Inside IALR

Aha Moments and Career Exploration: The GO TEC Classroom Experience

• Institute for Advanced Learning and Research

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GO TEC — Great Opportunities in Technology and Engineering Careers — is transforming how middle schoolers explore potential futures. Today’s episode dives deep into how it works. 

Host Caleb Ayers sits down with GO TEC teachers Laurie Cossaboon and Justin Adams, along with GO TEC Region 3 Training Coordinator Chris Griffith, to unpack the program’s statewide expansion and classroom impact.

The conversation explores the eleven GO TEC modules, which introduce students to everything from precision machining and robotics to cybersecurity, healthcare and virtual reality welding. The guests share how the program adapts to different school schedules, how teachers receive hands‑on training at regional training labs and why the “aha moments” are so frequent in these classes.

They also highlight how GO TEC helps students understand math and science concepts in practical, memorable ways, sometimes even changing how students view themselves and their abilities. With stories ranging from welding tournaments to coding breakthroughs, this episode shows how GO TEC connects curiosity with real opportunity.

The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research serves as a regional catalyst for economic transformation in Southern Virginia. Our services, programs and offerings are diverse, impactful and far reaching.

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Laurie Cossaboon:

For teachers who want to teach it. Another just wonderful thing is to watch the aha moments. Handing a student a tool that they've never even heard of before, teaching them how to use it, and then watching their success with it. And they do go, oh, I get it now. I'm getting that right. And it's the aha moments are, well, they're a lot more often than they were in my math classrooms.

Caleb Ayers:

Welcome to another episode of Inside IALR. Thanks for joining us. Uh it's been a little while with the Christmas break. Very exciting topic today. Uh one of the programs we run here, I would say one of our larger programs is called GoTech. We love our acronyms. GoTech stands for Great Opportunities and Technology and Engineering Careers. Essentially, this is a middle school career exploration program where middle schoolers get to, I don't want to use the word play, but I think that is the correct word, is they get to play with lots of cool technologies and learn about the careers associated with those. And here we have two of our GoTech teachers and uh one of our go tech training coordinators who helps train those teachers. So I'll let all three of you guys introduce yourselves.

Chris Griffith:

My name is Chris Griveth. I am the GoTech Region 3 training coordinator. Um, I'm housed here at the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research in our GoTech Training Teacher Training Lab.

Justin Adams:

My name is Justin Adams. I am the uh sixth grade GoTech teacher at Benjamin Franklin Middle School, and this is my sixth year of teaching GoTech overall.

Laurie Cossaboon:

I'm Lauren Cosaboon. I'm the GoTech teacher in Mecklenburg County Public Schools. Um, this is my seventh year I teach teaching the GoTech program.

Caleb Ayers:

That's awesome. Chris, I'm gonna let you do some of the you know big picture. I I gave the the the 10-second elevator pitch, but kind of give us the big picture of what is GoTech. What does it look like on the ground in the classrooms?

Chris Griffith:

So GoTech, we cover 11 actual modules. Um we've got nine modules that we're doing in each of our regions. We have a couple of modules that are interchangeable. Um, we're gonna be in 76 schools, or we're actually in 76 schools this fall. Um, and I think that's covering 18 different divisions. I know that that is in my area. Um, so GoTech is basically starting off, we're doing everything from IT coding and networking, uh robotics and automation, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, manufacturing engineering. Uh, we're touching on welding, uh, we're touching on CNC or precision machining, metrology. We're also doing things uh in other regions, region one, we're doing stuff like um precision ag and we're also doing an energy module there. So we're deploying this on the ground for our students uh to get them. I guess the best way to say this is that it gets them familiarized with these concepts. We're not, you know, they're not gonna leave the program and be an expert, but they get a really good idea of whether or not this is a field that they want to get into. We're doing career research stuff where they're actually getting to understand how the technology that they're getting to play with, so to speak, in the classroom um is applicable to real world situations, uh, jobs, things that are going to be marketable for them, um, skills that are gonna be marketable for them. Uh, so that's one of the things that we're hoping that the students see on that side of it. We're also doing things where they're actually able to understand how 3D printers work. And we're also dealing with things that are math and science related, uh, that they're actually able to see how the things they've learned in math and science up to this point are applied. Some of those things are going to be things like simple machines, uh, X, Y, Z coordinates, um, and how that kind of plays into stuff like G-code, uh, M code for precision machining, and our G code for our laser, uh, laser cutter and engraver, and also for our 3D printers.

