Sparking Curiosity: HLR Inspires Future Engineers at the U-46 Explore Event

HLR • October 7, 2025

Hampton, Lenzini and Renwick, Inc. (HLR) was proud to once again take part in the School District U-46 Explore event at NOW Arena in Hoffman Estates on October 1–2. This annual career and curriculum expo gives students an early look at a wide range of professions—from engineering and manufacturing to healthcare, information technology, business, and more—and our team was thrilled to help bring those possibilities to life.


Hosted by School District U-46 in partnership with the Alignment Collaborative for Education, the Explore event welcomes more than 2,500 eighth-grade students from eight local middle schools. Through interactive exhibits and demonstrations, students get hands-on exposure to career pathways that match their interests and skills. The Alignment Collaborative, a local nonprofit, plays a key role in connecting community partners and supporting the district’s educational initiatives.


Before attending, students use SchooLinks—a digital college and career planning platform—to identify the pathways that align with their personal strengths. With guidance from counselors, they select specific areas to focus on during the event, ensuring each student’s experience is both intentional and engaging.


Representing the Manufacturing, Engineering, Technology, and Trades pathway, HLR joined more than 60 local businesses, industries, government agencies, and nonprofits. Our booth featured a crowd favorite—the augmented reality (AR) sandbox. This interactive 3D tool lets students shape and mold the sand to create their own topographic maps, which are instantly projected in vivid color. When they simulate rainfall, they can watch how water flows through the elevations they’ve built—making concepts like mapping, topography, and watershed behavior come alive.


The HLR team had a great time sharing our passion for engineering and connecting with students, parents, and U-46 staff throughout the event. We’re grateful for opportunities like Explore that help young minds see how creativity, technology, and problem-solving come together in engineering—and we look forward to inspiring even more future engineers in the years to come.

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