For Educators

Inspire WI is here to support your efforts to bring career-connected learning to life, both in and beyond the classroom. Whether you're looking to meet Wisconsin Career Readiness Standards or provide students with meaningful exposure to careers and skills, we offer experiences and resources that make it easier.

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Let's Make Career Learning Work for Your Classroom

Not sure which event or experience is the best fit for your students? We’re here to help. Whether you’re looking to bring in a guest speaker, schedule a company tour, support professional skill-building, or align your curriculum with career readiness goals, your Inspire WI Consultant can help you choose the right opportunity.

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Turn Learning into Opportunity

At Inspire WI, we know the challenge you face, helping students see the connection between what they learn in the classroom and where it can take them in the real world. That’s why we partner with educators to make career-connected learning easy, impactful, and aligned with your curriculum.

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Connect Your Curriculum to Careers

We work with you to identify where academic standards and real-world skills meet, then bring in resources, activities, and guest speakers that make lessons come alive. Students see why learning matters and stay more engaged.

Enhance Academic & Career Planning

From initial career exploration to capstone experiences like job shadows and Youth Apprenticeships, we help you give students meaningful steps toward their goals. Our structured opportunities align with ACP requirements and make planning easier for you and your students.

Make the Right Connections Effortlessly

We link you to a network of local employers, community partners, and postsecondary programs. Whether you’re looking for industry experts, site visits, mock interview opportunities, or project-based learning support, we do the legwork so you can focus on teaching.

Why it Works:

When students can connect their learning to real opportunities, they’re more motivated, more confident, and better prepared for what’s next. With Inspire WI, you get the tools, support, and partnerships to make that happen, without adding to your workload.

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Career Exploration Experiences

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Our career exploration opportunities expose students to a wide range of industries, roles, and real-world workplaces. These experiences are designed to help students discover what’s out there, ask questions, and see how their interests and skills can align with different careers. Whether through company tours, career fairs, or guest speakers, these events create powerful moments of career awareness and inspiration.

Guest Speaker

Guest Speaker

Workplace leaders visit classrooms, either in person or virtually, to share about their industries and job roles. These engaging conversations help students connect what they’re learning now to real-world careers and future opportunities.
Suggested for Grades 9-12

Company Tour

Company Showcase Tour

Students visit local businesses to learn about company culture, operations, and roles available in the workforce. They engage with employees, ask questions, and gain inspiration for their future paths.
Suggested for Grades 9-12

industry immersion

Industry Immersion

Showcase your business and connect with future talent through hands-on, interactive experiences. Industry Immersions let students explore your workplace, learn about high-demand careers, and build skills through rotations and activities tailored to your company and your career pathway.
Suggested for Grades 9-12

career fair

Career Fair & Hiring Event

Students explore career pathways and interact with businesses through engaging and hands-on experiences. Students are also discovering opportunities like Youth Apprenticeships, internships, part-time and full-time jobs.
Suggested for Grades 9-12

virtual career

Virtual Career Conversations

Students learn from industry experts during online informational interviews that offer exposure to career pathways, qualifications, and daily job experiences.
Suggested for Grades 9-12

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Professional Skill Development

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Inspire WI offers experiences that help students develop the professional and personal skills they’ll need in any workplace, like communication, interview readiness, resume building, and understanding workplace culture. These events give students the confidence and tools to take their next steps, whether that’s a Youth Apprenticeship, job, or post-secondary opportunity.

mock interview

Mock Interviews

Students practice real interviews with local employers and receive helpful feedback to build confidence and communication skills. Whenever possible, they are matched to employers in their career area of interest.
Suggested for Grades 9-12

pathway pop-up

Pathway Pop-Up

Students will meet with business leaders in small group sessions to explore leadership, professionalism, career skills, and pathways. Each school-based session includes an interactive activity that brings the career to life and inspires students to keep exploring.
Suggested for Grades 9-12

resume review

Resume Reviews

Students receive one-on-one support to review and refine resumes that stand out including showcasing their skills, experiences, and potential to employers.
Suggested for Grades 11-12

Educator Engagement & Training

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We believe when educators understand today’s workforce, students benefit. That’s why we offer unique opportunities, like in-service tours, externships, and pathway pop-ups, designed to help educators gain firsthand insight into local industries. These experiences equip teachers with relevant, real-world knowledge they can bring back into the classroom to make instruction more engaging and aligned with career readiness goals.

in-service

Teacher In-Service Industry Tour

During in-service days, educators tour local businesses to learn firsthand about workforce needs and industry trends. These experiences help bridge classroom learning with real-world careers.

externship

Summer Teacher Externships

Teachers work alongside industry professionals to gain hands-on experience and bring authentic, real-world examples back to their students.

educator pop-up

Educator Pathway Pop-Up

Educators will join small-group sessions with local business leaders to gain firsthand insights into career pathways and the workforce, bringing the employer’s perspective to life at your school.