Caleb Ayers:

That last part of what you said, that it, you know, obviously they're getting to see the technology in action, that's great, but also seeing the application of the other things they're learning in their other classes and how those concepts relate to their careers. You know, I remember as a kid all the time where I'd be like, I don't know why I'm learning this. This doesn't seem very relevant. But if you can see the relevance of what you're learning, that makes it that much more you're you're gonna be that much more likely to actually engage with and want to learn that information.

Chris Griffith:

Absolutely. I had I had math teachers that would come down uh when I was at Halifax as a as a go-tech teacher there that would come down and be like, I'm not sure what you're doing with the students. And I was like, I'm gonna get I'm getting ready to get chewed out or something, you know, what am I doing wrong? And they're like, you know, whatever you're doing with, you know, coordinates, plotting coordinates. Um, you know, we were talking about uh how how our machines move. And we always, you know, do our stuff with like our right-hand rule where we have, you know, our X, our Y, and our Z. And the students were very kind of confused at the point. They're like, well, you know, every time we talk about Y, it's all it's the Y is going up and down. I'm like, it's because the way they're being plotted on a screen. Um, so you're looking at a screen and it's you've got X that's going left to right and Y is going up and down because that's what they're plotting. But in reality, they're getting to learn, you know, in our class that that Z is actually what's going up and down. Um, and we have teachers that are able to modify that and it gets a good understanding for the students to take back to some of their other classes as well.

Caleb Ayers:

Yeah, that's really cool. And yeah, I should have said that up front. Chris is also a former go tech teacher, so he can he can talk to all sides of this. Justin and Lori, tell me a little bit about kind of your previous education experience and how I guess how you ended up as a go-tech teacher.

Laurie Cossaboon:

I have three years of teaching experience, but most of it has been a math teacher. I've always taught middle school, though. Um, I did 22 years in Hanover County. I've been in Mecklenburg ever since then. And I got the GoTech position because Mecklenburg was just getting started teaching or implementing the career investigation class that's required from the state. And uh I have a technology background, so I guess they just thought of me and called me up in the summer and asked me if I would like to take the position. And and I said yes and been here ever since.

Justin Adams:

For me, I was a for me starting with I was a sixth grade math teacher for three years, and then I went to uh Patrick County High School and taught uh business and marketing classes, and then the summer that COVID hit, uh my principal reached out to me and asked if I would be willing to try and teach go tech, and uh told her that I would and uh started teaching there. I taught at Patrick County High School, uh, eighth graders only for four years. Uh then the opportunity came to teach it uh full-time at Benjamin Franklin Middle School uh for sixth grade, which I had previous experience with sixth graders before. And so I uh took that opportunity. Um, and this is my second year here at Benjamin Franklin Middle School.

Caleb Ayers:

I know the the curriculum at its at its very basic level, you know, can be broken down in kind of a module a week or kind of a nine-week course. But talk about kind of the differences that that you all see as far as how you teach it to sixth graders versus eighth graders and how you actually provide this information to them, but more importantly, provide these experiences to them at those different things.

Laurie Cossaboon:

Uh from what I understand, uh the different school systems um all are implementing it a little differently. It depends on the structure of that school system. So in my school, GoTech is only done with the seventh and the eighth graders. Um and I teach both levels. So I teach sixth grade and career investigations also, but it's not go tech related. It's just the basics of careers. So for seventh and eighth grade, so they're getting um level one go tech for seventh grade, and I'm teaching level two go tech for the eighth graders.

