For three days this month, representatives from the VDA and Fortis College Dental Assisting Program were at the Richmond Raceway engaging 8^th graders from throughout the greater Richmond area around careers in dentistry. 

The event, Mission Tomorrow, was organized by Junior Achievement of Central Virginia and ChamberRVA to help middle school students consider career pathways that match their interests. The VDA and Fortis brought oral health crosswords and model teeth to engage with students, who had questions about braces, brushing, trends they had seen on TikTok and YouTube, and about what a typical day and education requirements look like for different dental careers. 

The VDA has convened a Virginia Dental Workforce Council throughout 2023, which has recommended a renewed emphasis on reaching students early to help them understand how different career pathways in dentistry could fit with their personal and professional goals. 

If your office is interested in learning more about the event, participating next year, or learning about a similar career exploration event that’s being planned in Tidewater, please reach out to Paul Logan at logan@vadental.org.