NATCHEZ — Local business leaders and Natchez-Adams School District representatives will meet tonight to plan a career day for students in the Miss-Lou.

In partnership with the Natchez-Adams County Chamber of Commerce and members of the Natchez-Adams School District’s P-16 Committee, the Natchez-Adams County Educational Development Foundation is hosting the meeting of dozens of local business leaders at 7 p.m. in the Natchez Grand Hotel ballrooms.

The purpose of the meeting, said Marvin Jeter, education counselor for the NACED Foundation, is to plan opportunity to provide children with an experience of life in the “real world” while giving local professionals the opportunity to invest in students.

“What we’re finding is students not engaged in school,” Jeter said.

If students can be exposed to a variety of career options, Jeter said, they are more capable of taking the right classes and steps to achieve that goal.

Since the professionals are all local, Jeter said the career day would also be a spotlight on local employment opportunities and could show students career paths that are available here in Natchez.

“For professionals, this gives them the opportunity to build their workforce,” Jeter said. “This should be a win-win-win situation.”

Jeter said the process began with compiling a list of people from diverse backgrounds — ranging from arts to business to finance to engineering and technology to health — and inviting them to the planning meeting.

Tonight’s meeting, he said, is focused on planning the career fair and the best way to involve students and parents.

Jeter said he plans to hold the career day in February.

“What we’re trying to do is reconnect business leaders with public schools,” Jeter said. “Most kids who will connect with this program have never seen themselves in the world of success.”

Each of the 12 career clusters will deliver a presentation on the work and varying jobs available in that field.

The program focuses on students in middle school. If students can decide early what type of work they are most passionate about, Jeter said, they can better create a life plan.

Even if a student does not choose a career or cluster during the fair, Jeter said each child will begin to consider their career.

Eventually, Jeter said he hopes this idea of career exposure will be implemented on a more regular level for students.

If schools could model “exploring clubs” similar to those found in the Boy Scouts, Jeter said, students would be able to spend one day each month learning about different careers and perhaps even taking a field trip to the career of their choice.

“Everyone thinks it’s going to be a great idea,” Jeter said. “It should be a win-win-win situation.”