iXplore

Last week, our team wrapped up an incredible two days at Junior Achievement of Northern Indiana's Career Ignite - and the data tells a powerful story.

700+ students stepped into the experience, exploring real careers in orthopedics manufacturing and beyond, including new roles hot off the VR presses! What stood out most was the breadth of interest across pathways:
👉 50% explored hands-on manufacturing roles (CNC, polishing, quality)
👉 31.7% stepped into design/engineering
👉 19% explored entrepreneurship

Not one path dominating, but a wide range of students finding something that clicked, driven by their own choices and engagement.

Engagement held strong throughout the event:
• 13+ minutes average time in-headset
• 21% of students spent 20+ minutes exploring (!!)
• Continuous interaction throughout, not passive viewing

And it doesn’t stop when the headset comes off:
• 23% of students followed up after the event
• Of those, 50% asked for more information about the careers they explored

That’s the shift - from exposure to real interest and next steps…
and more importantly, students making informed, self-directed choices because they finally have enough context to decide what fits.

In their words:👇

"The VR experience was very cool, the models were fantastic and I liked how knowledgeable the entrepreneur was on the subjects taught."
"I loved the VR experience - especially the way I get to interact with the items was cool, and it helps me to know more about a design engineer's job."

Grateful to be part of this work alongside OrthoWorx., with support from the Don Wood Foundation, helping connect students to opportunities that exist right in their own communities.