ST. ALBANS — From wire stripping and catapult launches to virtual reality and aviation design, middle school students from across Franklin County dove into the world of technology and innovation at Tech Discovery Day 2025, held last Wednesday at Collins Perley Sports & Fitness Center.
Organized by the Franklin County Industrial Development Corporation’s Workforce Committee, the event brought together students, educators and local employers for a full day of hands-on learning and career exploration.
This year’s event featured 10 local businesses and organizations, including SunCommon, Husky, the Vermont National Guard, Med Associates, Ray’s Dies and Tubing, Habitat for Aviation, Northwest Solid Waste District and Viatris. Each offered interactive activities that showcased the skills, creativity and technology behind their work.
Students from BFA-Fairfax, Georgia Middle School, Spring Academy (Maple Run’s middle grades alternative program), St. Albans Town Educational Center, Sheldon Elementary and Fairfield Center School rotated through five hands-on stations, discovering how technology connects to real-world careers in science, energy, engineering and manufacturing.
Girls from Habitat for Aviation based at Highgate airport led hands-on work experience at the event. Axley Albright, 5th grade from Fairfax, described how she helped build the cradles for aircraft wings and has interest in becoming an aviation mechanic and pilot.
The event also highlighted the talents of local students already immersed in technical learning. Missisquoi Valley Union brought virtual reality headsets for peers to explore immersive simulations. At the same time, Northwest Career & Technical Center students led a catapult challenge that put engineering principles into motion. BFA Robotics Engineering students hosted a design activity, giving younger students a firsthand look at high school-level STEM opportunities.
Tech Discovery Day’s mission is to expose, explore and excite, helping middle-schoolers connect classroom learning to meaningful, local career pathways. By engaging students early, the event encourages them to see how their interests in technology, problem-solving and creativity can translate into future opportunities right here in Franklin County.
For local employers, it’s also a way to invest in Vermont’s future workforce, showing students that innovation, curiosity and hands-on skills open doors in every direction.
Through curiosity, collaboration and discovery, Tech Discovery Day continues to strengthen the connection between schools and local industries, inspiring students to imagine, create and take their first steps toward the future.
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