IGNITE Your Future
Save the Date: Friday, October 10, 2025
This hands-on, interactive, fun career exploration event connects education and industry for high school sophomores in central Minnesota, contributing to the regional economic and workforce needs.
IGNITE Your Future is an extraordinary opportunity to explore a huge variety of careers and is sure to have something for everyone, regardless of educational and career goals. Students from more than a dozen different schools will each spend two highly engaging hours exploring potential careers.
Please note: Photos and short videos will be taken during this event for promotional purposes to share with sponsors, grant partners and community supporters. If you wish NOT to be in photos, kindly step away from any nearby cameras. We will respect your wishes.
Spark your interests to IGNITE your future!
- Counselors/Chaperones
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IGNITE Your Future 2024 Welcome video
- Pathway Activity Partners
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Thanks to business, organization and educational partners who are exposing students to fun, hands-on, engaging activities at IGNITE 2024! We couldn’t hold this event without you!
2024 Partner Activity Form – to be completed by September 11, 2024
2024 IGNITE Activity List and Map
2024 Activity Partner Event Day Guide – Event runs 9 am – 2 pm, set up by 8:15 am – full details coming in mid-September
Pathway Activity Partner Post-event Evaluation
- Volunteers
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Thanks to community and Ridgewater volunteers who are helping with event day logistics at IGNITE 2024! We couldn’t host a smooth event like this without you!
2024 IGNITE Activity List and Map
Volunteer Post-event Evaluation
- Sponsors
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Thanks to community sponsors who are generously supporting communications, supplies, signage, lunch and other needs for IGNITE 2024! We couldn’t hold this event without you!
IGNITE Sponsor 2024 FINAL to share – deadline August 9 to be on shirts and swag bags, but additional sponsors welcome any time.
2024 Participating schools so far:
- Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City
- BOLD
- Delano
- Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop
- Glencoe-Silver Lake
- Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted
- Hutchinson
- Kimball
- Lester Prairie
- Litchfield
- MACCRAY
- Maple Lake
- Maplewood Academy
- Rockford
- Sibley East
- Terra Nova Charter School
- Waconia
Thanks to our 2024 sponsors so far for believing in this event:
- IGNITE Platinum Levels:
- Gold Level: Hutchinson Health, IRD Glass, RD Machine
- Silver Level: Meeker Development Corporation, SouthPoint Financial Credit Union, Uponor, Warrior, Design Electric, Inc.
- Bronze: MITGI
- Supplies Donor ($500+ for activity supplies): Simonson Lumber, Towmaster Trailers
Want to be a sponsor? See the IGNITE Sponsor 2024 FINAL and commit by August 9 to be on volunteer shirts and student swag bags, but additional sponsors welcome any time! Online Sponsorship Commitment
Special thanks to our 2024 event planning steering committee partners:
Central Minnesota Jobs & Training Service, Inc. • FRF Productions • Hutchinson Area Chamber of Commerce • Hutchinson Health • Hutchinson High School • Litchfield Area Chamber of Commerce • McLeod County Sheriff’s Department • Mid-Minnesota Development Commission • Mid-Minnesota Perkins Partnership • MITGI • Presbyterian Homes & Services – Harmony River • Ridgewater College • Ridgewater College Career Services • Ridgewater College Customized Training & Continuing Education • Ridgewater College Foundation • Southwest Initiative Foundation
