Two middle schools in Wilson County are helping students think about their futures long before they reach high school through the College and Career Exploration Labs at Darden and Speight Middle Schools.
The labs were designed to give middle school students hands-on experiences that connect classroom learning to real-world careers. Students explore a variety of high-demand fields through interactive modules focused on Biomedical Engineering, Manufacturing Technologies, Electricity and Electronics, Structural Engineering, Health Science Careers, Computer Drafting and Design, Environment and Ecology, and other career pathways tied to workforce preparedness.
“The vision behind the Career Exploration labs at Darden and Speight Middle Schools was to align and expose students to our career pathways in our high school CTE programs,” said Matthew Crayton, Wilson County Schools Director of Career and Technical Education. “These two schools feed into our only Title I high school in our district. Exposing students to these pathways early is and always will be important to supporting them through high school, gaining early interest in CTE pathways, and playing a role in planning their future career plans.”
In 2021, the Golden LEAF Board of Directors awarded $143,440 to support the purchase of curriculum and software modules, lab equipment and furniture, and professional development training for educators.
“Golden LEAF funding helped finance two Career Exploration Labs at two of our Title I middle schools,” Crayton said. “It allowed these specific students an opportunity that they otherwise wouldn’t have had. Student exposure in these labs has and will continue to help expose students to possible career opportunities and educate students about careers within our community.”
The impact of the program is already becoming visible. Of the 2025 graduating class, 139 students participated in the Darden and Speight career exploration labs while in middle school. Among those students, more than 50% became Career and Technical Education concentrators by their senior year. This means they completed a focused sequence of CTE coursework in high school.
Students are also demonstrating workforce readiness through national assessments. Of the concentrators who participated in the ACT WorkKeys National Career Readiness assessment, 37 students earned proficient scores. Those credentials help demonstrate that students are developing the skills employers value and need in today’s workforce.
The labs are also helping students make more intentional decisions about their educational pathways and future careers, shared Crayton.
“Since the labs have been installed, we have had numerous examples of students who have enrolled in specific CTE classes at the high school level because of their classroom experience with the Paxton Patterson labs while in middle school at Speight and Darden,” Crayton said. “Increasing enrollment in our CTE courses has supported more students completing the pathway. This has led to an increased number of students earning industry level credentials while in high school. This supports students as they enter into the workforce.”
The district continues working to expand student access to the labs. During the 2025-2026 school year, 121 Darden students are enrolled in the Paxton Patterson Lab, while Speight Middle School is implementing an innovative approach to increase participation. School leaders at Speight Middle School designed a new Paxton Patterson Lab club model that will use dedicated enrichment periods to expose more eighth-grade students to the labs. The plan is to ultimately reach 100% participation in future years.
By introducing students to careers earlier, these Wilson County Schools middle school programs are helping students discover interests, build confidence, and connect education to future opportunities. These labs are helping strengthen the workforce pipeline that supports Wilson County’s economy and demonstrates the community’s commitment to preparing the next generation of skilled employees.