Grit to Grow Summit: White Mountains

The heart of the program. Monday takes you to White Mountains Community College in Berlin, NH, where you will dive into interactive career exploration sessions led by faculty, staff, and industry partners. WMCC offers programs in fields ranging from Culinary Arts, Nursing, and Health Science to Automotive Technology, Diesel and Heavy Equipment, Environmental Science, Criminal Justice, and more, and you will get a real look at what those pathways actually look like.

The day includes:

• Hands-on career sessions led by WMCC faculty and industry professionals
• Lunch and a Career Fair with employers and partners from across the North Country
• Time to ask questions, explore labs, and connect with people working in fields that interest you

Then the afternoon takes a turn toward the magical.

After WMCC, you will head to Santa's Village in Jefferson, NH for an exclusive after-hours experience. Your group will arrive at 4:00 PM for a full hour to explore the park at your leisure while it is still open to the public. Then, at 5:00 PM, the park closes its gates to everyone else and the real magic begins.

Santa's Village has arranged an exclusive behind-the-scenes experience just for your group. You will divide into smaller groups and rotate through special tours that pull back the curtain on what it really takes to keep this beloved North Country landmark running every single day. Highlights include:

• Reindeer Care: Meet the herd and learn about the specialized animal husbandry, veterinary care, and daily routines that go into raising and caring for Santa's very special reindeer.
• Greenhouse and Grounds: Tour the working greenhouse with the park's greenhouse manager and discover the horticulture and landscaping work that keeps Santa's Village blooming all season long.
• Maintenance, Facilities, and Operations: Go behind the scenes into the warehouses, paint shop, and working areas used by the Foods and Grounds departments, the unseen backbone of every great day at the park.
• Business Operations: Learn about group events, sales, marketing and tourism in the granite state. For this portion of the experience, we’ll be joined by students from the UNH Recreation Management & Policy department. 

It really does take a village to run Santa's Village. From animal care and horticulture to facilities management, food service, and park operations, you will discover just how many different skills, trades, and careers come together to create the experience guests enjoy every visit. Following the tours, the group will enjoy a meal together at the park before boarding buses back to the Mountain View Grand for the evening.

Your final morning takes you out into the North Country for an immersive, small-group on-site career exploration experience. Participants will choose from site visits across five career tracks, traveling to real workplaces to see professionals in action, ask questions, and make connections that go far beyond what any classroom can offer.

Career tracks include:

• Manufacturing and Trades: Get a firsthand look at skilled trades and manufacturing careers in the region. See the tools, the technology, and the people behind the work.
• Hospitality: Explore the business of welcoming people, from hotel and resort operations to food service and event management, right here in one of New England's premier tourism destinations.
• Healthcare: Discover the wide range of careers in health and human services, from clinical roles to behind-the-scenes support that keeps healthcare running.
• Agriculture: Dig into the world of farming, food production, and agricultural business right in the heart of rural New Hampshire. From working farms to local food systems, discover the skills, science, and hard work that go into feeding our communities and keeping agriculture alive in the North Country.
• Natural Resources: Explore careers in forestry, conservation, and land management in a region where these industries are woven into the fabric of daily life.

After your site visit, return to the Mountain View Grand for a boxed lunch and check-out.