Building Great Futures Through Hands-On Learning: Mortenson at the Boys & Girls Club Great Futures Fair
Article Summary
For the past three years, Mortenson has helped middle and high school students explore career pathways and imagine what their lives could look like after graduation through hands-on activities at the Great Futures Fair, including bricklaying, carpentry projects, Hammerschlagen competitions, and virtual reality construction site tours!
Key Takeaways
- Mortenson is helping students explore construction careers through hands-on learning at the Boys and Girls Club. Our participation at the Great Futures Fair gives middle and high school students a chance to experience construction in a tangible, engaging way.
- The team strives to show students the breadth of opportunities in construction, and the actions they can take for this career path. Students are introduced to field roles and skilled trades, as well as engineering, project management, and safety career opportunities.
- The garden bed project makes the impact visible and lasting. Students helped build something practical that will continue serving the Club, reinforcing the reward of seeing a project come to life.
For the third year in a row, Mortenson team members in Minnesota partnered with Boys & Girls Clubs of the Twin Cities at the Great Futures Fair, an event designed to help middle and high school students explore career pathways and imagine what their lives could look like after graduation.
Each year, students move from table to table to learn about potential opportunities, but Mortenson’s most meaningful contributions have been the hands-on activities team members bring to the event. Over the past three years, youth have explored construction careers through interactive activities such as virtual reality jobsite tours, Hammerschlagen competitions, and bricklaying.
This year, Mortenson added another opportunity for students to see the full arc of construction opportunities, building a garden bed, and planting strawberry plants in the finished project. The garden bed activity gave students a chance to experience the construction process from planning through assembly. They asked questions, learned how to use tools safely, and helped create something that will continue to serve the Club for years to come. For many students, it will be a tangible example of one of the most rewarding parts of construction- seeing something you helped build, be put to use.
These experiences give students a chance to try something new and see construction as a career path that is creative, accessible, and full of opportunity. Activities like bricklaying are especially powerful because they introduce youth to the skilled trades and apprenticeship programs - pathways students may not always hear about in school, but that can lead to meaningful and fulfilling careers.
This year’s event also brought the story full circle for Sean Hubbard, a Mortenson field engineer who grew up attending Boys & Girls Club programming and returned to the Great Futures Fair as a Mortenson volunteer.
Reflecting on the event, Sean said “Volunteering at the Boys and Girls Club Great Futures Fair allows me to see kids who are growing up in the same city as I did, making friends and engaging in fun activities here at the club, just like I did. And being mentored in some of the same ways to help me grow as a person and prepare for my future. One of my mentors introduced me to Mortenson as I was considering a career shift; to be here at the Boys and Girls club, as a Mortenson volunteer is so rewarding and impactful for me.”
Boys & Girls Clubs play an important role in communities by helping young people reach their full potential as productive, caring, and responsible citizens. Through workforce exploration, wellness programming, social-emotional learning, and trusted partnerships with families, Clubs help students build confidence, discover new interests, and stay on track for a successful future beyond high school. Mortenson is proud to support this work and help introduce youth to the people, pathways, and possibilities within the construction industry.