Transform, Transition, Thrive Academy Weekends
The first 3T Weekend of the school year took place at Northern Quest Hotel & Resort in Airway Heights, WA in October 2025. This workshop welcomed twelve students for a hands-on experience designed to spark motivation, broaden career awareness, and support informed decision-making among youth who are focused on careers in hospitality.
Participants explored a variety of hospitality industry pathways and gained valuable insights into potential futures in these careers through engaging discussions and hands-on activities. Students toured Northern Quest departments and facilities, and engaged directly with professionals from the culinary team, hotel hospitality, the entertainment team, marketing, and spa services. These experts shared their experiences and offered practical demonstrations, giving students a firsthand look at the skills and opportunities available in each field. Students also learned what pathways to training exist for each of these job types.
The most recent 3T Weekend focused on self-employment/entrepreneurship and was held in January in Vancouver, WA. Throughout the weekend, participants were placed into small collaborative groups and guided through the full arc of developing a business idea—from spark to launch. This included identifying what inspires business ideas and learning how to craft an effective pitch, creating a business plan for the chosen concept, and receiving a budget to purchase materials for their prototype or startup model. Orientation and Mobility specialists supported the teams as they used public transportation to travel to a local retailer to gather supplies for their projects. Students worked together to build their products or business prototypes and then presented their ideas to peers and staff in a lively “launch party”. The final component of the weekend connected students with small business development resources, helping them understand how to take their ideas beyond the workshop.