COEUR d'ALENE — The gym in the Coeur d'Alene Early Learning Center was bustling with conversation for hours Tuesday as high school students learned about pet grooming, public safety, cotton candy making and other potential career paths.

"I did learn a lot of stuff," Coeur d'Alene High School student Danny Nguyen said.

He said he tended to linger a bit longer at the tables he visited as he is undecided about what he will do for a job some day.

"That's kind of why I signed up for this," he said. "If I had the time, I would talk to all of these people."

A collaboration of the Idaho Division of Vocational Rehabilitation and the Coeur d'Alene School District, the Career Exploration Fair gave Coeur d'Alene, Lake City and Venture high school students with disabilities opportunities to connect with local professionals. They earned stickers on their "passports" for each table visited and turned them in for prizes at the end as a bonus incentive.

Chris Gootherts, vice president of people operations for Selkirk Sport in Coeur d'Alene, engaged students with a presentation about his all-things-pickleball company. As head of people operations, Gootherts has the ability to touch on all aspects of the business.

It's all about new generations entering the workforce and setting them up for success, he said.

"I gave advice about how to interview and why people get fired, and also how that's not always a bad thing," he said. "I explained about how we coach people on their careers in my role, whether it be coaching management, coaching people coming into the job. That's all part of the job."

April Legard with Knudtsen Chevrolet spoke with students about office administration. She participated as a business professional but also as a family member with loved ones with disabilities.

"My younger brother was handicapped, so I've spent my whole life holding his hand and taking him through all the same experiences, trying to get the best for him out of life," she said. 

It's important for people with disabilities to have support, especially those who can speak to them, Legard said.

Vocational rehabilitation specialist Brandy Longley and business services specialist Dru Zolman from Idaho Division of Vocational Rehabilitation worked together to organize the inaugural fair, which featured 21 employer informational booths and four business presentations for nearly 50 students to explore.

"It is past my expectations," Longley said. "My whole goal was hoping they would come out of this with some great information to help them plan for their futures and this exceeded that."

Zolman said she loved how the businesses interacted with the students.

"They're sitting down and talking to them, exploring career paths," she said.

Zolman said Northwest Specialty Hospital, for instance, asked a student what he wanted to do, and he said information technology.

"They said, 'We have an IT department at a hospital,'" she said. "I really think it's allowing students to see what's truly out there but it's also allowing the businesses to interact with students with disabilities and get that awareness that people with disabilities really have a wide range."

    April Legard with Knudtsen Chevrolet speaks with Coeur d'Alene High School student Danny Nguyen about office administration Tuesday at the Career Exploration Fair.