What took thousands of Stanislaus schoolkids to Modesto Junior College?
Eighth-graders from six Modesto school districts gathered at Modesto Junior College on Dec. 2 to attend an interactive Career and Technical Education Fair now in its fourth year.
About 3,200 children met local career professionals and high school students taking CTE classes. The fair helped the eighth-grade students better visualize, interrogate and embark upon their own passions and post-graduation plans.
“We want our eighth-graders to be informed on what’s available to them when they do go to high school,” said Rachelle Barkus, Modesto City Schools’ senior director of educational options. “We want our high school students to have the opportunity to share what they have found their passion to be while they’re in high school.”
Students from Modesto City Schools, Salida Union School District, Sylvan Union School District, Shiloh Elementary School District, Empire Union School District and Hart-Ransom Union School District attended the CTE fair held by the Modesto Chamber of Commerce and Modesto City Schools.
The kids came into the fair with passports, encouraging them to visit certain booths and activities before collecting rubber ducky prizes for completing the tasks on their passports.
All the eighth-grade students received lessons on career exploration prior to the fair, so they came knowing the careers and classes they wanted to learn more about and the industries with local opportunities.
Salida Middle School eighth-grader Summer Sisk said she was excited to ask about the different types of nurses and get to know the industry by talking to people manning the healthcare booths.
“A lot of my family’s a nurse, and I just think it’s really cool caring for people,” Sisk said.
Other industries represented at the fair included digital media, engineering, culinary arts, public safety, construction and automotive technology. Many booths featured interactive projects for students to participate in for a more engaging understanding of each career.
A popular feature of the event was a lowrider built by Modesto High School students in partnership with the Modesto Police Department. Districts like MCS offer CTE classes that also fulfill A-G requirements — classes required for admission to the University of California and the California State University systems.
“You think about construction, they’re learning measurements. When you think about culinary, they’re learning chemistry,” Barkus said. “There’s a lot of crossover between the practicality of CTE programs and the reality of applied academics.”
This story was originally published December 4, 2025 at 2:08 PM.