The Los Angeles School District’s Division of Adult and Career Education (DACE) knows that career pathways can change lives. Their mission is not only to prepare students with academic skills, but also to connect them directly to industries where those skills translate into jobs. This year, DACE hosted a Career Expo that went beyond traditional tabling events. With the leadership of Amy Sleep, Integrated Education & Training (IET) Advisor, the team designed an event where learners could explore careers by checking in at booths, tracking their visits, and earning recognition for their participation.

A Vision for Hands-On Career Exploration

Amy described the inspiration behind the event as twofold. On one hand, she wanted students to be exposed to the wide range of programs available across the DACE network. On the other, she wanted attendees to actually interact with booths rather than just walk through.

“We wanted an easy-to-use and affordable way to engage our Career Expo participants, particularly our high school students. We explored other ‘conference’ applications, all of which we found to be too complicated. In addition to the map itself, the passport way felt like a perfect way to ‘gamify’ the Expo and encourage participants to explore all of our career booths.”

By making the expo interactive, the team gave attendees a reason to fully engage with the resources available, from health sciences to trades to technology.

A Map That Brought the Expo to Life

One of the standout features of the event was the interactive Proxi map. DACE used an image overlay of the conference center floor plan so students could orient themselves immediately. From there, categories were highlighted with intuitive icons and colors, helping attendees quickly spot what mattered most to them.

The map included categories such as:

• Career Booths
  
• Employers & Service Providers
  
• School Booths
  
• Support Services
  
• Expo Information
  
• Entertainment
  
• Presentations
  
• Food & Drink
  
• Swag
  
• Restrooms and First Aid
  

“The map itself and the passport event were very easy to set up and use, especially with the help of the Proxi team! Even without their support, I think we would have had no problems getting the event ready.”

The combination of the overlay layout and check-in functionality meant students had both wayfinding support and motivation to visit multiple areas.

Engagement by the Numbers

The Career Expo data tells the story of high participation and enthusiasm:

• 905 places visited and 921 points earned
  
• 337 participants registered for the passport challenge
  
• 4,500 people used the map across the two-day event
  

“The passport activity worked well in practice. We as a team could have done a better job promoting it (ahead of the event and at the event itself) so people knew about it. However, even without that clear guidance, we had good participation."

“The people who took part in the challenge seemed excited to use it and were looking forward to collecting their prize.”

Why Digital Engagement Made a Difference

In past years, career fairs could feel passive. Attendees might grab a flyer, shake a hand, and leave without engaging deeply. The digital check-in passport changed that dynamic — giving participants a structured way to move through the event, interact with booths, and record their progress.

“The passport activity worked well in practice... Those who completed the activity came to claim their prizes and were able to share insights into the things they learned and discovered at the booths – and their favorite booths and why! It was exactly what we wanted, and we think we inspired some people to sign up for career classes.”

For exhibitors, this meant better visibility and more meaningful conversations. Every check-in created a moment of interaction between a student and a potential career pathway.

Building Excitement and Future Pathways

The DACE team now has valuable data to analyze which booths had the highest activity and which programs sparked the most curiosity. This insight will guide planning for future events and help shape programming that meets student demand.

“Start as early as possible gathering your event’s information: booths, vendors, workshops, presentations etc. so that you can input the descriptions and any images you want to use. The Passport activity itself should be promoted before and during your actual event to increase engagement. You may want to create posters or how-to videos promoting and explaining your passport challenge.”

A Model for Other Communities

The LAUSD Career Expo proves that career fairs do not have to be passive or predictable. With an interactive map, gamified check-ins, and intentional design, they can spark curiosity, drive engagement, and leave students feeling excited about their future.