
Jade Cartolano, an MBA student and communications lead for the UA & Shelton State BattChallenge was one team member that facilitated the interactive activity.
“I had a great time attending Worlds of Work!,” Cartolano said. “It was a fantastic opportunity to introduce students to our team and engage with them through a hands-on activity.”
“Watching many students get excited as they used a battery to spin a model wheel was truly rewarding,” she added. I’m looking forward to continuing to participate in community events like this!”
West Alabama Works will host a follow-up event titled Worlds of Work Varsity in the spring ‘25 semester. At this event, West Alabama high school seniors will interview for high-paying job opportunities in the local area. The UA & SSCC BattChallenge team hopes to continue its partnership with West Alabama Works by volunteering their time to prepare first-time interviewees on how to interview for a job.
You can see more about how the UA & Shelton State BattChallenge team supports its local community by visiting its Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn pages.
