Center for Design and Manufacturing Excellence (CDME) – The Ohio State University
At CDME, student engineers, researchers and industry partners work side by side to turn ideas into real products — while training the next generation of manufacturing talent. The Center’s mission is to advance the competitiveness of U.S. manufacturing and strengthen national security by creating manufacturing technologies and preparing the workforce needed to bring those technologies to reality. Through industry partnerships and university researchers, CDME translates emerging technologies into market-ready products. These projects give student employees meaningful, hands-on experiences with advanced manufacturing, while industry partners gain a skilled and motivated workforce ready to compete in a global marketplace.
- Focus: Workforce development, advanced manufacturing, applied research, higher-ed partnerships
- Website: CDME at The Ohio State University
- Dress Code: Business casual; closed-toe shoes required
- Tour of CDME’s production labs and technology integration projects
- Demonstrations of student-led product development and prototyping
- Conversations with engineers, researchers, and partners about workforce innovation
- Exploration of how CDME links higher education, research, and industry
Fort Hayes Metropolitan Education Center – Construction Trades, Arts & Communications Programs
Fort Hayes isn’t your typical technical school—it’s a living example of how workforce pathways and the arts can thrive together. Through strong academic standards and hands-on career-tech education, students gain both technical know-how and real-world experience. Serving a diverse student body from across Columbus City Schools, Fort Hayes offers pathways in fields like Construction Technologies, Manufacturing & Engineering, and Arts & Communications. Fort Hayes seamlessly blends career credentials, workforce readiness, and creativity—all within a public-school setting. Students spend their day building, designing, producing, and solving problems alongside teachers and mentors.
- Focus: Career-technical education, skilled trades, creative media, and engineering pathways
- Website: Fort Hayes Career Center
- Dress Code: Business casual; closed-toe shoes required
- Tour active student labs in construction trades, engineering, and creative media, where students apply technical skills to real-world challenges
- Engage with educators and students about career-tech pathways, credentialing, and work-based learning
- Learn how community partnerships with organizations like the City of Columbus and OSU’s medical center enrich student experiences and connect learning to industry
IMPACT Community Action
IMPACT Community Action is where hope meets opportunity by helping families move from crisis to stability through direct services like housing support, job training, financial coaching, and leadership development. Their “ripple effect” approach empowers individuals to become advocates and changemakers, creating lasting impact across Central Ohio.
- Focus: Adult workforce development, climate justice, financial empowerment, community advocacy
- Website: IMPACT Community Action
- Dress Code: Business casual
What You’ll Experience:
- Learn how the Empowered career exploration program connects young adults to careers in clean energy and skilled trades through immersive training and industry-recognized certifications
- See how virtual reality is used to simulate real-world job environments and build hands-on skills
- Hear from program leaders and partners about how this initiative supports workforce development and economic mobility in Columbus
Mid-Ohio Farm on the Hilltop
Located in one of Columbus’ historic urban neighborhoods, the Mid-Ohio Farm is a vibrant outdoor classroom and innovation hub. Operated by the Mid-Ohio Food Collective, the farm features vertical growing towers, greenhouses, and smart agriculture tools—all designed to advance urban farming and food education. It’s a place where community members learn to grow fresh produce, explore sustainable practices, and connect with pathways to careers in agriculture and food systems.
- Focus: Urban agriculture, workforce development, hydroponics, sustainability, community engagement
- Website: Mid-Ohio Farm
- Dress Code: Outdoor-appropriate; closed-toe shoes required
What You’ll Experience:
- Guided tour of vertical growing systems, greenhouses, and community garden spaces
- Discussion on controlled agriculture, food security, and workforce initiatives
- Demonstration of hydroponic systems and innovation in urban food production
- Insights into partnerships with CropKing and other community collaborators
PAST Foundation + OSU Center for Automotive Research (CAR)
Explore how the PAST Foundation links learning to life, joining forces with community, industry, and educators to connect real-world scientific research with classrooms and the public. Then, at OSU’s Center for Automotive Research, an interdisciplinary research center situated in the College of Engineering , participants will see how applied research and industry partnerships drive innovation in mobility, energy, and automation. This site visit highlights authentic collaboration with industry and the power of learning by doing.
- Focus: Experiential learning, K–12 and higher ed partnerships, sustainable mobility, workforce development
- Website: The PAST Foundation | Center for Automotive Research
- Dress Code: Business casual; closed-toe shoes recommended
What You’ll Experience:
- Exploration of PAST’s maker spaces, student projects, and design-thinking labs
- Tour of CAR’s research labs, testing facilities, and prototyping workshops
- Insights into how both organizations partner with K–12 and higher-ed organizations to bridge classrooms and careers
- Insights into the formation and longevity of industry and community STEM collaborations