Justin Adams:

For me, when I was in Patrick County, uh we had eighth graders only that could take the class. We had them for the entire semester and 90 minutes for each period every day of the week. So we were able to do uh year one and sometimes even maybe year two and year three level things in our class because I had them for such a long period of time. Here in Benjamin Franklin Middle School, it's a little bit different because we have our classes are on an A B schedule. So I'll have my students nine minutes a day. Um and they are here for either two or three days a week and only 45 days a semester. So we get to cover a lot of the same stuff that I did before, but we have to cut down a lot of the things that we do from what I used to do before. But uh overall, the sixth grade students I've found can do a lot of the same things that the eighth grade students were capable of doing. They need a little bit more guidance and a little more um uh belief in themselves, so whatever that they can do it, but it takes a little bit more work with them, but they can do it. So um it's been fun to see that how they are able to do things just as well as some of the eighth graders, in some cases better than some of the eighth grade students I've had before.

Chris Griffith:

So and just to touch on what what Justin and Laurie were talking about, Caleb, you do have we we have schools that separated differently. We have some schools that say their sixth graders are only there for a quarter. Um, so they're there might be there nine weeks. Uh so we do have nine-week deployment or implementation of the program. Um, we're also gonna have some schools that are 18-week, uh, and then we have some that are 36. Um, those are far and few between, um, but we do have that. Uh, so you're gonna have some that are they're running the whole program, you know, uh an entire period, and they're able to cover more material. Um, but technically what we're usually doing is having a level one, uh, a level two, and a level three. Um, some of those build on each other. Um, you are gonna have things and you're gonna have stuff within the modules themselves uh that you're ideally wanting to wanna be able to kind of almost like a stepping stone up to some of the other stuff. We want students to be able to get into precision machining with an understanding of how metrology works and being able to make you know quality control measurements, things like that. So we do want to be able to build on that, but it's gonna be different uh by the school and we kind of make it flexible like that, so that we have if we have school districts and divisions that that want to be able to implement a program, but have a different you know structure than just that regular you know semester or you know, 18-week um that we're able to to still do that and they're able to still deploy it.

Caleb Ayers:

The the goal of GoTech is to be to work well across any school division in Virginia, as at you know, at this point, this as you said, Chris earlier, it's in 76 schools. We're talking about from Southwest Virginia to Hampton Roads all the way through the state. I know we're working up north as well. So to be able to have that kind of structure where, as you said, you know, a school division might only be able to give their just their sixth graders nine weeks, and that's what they can handle, or another school division might be able to give them a full year worth of this program that we would have that package for any school division within that to be able to provide is very um very cool. And also, I just want to say now, and I'll I'll probably say it again at some point before this is over, but when I talk about like what what we do at the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research, this is usually the first program where I'm like we we put really cool technology in the hands of middle schoolers so that they can learn about potential career fields. I think it's just such a cool program. It's so cool to see how this has grown and the impact that it's making. So as we've grown across the state, we have four training labs. Chris, obviously, you're here at the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research, where one of those training labs is. Um we have training labs in Southwest Virginia, in Hampton Roads, and in Central Virginia as well, um, where teachers like like you all, Justin and Lori, would go, you know, to learn a lot of this equipment that's then implemented in your classroom. So talk to me about kind of the training process. How do you get? I mean, and and all of you obviously can answer this question, but I mean, how do you get from, I would imagine, having not worked with a lot of this equipment before to being able to then instruct it and teach it and use it and implement it with middle schoolers?

Laurie Cossaboon:

Lucky for me, I started, I think the second year they started training. Um, so they were working as they were getting the equipment and schools were acquiring it. So I don't think it was a complicated thing. They did a great job gathering um the GoTech teachers in a group and just uh having activities prepared, not everything all at once, of course, just a couple of the hands-on things and um just had us teachers sit in the room together and work it out and um show us what it's like to do, what we're gonna show the students. So um I know I've attended every training that I possibly could, and I still do. And it's always a good to have a refresher and learn the new things the same way I learned the ones I've already known for years. It's been really helpful.

