OFFERING STUDENT EXPERIENCES
A GUIDE FOR BUSINESS PARTNERS:
INDUSTRY TOURS
OVERVIEW
Together with our business partners, we create this opportunity for students to connect what they’re learning in the classroom with real-world experiences in a variety of environments. Industry tours, or field trips, provide an opportunity for high school students to leave the classroom and learn about a business, its industry sector, its role in the economy, and careers in the industry.
GOALS
This experience will extend the learning beyond the school facility and will connect to their classroom work, emphasizing the relationship between school and work.
Students will be exposed to various types of jobs, work environments, and the technical, academic, and employability skills needed within this industry.
Connect student interest to a career/industry sector within the Greater Louisville area, along with exposure to various businesses in our community.
PLANNING FOR A GREAT STUDENT EXPERIENCE
We know there’s a lot to consider in planning experiences that are beneficial to both students and our business community, our ever-changing world of work, so see this as a collaborative planning process! To ensure a quality experience, thoughtful planning must precede field trips/tours, with careful attention given to pre-event preparation, agenda for the day of the tour, appropriate follow up, and evaluation.
Please note: These experiences are typically a young person’s first exposure to a workplace setting, and it may seem very foreign to them. Aligning this experience with the students’ interests or potential career goals makes the experience more meaningful and impactful.
BEFORE THE EVENT
6 weeks prior to the tour, the Business Partner should:
Connect with the Academy Coach/Teacher to discuss outcomes or objectives you can address that would assist in connecting the classroom curriculum to the career field.
Work with your Academy Coach/Teacher to plan the trip according to JCPS procedures. The school is responsible for coordinating the trip following JCPS field trip guidance, including parent permission and insurance responsibilities for the school.
Begin planning with your team on logistics for the day.
7-14 days prior to the tour, the Business Partner should:
Send information to the teacher/Academy Coach about your company so students can be thinking about what they hope to learn. If you're able to give students any hands-on learning during the experience or projects to complete prior to the tour day, this would be fantastic in creating an impactful experience! (projects subject to teacher approval)
Send an itinerary to the teacher/Academy Coach so students have an idea of what to expect. Include information like:
Where should they go when they arrive? Please be as detailed as possible.
What is the name and phone number of the on-site contact person?
What should students wear? Will any safety equipment be required?
Will lunch/refreshments will be provided?
Confirm details with your team on logistics including who will greet the students and lead the tours.
TOUR DAY
Overall, a great industry tour experience for high school students involves a well-structured, informative and interactive opportunity that allows students to explore and potential career field while receiving guidance and mentorship from professionals within that industry.
We asked JCPS students and educators what they wanted to do, hear, and learn from this experience; use these as objectives in planning:
Understand your mission and the services/products your company provides.
Learn about and see aspects of different jobs within your company, including wages and benefits of the work.
See and hear actual work being done, and get a “feel” for the work environment/culture.
Make a connection to the type of skills needed to work in the industry and connect the work with the type of post secondary education needed for the various jobs.
We kindly ask that you do not:
Speak with disrespectful or negative commentary, use bad language, or give information that is too personal.
Have the students seated for long presentations with little interactivity.
Plan a short, rushed event without time to fully hear, learn, and ask questions about the company.
AFTER THE EVENT
Spread the word on social media! See links below.
Follow up & continued guidance:
Providing resources, further information, or guidance on potential next steps, such as internships, educational paths, or industry-related events, extends the impact beyond the tour day.
Networking Opportunities: Encouraging students to network with other professionals or employees in related roles within the organization can broaden their understanding of different career pathways.
Start planning your next student engagement activity! See more guides to creating student experiences here.
ITINERARIES & GUIDES
Sample documents shared by business partners
RECAP: We hosted a virtual learning exchange in December 2024 to explore the benefits and share logistics of organizing impactful industry tours that allow students to experience business sites firsthand!
Watch the recap here, which features business partners and educators sharing what works.
Slide deck - give this a quick look to see how one company showed innovation, and an overview on the process for companies to host!
GE Appliances (4 hour tour)
See a fantastic example plan of a tour hosted by GE Appliances in partnership with Junior Achievement of Kentuckiana and the assignment provided to students prior to the tour day. Students were divided into three groups and lunch was provided.
Doe Anderson (3 hour tour)
Doe Anderson hosted 50 marketing students for a 3-hour experience learning about the advertising industry and different job roles. Students rotated in small groups with 15 minutes spent with each department.
Farm Credit Mid America (3 hour tour)
Students visited Farm Credit Mid America for a 4-hour experience including lunch that showcased a variety of job roles including IT and business analysts, developers, quality assurance, and security.
JCPS Administration: Finance (6 hour tour)
Students visited the JCPS Administration in the Vanhoose Education Center to learn about several different finance-related career opportunities. They heard from Superintendent Dr. Marty Pollio and met with various departments in groups.
Louisville MSD (3 hour tour)
Louisville MSD frequently hosts students for a tours to showcase the inner workings. They are typically divided into two groups and lunch is included.
Omni Hotel Louisville (4 hour tour)
During this tour, students heard from top-level executives and had the chance to ask questions. They also broke into groups to explore multiple aspects of the hotel operations with the tour topic correlated with the students' pathways. At the end, students enjoyed lunch and bowling on-site.
Field Trip Agenda (Fall 2023)
Field Trip Agenda & Teacher Recap (Spring 2024)
Spalding University (4 hour tour)
Spalding University invited students for a tour and presentation on their admissions process and health sciences department. Students were divided into two groups and lunch was included. Prior to the tour, students were asked to complete a registration form with information that they would use during the tour for an interactive experience.
EXAMPLES FROM BUSINESS PARTNERS
Students in the Engineering & Computer Science Academy
Students in the Media Arts Academy
Students in the Health Science Academy
ITINERARY PLANNING
Sample itinerary: 2-3 hour industry tour
15 MINUTES: STUDENT ARRIVAL & INTRO
Gather students in a central location, welcome, company overview, what to expect for the tour and company specific guidelines. Option to break into groups.
45-90 MINUTES: TOUR
Prioritize student learning objectives in planning the activity and ensure your team is prepared. Engagement ideas (if applicable) could include:
Hands-On Learning: Opportunities to observe and participate in the daily tasks and activities of professionals in a specific field provide invaluable hands-on learning experiences.
Interactive Observation: Students should be encouraged to ask questions, seek clarification, and engage actively in the experience to maximize their understanding and learning. If appropriate, break into small groups to observe multiple departments/roles/areas within your company.
Company Showcase: Feel free to provide any company information, promo materials, or information on job opportunities that would be helpful to the students!
15-30 MINUTES: REFLECTION & DE-BRIEFING
At the end of the tour, a debrief session or reflection period where students discuss their experiences, ask questions, insights gained, and any further questions they might have can reinforce their learning.
If students were given any projects to complete before or during the experience, this time can be extended for presentations or recaps.
15 MINUTES: EXIT
Teachers and chaperones will check roll, guide the students back to the buses before departure.
CELEBRATE & SPREAD THE WORD!
We would greatly appreciate your help in spreading the word about the amazing work happening inside our schools, and we’d in turn like to celebrate you! Please use the links below to tag us on social media, and we also encourage you to celebrate your employee’s work by sharing in your company newsletter or employee communications.
Need inspiration? Check out our social media guide here.
