Cascade High School’s 4E Day Expands the Possibilities Beyond Graduation

Local employers, community partners, and educators packed the gymnasium at Cascade High School in 2025 for 3E Day.

What comes after high school?

For students, that question should not have only one correct answer.

On September 17, 2026, Cascade High School will host its 16th annual career and postsecondary exploration event. This year, the event is expanding from 3E Day to 4E Day, representing four pathways available to students after graduation:

• Employ

• Enroll

• Enlist

• Entrepreneurship

The addition of entrepreneurship reflects an important truth about career readiness: students need opportunities to explore the full range of possibilities available to them.

4E Day will connect Cascade High School students with higher education institutions, employers, military representatives, nonprofit organizations and service organizations. Eighth-grade students will also attend, giving them an early opportunity to begin thinking about their interests, strengths and future goals.

Career Exploration Before a Decision Is Required

Students are often asked what they want to do after graduation long before they have had meaningful opportunities to explore their options.

Events like 4E Day help close that gap.

By bringing employers, educators and community organizations directly to students, Cascade High School is creating a space where young people can ask questions, discover unfamiliar careers and better understand the education, training and experience required for different pathways.

A student may arrive expecting to attend a four-year college and leave interested in an apprenticeship. Another may discover that a technical certification can lead to a rewarding career. A student with a creative idea may begin to see entrepreneurship as a realistic path rather than a distant possibility.

The goal is not to steer every student toward the same destination. It is to help each student make an informed choice.

Why the Fourth “E” Matters

Adding entrepreneurship to the event recognizes that career preparation is changing.

Students are not only preparing to apply for existing jobs. Some will become independent contractors, freelancers, small-business owners, innovators and future employers within their communities.

Entrepreneurial thinking also benefits students who choose traditional employment. Skills such as problem-solving, communication, financial literacy, adaptability and initiative are valuable in nearly every workplace.

By placing entrepreneurship alongside employment, enrollment and enlistment, Cascade High School is showing students that creating their own opportunity can also be part of a successful career plan.

The Power of Community Partnerships

Strong career exploration requires participation from beyond the school building.

Employers can help students understand what today’s workplaces actually need. Colleges and training providers can explain the programs that prepare students for those careers. Military representatives, nonprofits and service organizations can introduce students to additional ways of learning, serving and building valuable skills.

Cascade High School is preparing for the 2026 event in partnership with the Hendricks College Network and the Hendricks County Community Foundation. Organizers hope to host the event in the school’s newly completed Student Activities Center.

These partnerships demonstrate what is possible when schools and communities share responsibility for preparing the next generation.

An Opportunity for Employers and Community Organizations

Indiana ACTE encourages employers, educational institutions, training providers and community organizations to consider participating in career exploration events like 4E Day.

Participation is about more than recruiting. It is an opportunity to:

• help students understand local career opportunities;

• challenge misconceptions about industries and occupations;

• explain the skills employers need;

• build relationships with educators;

• strengthen future talent pipelines; and

• show students that their communities want them to succeed.

For many students, one conversation can introduce a career they had never considered. That conversation may eventually influence the courses they take, the credentials they pursue or the work-based learning experiences they seek.

Creating More Informed Futures

Career and technical education is built on the belief that learning becomes more powerful when students can connect it to a purpose.

Cascade High School’s 4E Day puts that belief into action by giving students the information, exposure and community connections they need to begin designing their own futures.

The event will take place Thursday, September 17, 2026, at Cascade High School in Clayton, Indiana. Registration is currently open for participating organizations.

Indiana ACTE applauds the educators, partners and community leaders working to make this experience possible. By helping students explore employment, enrollment, enlistment and entrepreneurship, they are reinforcing an essential message:

There is more than one path to success, and every student deserves the opportunity to discover the path that is right for them.

Interested in participating? Learn more and register for Cascade High School’s 4E Day.