Job Shadow Opportunities

Job shadows are immersive, hands-on experiences that give students a real-world look at specific careers and industries. They allow students to see what a job is really like, explore potential career paths, and determine if a role is a good fit for them. Job shadows are considered a capstone experience for students who have shown readiness through prior Inspire WI participation.

Individual Job Shadows

Who can participate: Students who have completed prior Inspire WI activities and demonstrated career readiness.

Process:

  1. Students complete a request form on our Career Pathway page.

  2. Parent/guardian consent is required.

  3. Students are approved for a shadow based on professionalism and preparedness.

What it offers: One-on-one or small group experiences with a professional, giving students a behind-the-scenes view of a career.

Explore Opportunities

Full-Class Job Shadows

Who can participate: Entire classes or groups of students when a teacher requires job shadowing as part of the course.

Process:

  1. Each student completes the Individual Job Shadow Request Form.

  2. On the form, students must mark that the job shadow is being completed as part of a class requirement.

  3. Parent/guardian consent is still required for each student.

What it offers: A consistent, structured way for all students in a class to complete job shadows while still maintaining the individual preparation and consent process. 

Real Impact. 
Real Growth.

Across classrooms and communities, Inspire WI is helping students explore careers, build skills, and make meaningful connections. These numbers reflect the collective impact we’re making, together.

  % of educators

said Inspire WI experiences made classroom content more relevant

  k students

provided with career experience opportunities from Inspire WI in 2024-25

  + career experiences

provided per year to Inspire WI students to participate in

Bellin Testimonial
brown county hwy testimonial
Career Fair Testimonial

WOW. This event far exceeded my expectations for the day. Students were treated like professional healthcare workers. They will never see or experience what they did through this opportunity until years into college. The experience was hands down by...

Markesan High School Educator
As always, these experiences for the students I serve are so valuable. Learning outside of the classroom and exposure to many career paths is essential.
Chilton High School Educator

I am incredibly impressed with how well Inspire WI organized our Career Exploration and Hiring Event. It was an excellent opportunity for our students and a great resource for our teachers. What stood out to me the most was the variety of companies...

Waupun High School Educator

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Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some frequently asked questions for our educators

You can use Inspire WI to bring career-connected learning directly to your students through engaging events, guest speakers, company tours, and professional skill-building opportunities. Whether you’re introducing a new unit or preparing students for life after high school, our offerings are designed to complement what you're already teaching. Request a consultation with an Inspire WI consultant today! 

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Inspire WI events are aligned with Wisconsin Career Readiness Standards (WCRS) and support Academic and Career Planning (ACP). You can integrate our services to enhance units related to career exploration, workplace readiness, or subject-specific career pathways, making your curriculum more relevant, hands-on, and connected to the real world.

Your main role is to support student participation by sharing opportunities, helping with event registration when needed, and encouraging student engagement. For some events like mock interviews or career fairs, we may work directly with you on scheduling and logistics, but most experiences are designed to be plug-and-play with minimal lift on your end.

All Inspire WI experiences are designed to align with Wisconsin’s ACP framework. We help students explore career pathways, develop employability skills, connect with professionals, and reflect on their interests and goals. Our events are great tools to meet ACP benchmarks in a meaningful and engaging way.

Inspire WI partners with a wide range of employers across every industry sector, from manufacturing and healthcare to arts, technology, construction, education, and more. Local, regional, and national employers participate to share career insights and build connections with future talent.

We aim to respond to all educator requests within 3–5 business days. For event-related planning, we recommend reaching out at least 60 days in advance to ensure a high-quality experience. If your request is urgent or time-sensitive, feel free to follow up via email, we’re here to help!

Connect with us today!

Absolutely, yes! All Inspire WI career events are designed with Wisconsin’s Career Readiness Standards in mind. Our business partners and educational consultants work closely with schools to help bring real-world relevance into the classroom and support your students in making meaningful connections to their future pathways.

Reach out to your Inspire WI consultant! Our team is here to help you align your lessons with real-world career connections by coordinating guest speakers, hands-on activities, and industry partnerships that fit your curriculum. Not sure who your contact is? Click the link below, we’re happy to help!

Connect with us today!

Yes! Inspire WI offers a Career Survey that we recommend sharing with students. Their responses help us invite them to the most relevant career events based on their interests. If you're interested in using the survey or would like support implementing it, please reach out to your Inspire WI consultant. 

Request the Career Survey tool

You can follow Inspire WI on Facebook (Inspire Wisconsin) and Instagram (@inspire_wis) to stay updated on news, events, and success stories. We’re also on LinkedIn, just search for Inspire WI to connect with our professional network and see how we're partnering with schools and businesses.