Brownwood High School (BHS) students gained valuable, real-world insight into technical careers during a visit from the 3M Safety Roadshow on Thursday, October 2, 2025. Complete with a large mobile safety center trailer packed with professional-grade equipment, the interactive event is designed to help students explore future paths in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) and the skilled trades by highlighting the critical importance of workplace safety and hands-on innovation.
 
Students from a wide range of Career and Technical Education (CTE) classes were introduced to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the vital role of safety standards in professional environments. Students had the opportunity to enjoy a dynamic presentation that allowed students to work directly with 3M employees. This hands-on experience emphasized essential workplace skills such as teamwork, communication, and critical thinking, sparking student interest in the dynamic fields of STEM and various trades.
 
Several BHS teachers and their classes participated throughout the day including Joe Baucom (Architecture Design), Randy Gross (Advanced Automotive), Lillian Wilson (Welding), Chelsea Wilson (Principles of Agriculture), Cade Wilson (Advanced Animal Science), and Jimmy Fisher Jr. (Computer Science).
 
"Thank you so much to 3M, Garfield, Ryan, and to all who came out to speak to our kids," said Jimmy Fisher Jr., Computer Science teacher. "Students learned about STEM career opportunities at 3M and elsewhere. They participated in a hands-on activity where they learned about the collaborative process of advanced manufacturing by making cookies of various designs out of Play-Doh and then observed how a robot can manipulate and sort those cookies based on their different qualities. It was a great opportunity for students to see how computer code can do things in the physical world.”
 
Randy Gross, the Advanced Automotive teacher, echoed the positive feedback. “Safety emerging technology is cool and all my students really enjoyed the hands-on presentation,” said Gross. “They agreed that they understand the importance of safety more now than they did before. I personally want to thank Brownwood ISD and 3M for this learning opportunity.”
 
Partnerships between Brownwood ISD and local industry leaders like 3M continue to provide our students with practical knowledge and direct exposure to potential career pathways, preparing them for success after graduation.