JA Inspire 2023 Impact

Image caption: JA Inspire Presented by M & T Bank

On March 15 & 16th over 4,500 students throughout the eastern shore learned about the career opportunities that await once entering the workforce! 

Students are prepped with an in class curriculum that matches them with their ideal career clusters. Our goal at JA of the Eastern Shore is to ensure every industry has solid representation so that students can ask questions and learn more about what it means to pursue a career in that industry. 

Students learned about the environment, the poultry industry, gardening techniques, oyster shucking and much more in the Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources section featuring Perdue Farms, Rural Maryland Council, University of Maryland Extension, Master Gardeners and Blue Oyster Environmental.

Our Architecture and Construction industry allowed students to use their creativity and imagination to design incredible structures and witness the process of building something from the ground up. This section wouldn’t have been possible without Gillis Gilkerson, Davis, Bowen & Friedel, Inc., Whiting Turner, Delaware Elevator, Chaney Enterprises, Delmarva Veteran Builders, Scaffold Resource, LLC, ABC Contractors, Chesapeake Shore and Willow Construction.

Our STEM section is always a huge attraction thanks to the rockets, robots and weather balloons supplied by NASA. Housing multiple departments, which include Davis Robotics, Naval Surface Combat Systems Center and Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration, students learned everything there is to know about rocket science and space.

Students also took to the sky through our Transportation, Distribution & Logistics industry while also understanding the importance of ground transportation and the role it plays in our society. SBY Airport, Piedmont Airlines, UMES Aviation Sciences Program, Wor-Wic Community College Transportation and Chesapeake College CDL Transportation & Logistics Program brought this section to life with their interactive activities and knowledge.

JA Inspire was a huge success, and students have already sent messages expressing their gratitude and excitement for their future careers.  We are looking forward to JA Inspire 2024!

Image caption: Students broadcasting live from JA Inspire!

PAC 14’s mobile cameras and the UMES Digital Media Studies and Department of Fine Arts took students into the possibility of a career on the big screen, teaching the inner workings of video production and making our Arts, Audio/Video Technology, Communications & Marketing industry one for the books. 

On the Business Management & Administrative side of JA Inspire, E.D. Supply, Coastal Association of Realtors, Community Title Network, Salisbury University Perdue School of Business and UMES Department of Business, Management & Accounting taught our future generation how to successfully manage their operations while opening their eyes to the world of business.

Image caption: Students working with Delmarva Power

Hands-on, interactive activities were on full display in our Energy industry, highlighted by Delmarva Power, an Exelon Company, Choptank Electric Coop, Chesapeake Utilities, Orsted and the Arcon Training Center. Students understood true power and how it serves everyone in their daily lives.

Our presenting sponsor, M&T Bank, along with Deeley Insurance, Shore United Bank, Taylor Bank and Maryland Association of Certified Public Accountants allowed students to dive into the world of finances and see the importance of Accounting, Finance and Insurance.

Image caption: students learning CPR

Serving in a government role or public administration is something we heard many students desire last year, and Tri-County Council for the Lower Eastern Shore, Maryland Department of Housing, Office of the State’s Attorney for Wicomico County and Wicomico Child Advocacy Center ensure those students received the background and knowledge needed to succeed in the field.

Students witnessed the demands and pressure that comes in an emergency situation in our Health Science industry. They learned about dentistry, CPR and more thanks to the support of TidalHealth, Atlantic General Hospital, Maryland Department of Health | Office of Oral Health, Del Tech Respiratory Technology, Salisbury University School of Nursing and School of Health Sciences, Wor-Wic Community College Health Professionals and UMES Depart of Human Ecology, Physician Assistant Department and School of Pharmacy.

Image caption: students using photoshop to copy the delmarva shorebirds logo

Our students darted to the Hospitality & Tourism industry where a horse, robotic ping-pong player, Sherman the Shorebird and more awaited. Thanks to Worcester County Parks & Rec, the Delmarva Shorebirds, Jolly Rogers Amusements, the Hyatt Regency, Wicomico County Parks & Rec | The Wicomico Youth & Civic Center, Ocean Downs Casino, Wor-Wic Community College Business & Hospitality and UMES Department of Hospitality and Tourism, this industry was a true home run!

Our Human Services, Education & Training industry showed the importance of knowledge and how it can help our students accomplish every goal. Salisbury University, Delaware Tech, Wor-Wic Community College Computer Technology, Teacher Academy of Maryland, Quality Staffing Services, The Arc Northern Chesapeake Region and Parkside High School CTE | Cosmetology made this section amazing!

Students experienced the training that goes into a career of service with our Law & Public Safety industry. The Maryland Army National Guard, Wicomico County Sheriff’s Department, Ocean City Police Department, Salisbury Fire Department and Ocean City Beach Patrol gave great insight into a career that involves precision and great risk.

Everyone understands the benefits and necessity of Manufacturing & Skilled Trades, and vendors in this section thrived in relaying information to students. Chesapeake College | Marine Trades, Chesapeake Shipbuilding, UMES Department of Engineering and Aviation Sciences, GKD, Inc., Coastal Comfort, Hancock & Son Plumbing, Hawkins Electric Services, Real HVAC Services and Pohanka Automotive Group made this industry unforgettable. 

Our STEM section is always a huge attraction thanks to the rockets, robots and weather balloons supplied by NASA. Housing multiple departments, which include Davis Robotics, Naval Surface Combat Systems Center and Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration, students learned everything there is to know about rocket science and space.

Students also took to the sky through our Transportation, Distribution & Logistics industry while also understanding the importance of ground transportation and the role it plays in our society. SBY Airport, Piedmont Airlines, UMES Aviation Sciences Program, Wor-Wic Community College Transportation and Chesapeake College CDL Transportation & Logistics Program brought this section to life with their interactive activities and knowledge.

JA Inspire was a huge success, and students have already sent messages expressing their gratitude and excitement for their future careers.  We are looking forward to JA Inspire 2024!