CORE Highlights

Middle School Career Exploration

Field Trips & Guest Speakers

Middle school students participate in career-focused field trips and guest speaker sessions designed to spark curiosity and expand awareness of career possibilities.

Students gain exposure to:

• Local industries and workplaces
• Career pathways and job roles
• Real-world applications of classroom learning

These early experiences help students make more informed decisions as they move into high school pathways.

Student-Led Innovation

Tiny House Project

The Tiny House project is a hands-on, interdisciplinary CORE initiative that allows students to apply technical, academic, and professional skills in a real-world build environment.

Through this project, students:

• Collaborate across career pathways
• Develop problem-solving and teamwork skills
• Apply construction, design, and project management concepts
• Experience a full project lifecycle from planning to completion

The Tiny House project reflects CORE’s commitment to experiential learning and workforce readiness.

2025 CORE Experiences

(Ongoing & Completed)

Throughout the 2025-2026 school year, students have participated in a variety of hands-on experiences in collaboration with community and industry partners.

5th Grade Career Fairs

• The 5th Grade Career Fairs help students explore a wide variety of careers, learn about the skills and education needed for different jobs, and begin imagining their own future possibilities. 
• All 5th graders in the district were invited to attend (all schools participated this year!)
  • February 11, 2026: Porters Neck, Castle Hayne, Murrayville, Wrightsboro, Ogden
  • February 19, 2026: College Park, Gregory, Freeman, Forest Hills, Snipes, Blair, Sunset Park
  • March 5, 2026: Masonboro, Holly Tree, Winter Park, Bradley Creek, Wrightsville Beach, Alderman, Eaton
  • March 19, 2026: Anderson, Mary C. Williams, Codington, Bellamy, Carolina Beach, Pine Valley
• Industry Partners:
  • Black’s Tire & Automotive Service
  • Cape Fear Community College
  • Cape Fear Public Utility Authority
  • Clancy & Theys Construction Company
  • Corning Inc
  • Greater Wilmington Chamber of Commerce
  • Industrial Reliability and Repair
  • JDS Consulting
  • Johnstone Supply
  • LS3P
  • NAYGN (An employee resource group of GE Vernova)
  • NC Coastal Federation
  • NC Ports
  • New Hanover County Sheriff's Office
  • New Hanover County Schools (CTE, HR, Student Support, Special Programs)
  • Nir Family YMCA
  • Pender County Utilities
  • Portrett Pharmaceuticals
  • Primerica
  • Professional Women in Building
  • Saber Healthcare Group
  • State Employees Credit Union
  • The Anchor Group Design & Build
  • Thomas Construction Group
  • UNCW 
  • Wilmington and Beaches Convention & Visitors Bureau
  • Wilmington Sharks
  • Wilmington-Cape Fear Home Builders’ Association
  • The Wilson Center at CFCC
• Through hands-on activities and conversations with local professionals, students gain a better understanding of the world of work and how their interests and strengths connect to exciting opportunities ahead.

Be Pro, Be Proud Truck & High School CTE Expo (for 8th graders)

• 8th grade students were introduced to the wide range of Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs available in high school, highlighting pathways that connect their interests to future careers. Students also had the unique opportunity to explore the Be Pro Be Proud Truck, gaining hands-on exposure to skilled trades and high-demand professions.
• 60 8th graders from each middle school were invited to participate:
  • October 21, 2025: Trask & Murray 
  • October 22, 2025: Holly Shelter & Myrtle Grove
  • October 23, 2025: Roland Grise & Gregory
  • October 24, 2025: Noble & Williston
    • Photos of all
• Cape Fear Community College, NHCS CTE, Be Pro, Be Proud

10th Grade CFCC Showcase

• The showcase introduced 10th grade CTE students to the wide range of opportunities at Cape Fear Community College, including the Career and College Promise dual enrollment program, workforce development pathways, and hands-on tours of campus programs. Students discovered academic and career options, learned how to access resources and support, and explored pathways that align with the postsecondary goals in their Career Development Plan.

Project recaps to be added as they are shared.

See CORE in Action

CORE Programs showcase what’s possible when education and industry work together. These experiences help students build confidence, skills, and clarity about their future.

Learn More About CORE
Explore Career Development Opportunities

New Hanover County Schools and its Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs do not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, age or disability, in its activities and programs, including employment policies and practices. 

Las Escuelas del Condado de New Hanover y su Programa de Educación en Carreras Técnicas no discrimina a ninguna persona de sus actividades o programas, incluyendo prácticas de empleo, por razones de raza, color, religión, nacionalidad, sexo, edad, o discapacidad.