Mobile career-exploration van program continuing with regional funding, coach reports near-600 student contacts

The commission received an update on the Region 3 mobile career- exploration classroom and the contractor who operates it.

"My name is Anne Pollard and I have the pleasure of running the mobile for exploration in the van," said Anne Pollard (career coach), who summarized the van’s school visits and outreach. Pollard told commissioners she has made 17 school visits in 2026 so far and worked with just under 600 students, delivering just under 2,000 video experiences through the van’s virtual-reality setup. A staff speaker introduced the program as a regional partnership that purchased the van with a regional workforce impact grant and contracted a coach to visit schools in multiple counties.

Commissioners asked about program expansion and content updates. Pollard said the VR library is updated quarterly and that local companies have begun creating 360-degree career videos for the system. "They come out with new videos every quarter," she said, and added that the program also connects students with information about grants and work-based learning opportunities. Commissioners praised the program’s role in exposing juniors, seniors and occasional junior-high students to regional career options.

The commission did not take separate action on the report but approved related budget requests elsewhere on the agenda consistent with continuing grant-funded operations. Staff said the van’s operating band and much of the equipment remain grant-funded. The update concluded with commissioners encouraging continued regional coordination and potential future conversations about modest program expansion and employer partnerships.