September

November 2023 - July 2024

NO TRAVEL NEEDED

NO TRAVEL NEEDED

GUEST EXPERTS

On-Demand Sessions

LEARN & NETWORK

LEARN & NETWORK

Welcome to JA Inspire

What happens when thousands of middle and high school students come together to explore careers in central Maryland? JA Inspire Virtual happens!

JA Inspire Virtual is a one-of-a-kind career exploration experience that helps middle and high school students plan for the future and understand essential skills needed to increase their future employment prospects. This dynamic career development experience gives middle and high school students access to local employers, post-secondary education opportunities, and interactive career activities. Through this experience, students will...

  • Explore careers and skills needed for in-demand jobs in the region
  • Solidify education and coursework choices for high school and beyond
  • Connect first-hand with industry professionals at every level

Program Highlights:

  • Interactive industry and employer showcase
  • Downloadable career information and on-the-job videos
  • Interactive features to increase participant engagement
  • 9-month extended access to featured career and industry information
  • Platform compatibility across multiple technologies

JA Inspire Virtual will connect thousands of teens to companies and industries across Maryland, introducing the next generation to greater economic opportunity and companies to future employees.

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Webinars

Agenda

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Middle School Welcome

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Career Paths Across the Tech Life Cycle

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Ranye Mclendon
Fearless

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Sandra Koranteng
Mindgrub

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Vincent Sharps
Mindgrub

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Carlton Gordon
Catalyte

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Michele Cunningham
Catalyte

Join Catalyte, Fearless, and Mindgrub as they share information about exciting career pathways in the tech industry. 

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Pathways to Success: Which Baltimore City School is the Next Step on my Career Journey?

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Shanae Fant
Baltimore City Public Schools

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Shanita Graves
Baltimore City Public Schools

No matter your dream job, Baltimore City School’s career readiness office is here to help you find your path. In this webinar, students will learn about the exciting Career and Technical Education (CTE) pathways that exist and at which schools they are located. There are so many options for students to choose from on their way to a high paying, in demand career! We know this webinar will support the choice process for students.

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Setting Students on the Path to Success with BGE

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Kitty Glick
BGE

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Kristen Bucher
BGE

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Life at University of Maryland Baltimore County

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Sandy Stinson
University of Maryland Baltimore County

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Brittany Martin
University of Maryland Baltimore County

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Career Pathways at Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory

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Brian Duncan
Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory

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Dr. Diana Zhang
Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory

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Jake Strang
Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory

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Discover, Learn, Connect, and Thrive at Howard Community College

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Thelma Bush
Howard Community College

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Tim Banks
Howard Community College

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Nate Roberts
Howard Community College

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Elizabeth Homan
Howard Community College

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The Science of Solutions

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Dewey Ward
W. R. Grace & Co.

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James Cutter
W. R. Grace & Co.

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Drew Lenhart
W. R. Grace & Co.

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Riley Meekins
W. R. Grace & Co.

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Parker Pulsifer
W. R. Grace & Co.

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Andrew Guilliams
W. R. Grace & Co.

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Tora Newell
W. R. Grace & Co.

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Biotech Careers: Everyone Can Take Part in Shaping the Future

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John Bullen
AstraZeneca

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Dave Saunders
Galen Robotics

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Brian Stamper
Kite Pharma

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Jenna Osborn
U.S. Food and Drug Administration Office of Science and Engineering Laboratories

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Mina Izadjoo
Integrated Pharma Services

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KaShauna Rohlehr
GlaxoSmithKline

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Williams Ochoa
GlaxoSmithKline

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Nancia Razakanjohary
GlaxoSmithKline

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Ulyana Desiderio
Maryland Department of Commerce

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United the World Through Flavor

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Sara Fernández Cendón
McCormick & Company

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Bri Sheppard
McCormick & Company

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Carl Guastaferro
McCormick & Company

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Working at Stanley Black and Decker

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Nick Larson
Stanley Black & Decker

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Courtney Joyner
Stanley Black & Decker

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Jamalia Henry
Stanley Black & Decker

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Victoria Bechtel
Stanley Black & Decker

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All About Telehealth

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Anita Hammond
LifeBridge Health

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Anthony Kokosinski
LifeBridge Health

Join LifeBridge Health as they share important information about telehealth.

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Career Pathways in Health Care with Kaiser Permanente

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Dr. Shilpa Myers
Kaiser Permanente

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Ramses Chavarria
Kaiser Permanente

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Mariana Capati
Kaiser Permanente

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Dr. Daniel Tadeo
Kaiser Permanente

This video follows the career paths of three Kaiser Permanente employees. Join them as they explain who they are, what they do, and what led them to want to pursue a career in health care!

