In a classroom buzzing with wires, toggles, and problem-solving chatter, eighth-grade students at Oskaloosa Middle School are not just building a robotic snake, they are testing skills that could shape their futures. Through Innovators Quest, a career exploration initiative supported by Musco Lighting, students are getting hands-on exposure to robotics, circuitry, and teamwork long before they are asked to decide what they want to be.
The Innovators Quest program is built around four themed “realms,” each designed to introduce students to a different set of technical and professional skills. On this day, students were deep into the robotics and electrical realm, navigating challenges that required them to read detailed instructions, wire controllers correctly, and work collaboratively to guide a robot through an obstacle course.
“This is phase three of a four-level experience they’ve gone through all week,” said Kristen McMains, Musco Talent Outreach Specialist. “It’s about how you read directions, how you pay attention to detail, how you make something work, and then how you problem-solve when it doesn’t.”
While the activities may feel like a game to students, the purpose behind them is deliberate. Musco’s involvement is part of a broader commitment to early-career exposure and workforce development, particularly in Iowa, where employers are engaging the next generation to share opportunities available right here in our state.
“Today’s fourth graders are the workforce of 2033, and that’s not that far away,” McMains said. “This effort opens doors early and reminds students that their community offers real pathways for growth, learning, and success.”
For McMains, the value of the program lies in helping students identify strengths they may not yet realize they have. At the middle school level, career aspirations can be vague or heavily influenced by family members. Innovators Quest aims to shift that narrative by focusing on skills rather than job titles.
“It’s hard for a student to articulate, ‘I like blueprint reading,’ if they don’t know what that is,” she said. “But when they’re using a 3D pen or wiring a controller, they start to see how they learn and engage. That opens the door to conversations about welding, engineering, marketing, communications or even human resources.”
The program is being rolled out in phases, starting with eighth-grade students this winter. A second group will complete the experience next week, followed by an expansion to fourth- and fifth-grade students in March. While the core skills remain consistent, the language and gameplay are adjusted to be age-appropriate.
“The skills stay the same,” McMains said. “How we talk about them changes.”
Educators have already noticed a difference in how some students respond to the hands-on format. Students who may be quieter or less engaged in traditional classroom settings have emerged as leaders during the activities.
“It’s been fun to see the ones who really light up,” McMains said. “Teachers have told us, ‘That student doesn’t usually engage like this,’ and suddenly they’re the one leading their group.”
For eighth-grader Huxton Frost, the challenge of controlling the robotic snake offered both frustration and insight.
“It was really hard to control,” Frost said. “It didn’t move straight. It swerved instead, and you had to figure out how to adjust.”
Beyond the mechanics, Frost said the experience helped him think differently about everyday tasks and teamwork.
“I learned that some things are really hard to drive, while some things are easy, like cars,” he said. “This helped us use our minds and communicate with others to get the job done.”
Frost also noticed a stark contrast between Innovators Quest and his typical classes.
“In most classes, we’re learning on computers while the teacher teaches,” he said. “Here, we had to do it ourselves with our hands.”
That hands-on approach resonated with fellow eighth-grader Kolter Ozinga, who took on a technical role wiring the controller and troubleshooting when connections failed.
“I put the wires in the right places and fixed them when they didn’t work,” Ozinga said. “I learned teamwork and that helping others is important.”
Through the process, Ozinga gained confidence in his own abilities.
“I learned that I’m pretty good with wires and building stuff,” he said. “I like electrical work and teamwork.”
Like Frost, Ozinga said the experience stood apart from traditional coursework.
“It’s more about relying on others,” he said. “Not just yourself.”
For McMains, those moments of discovery are exactly the point. By exposing students to real-world skills early, the program aims to broaden their sense of what is possible and where they might fit.
“Kids can’t be what they can’t see,” she said. “This gives them a chance to see the opportunities that exist.”
While Musco hopes some students may one day see the company as a career destination, McMains emphasized that the broader goal is community growth.
“As long as it’s somewhere in the community, that’s a win,” she said. “There are whole generations who say, ‘I didn’t have this when I was a kid.’ Now, these students do.”
As students pack up wires and power down controllers, the impact of Innovators Quest extends far beyond the classroom. By planting the seed early, the program helps Oskaloosa students discover how they learn, how they collaborate, and how their skills might shape their community's future. For many, it is the first step toward seeing themselves not just as students, but as problem-solvers and contributors to the workforce ahead.