TFIM Conference features new site hosts, innovative workshops
Some 350 students will converge Downtown when our career exploration program, The Future Is Mine, holds its annual two-day Student Leadership Conference April 10th-11th.
Themed “Cheers to 19 Years” in celebration of TFIM’s 19th anniversary, the Conference gets underway as it traditionally does with career explorations hosted by 16 different employers. Following the workplace visits, students will visit Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall and Museum to take in a little history then head over to the Pittsburgh Marriott City Center for dinner, a dance, an overnight stay and a second day of career-related workshops. 
“We’ve got one new worksite host this year as well as a couple of returnees that haven’t hosted visits for at least several years,” said TFIM Program Director Gina Barrett. “We’ll also be offering some outstanding workshops, including a number that were student-driven and organized by TFIM teams.”
The Conference is TFIM’s culminating event for the school year, bringing together students from nearly 30 participating high schools.
New to the event as a career exploration host site is HDR, an engineering and architecture firm. Returning after a number of years are the clothing retailer, American Eagle Outfitters and filmmaker and post-production services firm, PMI.
Also hosting visits are: ALCOSAN, Allegheny County, Allegheny General Hospital, Carnegie Museum of Art, Covestro, Dollar Bank, Duquesne Light Co. Google, Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, Jefferson Hospital, United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania, Urban Design Associates and the Waterways Association of Pittsburgh with Gateway Clipper Fleet.
Among more than a dozen different workshops will be sessions featuring: an Escape Room to build STEM skills; Human-Centered Design techniques to improve organizational and collaborative skills; research from Carnegie Mellon University’s BrainHub to build social and emotional skills; mock-interviews and other activities to improve job search skills and teach business etiquette.
As in past years, our thanks go to a blue-chip list of sponsors for making the Conference possible, including: American Eagle Outfitters Foundation; Comcast; Covestro; Dollar Bank; Duquesne Light Company; Highmark Casualty Insurance Co. HM Insurance Group; Huntington National Bank; NCDMM; NexTier; Pittsburgh Marriott City Center; Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation; Pittsburgh Pirates; Schell Games; Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall; UPMC; Wells Fargo Foundation and individual benefactor Amy Winokur