Justin Adams:

For me, I was uh I guess kind of fortunate because my first year teaching was the first year that everyone came back from COVID and we had the A-B students uh and stuff like that. And during that time, we were able to meet over at Laurel Park Middle School with me and a couple instructors there, and an instructor from uh Martinsville and uh Jacob Taylor, he would come up and meet with us, and we would get a lot of the training in that way. Um, so was able to learn a lot of stuff during that time and a pretty quick amount of time that maybe uh would not be able to have if it wouldn't have been for that. So that was fortunate worked out for that. Um, and they've always been Jacob was more my training coordinator early on uh with dealing with stuff, but he was always great for me. Um, I'm sure Chris is as well. I just haven't had to talk to him as much because I know a little bit more what I'm doing now than I did back then. But I remember Jacob one day would message me. Um, we were talking back and forth on stuff, and so finally I just was like, I got on a Google Meet or whatever, and I was just showing him with my phone like, hey, this is what the problem is, or this is what's going on. And so he was able, he pulled over on the side of the road, looked at his phone, was like, oh, this is what you're doing wrong here, or this is what was messed up. And so um having that ability to be able to uh have access to them and being able to learn things that way, and then you know, what was great to have that throughout the years, um, and just trying to figure out some of the stuff, and then some of it just things you you pick up on your own. You try to look on look stuff up online on YouTube has a lot of great resources as well. You don't have to do that, but that's a lot of help if you can do that to try to learn some things on your own. Um, and you know, a lot of it's just not being afraid of the equipment because I had zero experience with anything that we did uh or that we teach in this class, and so being able to go through and learn all this, and you know, now I come into my classroom and very confident in what I'm teaching and very confident in what I'm doing, and um, it makes a big difference over a period of time, but it it does take some time, but it does it's they're very helpful in helping you figure out what you need to know.

Laurie Cossaboon:

Yeah, I've also had many one-on-one sessions with Jake and Chris as well over the years, coming out to my school, um, definitely showing me how to hook things up. That has been a big deal. Um, I even moved Mecklenburg Middle School, has a new facility. So I even had to move from my original middle school in Mecklenburg to this new site, and they even helped me with the move because Jake came out to hook up all the hoses, the cords, show me, you know, how to plug everything in and get everything ready. And now I didn't know how to break it down to move it. So they did that for me. I was a part of it and then taught me how to hook everything up myself. And if there's ever an issue with equipment breakdown or um you need a one-on-one to kind of reinforce things, they will come out to the school and help you. You just may reach out for an email and they can be out within a week or two, even sometimes a day or so. It's been really, it's been a very good resource. It definitely boosts my confidence too. I didn't have zero experience either, just like Justin. Um, but I was very eager to learn it. It's been fun.

Caleb Ayers:

Yeah, that's cool what you said. Both of you guys coming from being math teachers, you know, that's not you're not dealing with a bunch of different kinds of equipment in a math classroom normally. So that's that's cool to see that you guys have been been able to, you know, go from that to understanding this technology, being able to explain it, being able to show students, and even as you said, troubleshoot and work through problems and be confident with it. That's that's really cool.

Chris Griffith:

I was kind of similar. I this wasn't something that I went, I didn't go to school for this. Uh so I was actually a qualified mental health professional for 16 years. Um, and then I taught motorsports technology. Um, I have an ASC certification. And so it was, I did that. And then we talked about in Halifax. I actually started training when Laurie was training. Um, I think we started at the same time, even though I wasn't technically in the Go Tech program. We knew that Halifax was moving in that direction for Halifax County Middle School. And so I started training for it just to be prepared uh until we were able to implement. Um, time went by, pandemic happened. Um, we still didn't, you know, still hadn't pulled the trigger in Halifax. So we ended up starting doing continuing to do another class after motorsports uh kind of fizzled out and did a program called Smart Lab, which involved like 18 different stations. Um, didn't know if they really, the students really took away any real understanding. Um, it all happened so quickly for them. Um, so then we started kind of training for GoTech. And it was, you know, at the same time, uh, it was a lot of information. Um, I think that we've got two really good examples here uh with between Laurie and Justin of people that that really want to understand the material, put forth some personal time too, uh, attended trainings, you know, and are are willing to be able to to grasp this concept and be able to pass that on to the sixth, seventh, eighth graders or ninth graders sometimes in that aspect.