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Financial Planning and Career Choice

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Jim Gauthier
MCM: Maryland Capital Management

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Alex Faber
MCM: Maryland Capital Management

Maryland Capital Management, LLC (MCM) presents a webinar covering the importance of choosing the right career for you, budgeting your salary and how to establish credit and borrow money.

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What's Next? Navigating Life After High School

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Dr. Michelle Daley
Maryland State Department of Education

In this webinar, Dr. Michelle Daley discusses the Maryland College Application Campaign, which is designed to help students and their families navigate life after high school.

Whether a student plans to attend a 4-year institution, 2-year program, technical or vocational school, or enter the miliary, the Maryland State Department of Education is here to help!

Dr. Daley provides practical tips and advice for students navigating the post-secondary application and financial aid processes. 

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Green Infrastructure: Inspiring Future Generations Through STEM Education

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AECOM

This home-learning video helps children find out about green spaces and the importance of green infrastructure to wildlife, humans and our climate. It encourages children to explore green spaces in their own neighborhood, plus there is a quiz so children can test what they have learned.

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JA Talk

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Chris Sachse
Think | Stack

In this video, Think | Stack's CEO & Founder, Chris Sachse talks about breaking into a career in Information Technology. 

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Training That Works: Apprenticeships

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Governor's Workforce Development Board

Registered apprenticeships are jobs where you “earn and learn.” While working on the job, you receive one-on-one full-time training from a skilled craftsperson as well as related classroom instruction. An apprentice is “sponsored” by an employer or association and is paid according to a progressive pay scale. When you complete registered apprenticeship training, you are on a pathway to a career.

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Master Your Maze

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JA Be Entrepreneur

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Diana Emerson
Junior Achievement of Central Maryland

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Choosing a CTE High School- Baltimore City Public Schools

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Celina Acham
Baltimore City Public Schools

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Shanae Fant
Baltimore City Public Schools

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Maximizing My Time in High School- Baltimore City Public Schools

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Jennifer Barton
School Counselor, Baltimore City Public Schools

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Dr. Christian Lorenzo
School Counselor, Baltimore City Public Schools

Dr. Lorenzo walks students through tips on maximizing their time while in high school. 

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Preparing for Life After High School- Baltimore City Public Schools

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Alexis Tucker
District Staff Specialist, Postsecondary Advising, Baltimore City Public Schools

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Tracy Kyttle
District Manager, Postsecondary Advising, Baltimore City Public Schools

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Maximizing My Time in Middle School- Baltimore City Public Schools

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Kimberlie Richardson
Baltimore City Public Schools

Premier Booth Sponsors

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Industry Exhibit Hall Sponsors

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Frequently Asked Questions

JA Inspire Virtual is an interactive online career fair for middle and high school students made possible through a collaboration of educators, industry leaders, and Junior Achievement. This powerful program will prepare and inspire youth to explore career paths that they never knew were possible. JA Inspire Virtual will:
  • Introduce students to the vast industries and career opportunities available in the region
  • Train students in the soft skills needed to thrive in these careers
  • Educate students on the varied pathways to successfully launch into those careers
JA Inspire helps you learn about careers—ones that you may already be interested in and new ones that you may not even know existed! Explore and learn what careers fit best with your skills and abilities.
  • Explore careers and skills needed for in-demand jobs in the region
  • Solidify education and coursework choices for high school and beyond
  • Connect with industry professionals at every level
  • View webinars on a variety of topics and ask questions to industry leaders
  • On the day of the event, go to: www.jainspire.vfairs.com
  • Click the orange “Login” button
  • Use the username and password that your teacher provided you to log in.
  • If you have not registered for the event yet, scroll to the top of this page and click the “Register” button.
Upon logging into the event, you will watch a video welcoming you to the event and explaining how the day will go. In the event lobby, you will see all of the different booths that you can virtually visit and also go into the auditorium to listen to webinars and presentations! If you need help while you are in the event, visit an informational booth!.
There will be companies represented from a variety of industries, including:
  • Arts, Media, and Communications
  • Business Management and Finance
  • Construction and Development
  • Consumer Services, Hospitality, and Tourism
  • Education Pathways
  • Environmental, Agriculture, and Natural Resources
  • Health and BioSciences
  • Human Resources and Public Services
  • Information Technology
  • Manufacturing, Engineering, and Technology
  • Transportation Technology
Head to the informational booth to see a full list of the companies that have booths at the event!
Yes, we encourage you to log back on and look around or talk to an adult or sibling about the jobs that interest you. You have six months from the day of the event to log back on.