A brighter future starts with inspiring the next generation and giving young people opportunities to imagine what their future could look like.

That inspiration was on full display at the Future Me Fair at Marbles Kids Museum in Raleigh, where a team of volunteers joined the event to help children explore careers and learn about fields that spark their curiosity.

“These events are the foundation for building a brighter future for the community,” said Michael Diorio, an engineer at North Carolina’s Electric Cooperatives. “Events like this show that learning can be engaging for the community, while also being fun and educational in the same place.”

The museum has hosted the exploration fair twelve times, and North Carolina’s Electric Cooperatives has been a supporting sponsor for each of the last four events.

“North Carolina’s Electric Cooperative’s partnership makes the Future Me Fair possible,” said Hardin Engelhardt, chief learning officer at the Marbles Museum. “Their support helps keep the event accessible and ensures that kids dream big about their futures.”

When Marbles Kids Museum introduced the Future Me Fair in 2014, the goal was to make career exploration accessible. Over the years, the museum has seen the event grow, with more children attending and taking part in hands-on demonstrations.

“Our target audience for this event is 4-12 year-olds. At this age, career exploration is mostly about exposure and awareness,” said Engelhardt. “Future Me Fair brings careers onto kids’ radar that they likely otherwise wouldn’t know about. Role play also supports career exploration. Letting kids wear costumes, use real tools, and take on adult roles helps kids envision themselves as adults and practice some of the language and skills they’ll take on as adults.”

At this year’s event, volunteers brought hands-on experiences to help students learn more about electricity and the technology that powers modern homes. The Smart House display gave kids an interactive way to explore how energy works in everyday life, introducing them to innovative home technologies like smart thermostats, electric vehicles and solar panels. Volunteers also shared interactive energy kits that helped students better understand how electricity is generated and used.

Outside, Wake Electric added to the excitement by bringing a bucket truck, where lineworkers showed students the tools they use every day and talked about what it’s like to work in the field keeping the lights on.

“We hope students are exposed to careers that might not typically be on their radar, that they become curious about a broader set of possibilities for their futures, and that they get excited about potential career paths,” said Engelhardt.

Volunteers like Diorio say they’re proud to take part year after year, helping kids connect their curiosity with real-world possibilities.

“I hope students walk away with the drive to ask questions and always remain curious,” said Diorio. “These students are the future engineers, lineworkers and electricians that we count on to power North Carolina.”