The 8th Grade Career Expo serves as the pivotal introduction for students to professionals representing career options in Colorado’s Industry Career Cluster. The Consortium takes this approach because exposure events starting at 8th grade are critical, as research shows middle school is the strongest time in education for career guidance. Career exposure helps with goal setting and transitioning to high school and helps prevent disengagement in education that is often prevalent at the transition from middle to high school.
Read the 2024 Career Expo Report
Date: TWO DAYS!! Wednesday, September 17 & Thursday, September 18, 2025
Exhibitor Time: 8:30 a.m. -1:30 p.m. (time subject to change)
LOCATION: Riverdale Regional Park, 9755 Henderson Road, Brighton, CO 80601. Exhibit Hall, outside space (vehicles/large machinery) and the Waymire Dome.
EXHIBITOR REGISTRATION coming summer 2025
FORMAT
We’ll use the Exhibit Hall, outside space and the Waymire Dome.
5,000-6,000 8th graders from 8 school districts in Adams County will participate.
- Over two days, students will arrive in six 60-minute waves throughout the day.
- Students will spend 20 minutes in three different spaces and be moved from space to space as a group.
- Students will be able to move around from exhibitor to exhibitor in an Open House style, visiting booths and speaking to representatives in each space.
The event provides an engaging environment for companies/higher education intuitions to shape students’ career choices and position them for opportunity.
Schedule- student arrive in waves 0f 500-600 students at 9:30, 10:00, 10:30, 11:00, 11:30 and 12:15 on both days.
PRIZE DONATION
Counselors indicate that prizes are a motivating factor in bringing excitement about preparing for and participating in the event. Students are more engaged when there is an incentive to do so. STUDENT RECOGNITION:
- Students receive 10 business cards to hand out to exhibitors
- Exhibitors select their top 10 students of the day that they feel stood out/made the best impression
- ACEC recognizes students who receive one or more nominations
- We ask exhibitors to donate a variety of prizes we can award to students who receive 2 or more nominations by exhibitors
- Even a monetary donation to ACEC so we can purchase prizes is helpful
Participating 8th Grade Classes:
Bennett, 27J, Adams 12, Adams 14, Mapleton Public Schools, Pinnacle Charter Schools, Strasburg, Westminster Public Schools.
Information for Exhibitors
POST SURVEY Closed
EXPO FLYER
Information for Educators
Click on the links below to help instruct students on how to get the most out of the Career Expo:
PRE-SURVEY- Closed
POST SURVEY Closed
PREP VIDEO- Video is from 2013 & a few processes are not relevant this year, but the video does give basic expectations for students.