FleetOwner featured Be Pro Be Proud and Meta in its October 23 Five Good Things roundup, highlighting the nonprofit’s 10th Anniversary Tour stop at the Alabama National Fair in Montgomery. Students and families boarded a mobile workshop equipped with VR simulators and interactive stations to explore careers in welding, HVAC, electrical work, heavy equipment and advanced manufacturing.
The Meta Montgomery Data Center supported the workshop’s visit, which coincided with First Responders Day. FleetOwner reports that the Montgomery stop is one of 10 on the tour, supported by a $500,000 investment from Meta.
Groove Jones supports Be Pro Be Proud’s broader career exploration mission through gamification and custom VR experiences. Working with the organization’s leadership and state sponsors, our team created interactive challenges that introduce students to specific trades, the tasks involved and what those jobs could pay.
In our original skilled-trades VR program, students explore plumbing, HVAC, electrical work, carpentry and pest control. A plumbing challenge asks them to locate and replace a broken pipe without flooding the room. Carpentry tasks include removing damaged materials, replacing a wall stud and installing lockers. Scoring reflects how quickly and accurately students complete the work, connecting their performance with simulated earnings and trade rankings.
Our Water Works VR SIM extends that approach to water utilities. Students respond to a broken water main, shut off the supply, remove damaged pipe and secure a replacement before restoring water pressure. Guided instructions help them work through the repair sequence and see the steps involved in maintaining essential infrastructure.
For students curious about fleet maintenance, Truck Tech introduces diesel technician work inside a virtual truck repair facility. Participants open the engine compartment, perform a voltmeter test, inspect sensor connectors and test electrical components. Each task is scored, and the final scoreboard includes performance feedback, simulated earnings and career information with state-specific hourly rates.
These projects give students concrete tasks to try as they explore career options. FleetOwner’s coverage offers another look at how Be Pro Be Proud brings technical professions to students and families through its mobile tour.
Read FleetOwner’s coverage of Be Pro Be Proud and Meta.
See Case Studies of the Work We are doing for Be Pro Be Proud