Caleb Ayers:

And I mean, as GoTech teachers, and obviously Chris, you now, you know, training other teachers for you all, when you're in a position where you could talk to a parent or talk to a student who's considering whether or not, you know, they they're who doesn't really know much about go tech. What's kind of your your pitch of why a student should participate in this class?

Laurie Cossaboon:

I always tell the students, well, I have the opportunity to tell my sixth graders about it, plus they're in my room so they can see the equipment machines my seventh and eighth graders are doing. And so um we and I have another career investigations teacher in the school who teaches sixth grade also without GoTech. And we pump it up with them and just tell them that they get to try out career tasks and get their hands on real equipment, real tools, and think through processes that um people in the, you know, their jobs and their careers do. Um usually the hands-on aspect attracts them. Uh, for parents, any parent who ever comes into my classroom or sees me on any of our showcase events with me with my equipment, the number one thing they always say is, wow, I didn't have that when I was in school. I wish I did. You all are so lucky. Um, they absolutely love it. They love all the parts of it. Um, even healthcare teaching, uh, they're impressed. Their kids know what blood pressure is and you know how to use a stethoscope, things that they've never would have exposure to in the middle school, even if it's not their cup of tea or the career they want. Um, sometimes we're giving them a chance to try things out that they'll probably never have the opportunity to do. So even on that aspect, most of the students and the parents love that chance, you know, just to be able to get their hands on it and try it out. It's pretty cool.

Justin Adams:

My parents, uh, when they come in for back to school nights or uh when the Fifth graders come to visit the school as well. Um, we kind of go through, I'll have a lot of the equipment out. Um, I'll have a thing on my board where I'll show them like, hey, these are the different modules that we'll talk about in the class. I'll go through and explain each of the modules that we're going to be doing, some of the projects that they're going to be doing for those modules as well. Um, and a lot of times we talk about, like, you know, sometimes there's going to be something that in this class that you really enjoy, and there may be things that you don't enjoy. But the good thing is we're only going to spend five or six days on, and then we're going to move on to something else. Um, then you get the chance to do something maybe you do enjoy better. But you know, the goal with even sixth graders is like you're going to be graduating from high school hopefully in a few years. And you need, if you can start planning out a future now as to what you want to do, you can start making some decisions like, hey, I like this or like this. And then, you know, I look at it as vertically for our school system is like, okay, when they go leave here, where are they going into the CTE programs at our high school? And what how can our program feed into those programs and help these kids make decisions where you know maybe they're not students who are going to be going to college at some point, or maybe they are. Either way, it's fine. Um, but there's opportunities for them in a variety of career paths. And if let's say the virtual welder in here uh really makes the students um interested in that, which a lot of my students in both schools have been very interested in that. And I've had students go on into the welding programs in Patrick County, um, you know, that's something that they can have a really good paying job very quickly. And when you talk about that with parents and you talk about interest, and you know, that helps the parents understand like this course is valuable to my uh child. And same thing, a lot of the parents and other teachers that have come in here and seen the stuff that we have in this room, they're like, Man, I wish I'd have had that in school, or that'd been great to have that in school as well. So it's um it's something that's a kind of a showcase, I think, of especially this building that we have uh at our school. And it's something that you know I take a lot of pride in for what we have here and the kids in my class, they do as well. I had kids uh we start our next semester tomorrow. And I've had kids all from first semester. I don't even know the kids like, I'm taking your class next year. When are we doing a 3D printing? Or when are we doing this, or when are we doing that? I'm like, okay, we'll we'll do this in like May or whatever, or toward June, the end of the year, and stuff. So, but it's it's interesting. It's uh it's created a little bit of a buzz on some of the things that we do uh for the kids and even the parents as well.

