high school, Ingleside ISD starts much earlier. “We realized we needed to help students identify their interests long before they’re 17 or 18,” Kilgore says. Today, career exploration begins in middle school through a required elective that introduces seventh and eighth graders to a range of pathways—robotics, culinary arts, engineering, manufacturing, and health sciences among them. “It’s about exposure,” Kilgore explains. “They spend part of the year exploring each area so that when they enter high school, they already have a sense of what excites them.” Even elementary students get a taste of technology and engineering through Lego robotics and basic coding classes.“We’re trying to light that spark early,” he says. VIRTUAL REALITY IN THE CLASSROOM One of Ingleside’s most talked-about innovations is its Virtual Reality (VR) Lab, launched through partnerships with local industry. The lab uses advanced VR headsets and gloves to immerse students in interactive simulations—from field trips to the pyramids of Egypt to hands-on experiences like virtual welding and digital anatomy labs. “Kids can literally dissect a cadaver or perform a virtual weld,” Kilgore explains. “They can pick up a 3D model of a heart, pass it to a classmate across the room, and explore how it functions. That’s the kind of engagement today’s learners need.” The VR program has garnered statewide attention as a model for experiential learning.“Our students are visual, hands-on learners,” he says. “When they can see, touch, and manipulate information, it becomes real—and it sticks.” BUILDING A WORKFORCE PIPELINE Ingleside’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) department now offers 10 distinct pathways, from industrial trades and maritime operations to health sciences and digital design. Students earn industryrecognized certifications—including phlebotomy, EKG, and medical assistant credentials—that can lead directly to employment or serve as a foundation for higher education. 272 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 12
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