Caleb Ayers:

As people, and I mean I'll again all three of you can answer this, as you know, people who came in without a ton of previous experience on all of this kinds of equipment and technology, um, but now are able to successfully teach this, and having seen the impact of this program for several years that you've been teaching it at this point, what would be your, you know, if you're talking to another teacher or another, even another school division that's considering whether or not to implement GoTech or for a teacher whether to take that position, what would be your, you know, why why go tech for for a school division or for a teacher?

Laurie Cossaboon:

And like I said, just uh give the students an opportunity to not just look at websites and learn about careers and options for them, but to really try it out, um, to, you know, to experience a process of work that they think through that might involve a tool and a machine and problem solving and design work and um for them to actually have that career work experience is like, I don't know how anybody can deny that that is going to be helpful making their choice for themselves. And like Justin said, they might try something. I say the same thing Justin said um that to his students. For me, I I'm lucky I have a semester class, which by the way, um I can shed light on that. I've taught it in all ways, nine weeks, semester. I've done the full year, I've done it all. Um, I definitely would recommend any school system to make it a semester long. I teach 45-minute classes every day, Monday through Friday. And it's the perfect blend for me and my students. It works really well. Um, it's easy to pick up and start again on the next class period to not forget your first step you learned before the day before. It's enough time to expand some units that need more time. Um, it's it's a great setup. So, I mean, I would say it my students do the same thing. They'll learn something and they're like, this wasn't my strength, you know, this isn't the area I love, but I did like healthcare very much. Or, and it's it's just weeding through what you like and what you don't like, because both of those things are very helpful to make a clear decision for yourself before high school, before those awesome CTE classes happen, before, you know, you graduate high school too. So you have a clue where your strengths, where your interests are.

Justin Adams:

Yeah, I would say for like the uh division looking to add GoTech, you know, the goal of education is to reach students and try to help them figure out, you know, what it is they're passionate about, what it is that they want to do. And if they can figure that out, or the sooner they're able to figure that out, that may be something that clicks for them in our class, like Chris was talking about earlier with like math concepts that we're able to be able to understood better because of the way he taught it. You know, maybe that helps their math scores or whatever and stuff like that. I know for my class personally, when we use the DOW bots and we use um Scratch as well, we talk about the X and Y coordinate and how that's used and stuff like that. So there's a lot of things that they can be uh learning in here that can be applicable to their classroom and other classrooms, like maybe they want to try a little harder because hey, I want to do this or whatever, and um, like I said, have figure out what it is in life that they uh want. Uh, for a teacher that wants to uh teach it, um, you know, I think it's the best class you could possibly teach uh because you get to so much variety of things you get to learn yourself, um, and then get to apply to the students and help them figure out what they want to know about different subjects and things like that. I have by far enjoyed teaching this class the most out of any of the classes that I have taught. Um, that's math class from before, uh, marketing, business classes that I've taught as well. Um, this is by far my favorite class to teach. And it's just because of the variety of topics you get to discuss uh and you know, ways you can reach kids that you maybe aren't able to in a normal classroom setting.

Laurie Cossaboon:

I would agree with everything Justin just said. I feel the same. And I would just add on for teachers who want to teach it. Um, another just wonderful thing is to watch the aha moments. Um, handing a student a tool that they've never even heard of before, teaching them how to use it, and then watching their success with it. And they do go, oh, I get it now. I'm getting that right. And it's the aha moments are well, they're a lot more often than they were in my math classrooms.

Chris Griffith:

And just to just to add on to what they said, I agree a hundred percent to watch the the kids' aha moments. One of my favorite things coming from a field where I was a social worker, um, seeing some of my 504s, uh, my IEP kids that came in, um, watching them grasp concepts and excel in a classroom where maybe the the kids that have always come through advanced classes, always been kind of that accelerated, you know, course, they're actually struggling a little bit, um, or they don't they don't catch it right off the first bat. Um, to watch that cooperation between my students, some of my students that might not have excelled in some of the other classes, whatever reason that may be, that they're they're not excelling the way that they would. Maybe it's the style of learning, but just to watch some of these kids come in with a hands-on approach. Um, I've seen it time and time again with coding. Uh, I've had students that came through my classroom that were able to grasp concepts of coding and would come back after Christmas and be like, you know, you know, you know, Mr. Griffith, I I've actually gotten my parents have downloaded all this stuff. I've gotten apps for my phone. I'm designing apps now, you know, um, and so they're designing games, video games, like what Justin was saying with Scratch, just to see that kind of I guess to see them be exposed to that in that sense, and then just grasp it and then run with it on their own outside of class to see them take that effort uh about maybe it's something like, you know, to hear Justin say about the stuff with the Dubots. I had a kid that came in and was like, oh, it dawned on me last night. This is just like running my dad's my dad's excavator. And it was like, oh yeah, you know, and J controls. And we started talking about like moving individual joints, and they're like, wow, and then he's showing other kids, and then you just watched all these light bulbs start going off for all my rural kids that are there in Halifax. They're like, oh, that's exactly what this is like. And now that they had that understanding, it really helped them through that whole module and they can now take it back and apply it to something that they see every day.

Caleb Ayers:

Before we go, I've heard many times from Angela and Jake and Chris about the virtual reality welding tournaments that happen in these rooms. Um, so for those who have not seen them, one of the modules in GoTech is is welding, and there's a virtual reality welding simulator where students are graded on all kinds of factors based on how they do. Tell us, Justin and Lori, who wins the welding contests in your classroom, the boys or the girls?

Laurie Cossaboon:

Uh it depends. I mean, I will say it's probably mostly boys, but I usually have more boys at the eighth grade level than I do girls in the class. But um I've definitely had girls right in there in the competition. It depends on the class and the year.

Justin Adams:

Yeah, we had six welding contests this year uh for the semester, I believe. Two out of the six were won by girls. Um, but I've had years where only girls have won. And um the highest score for the most part um for most of last year was a at the school was a uh girl, uh and then the guy got her right at the end of the year. It can go either way on that. It I will say with those competitions though with the students, it gets very uh intense with them, and you'll see kids up here, like they'll be really nervous and they're kind of shaking. They're doing like they're like they seen the football players, they're praying and they're doing all this stuff like that. So it's a lot of fun to watch them compete, in my opinion, just to see like how they respond to that. And you I for mine, I'll see them like one through 19 or whatever we have in the class, and then we'll go through the tournament. And sometimes the number one seed, whoever the the top welder was coming into it, wins. And sometimes I've had somebody like a tenth out of like 18th seed win before, so it's you know who shows up on that day type of thing or whatever. So, but yeah, it's fun to watch them in the tournaments um for that and other classes or other topics we talk about as well.

Caleb Ayers:

Do students fill out the brackets before it happens, just like March Madness? That'd be a great addition if everyone's voting on who they think's gonna win. I don't go to that level, no.

Justin Adams:

Yeah, I don't, I don't, yeah, I don't do that either.

Caleb Ayers:

It's but there's no hard feelings would be created by that. Definitely not. But thank you guys for being here. Again, like I said earlier, I just think this program is so cool uh to see you know students get the opportunity to learn, learn with their hands. You know, you can learn, as you said, Lori, you know, it's better than just looking at a website if they can learn with their hands with the actual equipment to see how the things they're learning in their other classes apply to real careers. Um, and the point of all of all of this, obviously, is as you guys have mentioned multiple times, is that students find out what they might like, what they might not like, and be able to make better decisions about what they want to do, whether that just be their, you know, what high school courses they're pursuing or career and technical education or post-secondary, you know, all the way through, that they they would have some level of real exposure to these things and be able to make better decisions. And and as you guys have said, school divisions in Virginia, more of them should come on board. Um, and and for teachers who are considering this, clearly you all have had a great experience, you know, getting to learn, learn these new different technologies, learn these new concepts and be able to bring that to life for your students. So anything else anyone wants to add before we get out of here?

Laurie Cossaboon:

Thank you for having us.

Caleb Ayers:

Yeah, thank you for having us. Yeah, thank you for having us. Awesome.

Chris Griffith:

Thank you guys.

Caleb Ayers:

We appreciate it.