ACTE

The Antelope Valley Career Prep Council, with business, industry, government and education representatives, set the entire month of February as Career Technical Education Month. With Antelope Valley Union High School District, we did the following to bring attention to the importance of CTE:

• Scheduled community (business, industry, government and education representatives) visits to the CTE programs and academies at 7 high schools throughout February. Each high school CTE class was visited by a team of 5-11 to see the range of programs offered. About 50 community members participated throughout the month in visiting one or more schools. They also saw what Perkins funding has been used for in current and past programs. Feedback forms were compiled from the visits. The community is generally amazed at the level of programs offered to high school students. Our teachers and students loved this opportunity to showcase their programs!
• A visit was arranged on Feb 17th for California Assemblywoman Sharon Runner to visit one high school and present a California State Legislature Certificate of Recognition for Antelope Valley Union High School District and the Career Prep Council on the importance of CTE to the workforce. It was from Assembly woman Runner and her husband, California State Senator George Runner. She visited classrooms and had a great time-- a very strong supporter of CTE.
• Another visit was arranged for State Senator George Runner to visit our CTE programs at Palmdale High School where we have the most CTE programs. Students from each of the programs led the Senator to the respective classrooms and explained the program. Teachers also talked about the Perkins funding used in each of the classrooms. State Senator Runner has also been very supportive of CTE programs and discussed the issues for CTE in the schools after the tour.
• The Antelope Valley Regional Occupational Programs scheduled annual Industry Advisory Committee meetings for all of the course reviews on Feb 16th and 17th. Over 50 business and industry representatives attended the respective content meetings and provided input on the courses. We also discussed with them trends in CTE and their support for continued CTE advanced courses.
• We incorporated National Engineering Week as part of our CTE month. One of our staff arranged a second annual day for the students in our Project Lead the Way Pre-Engineering programs to visit the engineering program link between our local community college and the CalStateUniversity. Engineers were invited to a lunch with the students and had a great interaction. We addressed with them the importance of CTE programs to preparing students for areas where we have labor shortages. The pre-engineering and engineering programs have grown through a local industry initiative.
• Our Career Prep Council Chair, a recently-retired Director of Plans and Programs (and engineer) from Edwards Air Force Flight Test Center had a short presentation at an annual major business/industry conference on February 23rd. About 1200 business, industry and government leaders attended this regional conference. Our Council Chair talked about the importance of career preparation, CTE, and Perkins funding to the economic health of the region. We had a background presentation of pictures of students in CTE classes.

Submitted by June Battey, Director, School-to-Career & ROP

The Perry High School Career and Technical Education Department hosted its "Career Tech: Education for Success" Breakfast on Wednesday, February 15, 2006 in observance of Career Tech Week. The student organizations Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA), and SkillsUSA hosted the breakfast. The proclamations for Career Tech Week and each organization were signed by Mayor Worrall of Perry, Georgia.

Submitted by Sherry W. Johnson, Business Education Instructor

The celebration of Career and Technical Education Week at the North West Arkansas Community College Regional Technology Center (a secondary area technical center) started the Friday before CTE Week and culminated in the middle of the week. On Friday evening, the Culinary program held a “Chef’s Event.” The event was a fundraiser and recruitment activity that put it all together as a perfect event for a career and technical education program.

Tyson Foods Corporate Chef, Uta Schepers, worked with the RTC students for two days preparing the food for the event. The cafeteria was transformed into an elegant dining room. Guests began to arrive at the sold out event at 6:30 for a reception of hord’ourves and live music provided by three former RTC instructors. Dinner was served at 7:30 with music provide by an RTC Culinary student and his friend.

What made this event so special was a combination of several things. First, the culinary students were mentored by an industry specialist. Secondly, prospective students and their parents received scholarships for the cost of the event by an innovation grant through the College. Each table had RTC and other College employees seated with the recruits and their parents so they could answer questions and encourage them to sign up for the program. The third factor that made it perfect was the presence of students from the postsecondary hospitality program to help out with serving. In addition there were also graduates of the RTC program helping out, as well. Business and industry involvement with mentoring, recruitment, fundraising, and integrating secondary, postsecondary, and graduate students into the event all combined to make it perfect.

On Wednesday, February 15, the RTC held its first Career Expo. This event, which was run just like a regular business and industry expo, was co-hosted by the RTC, the Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce, and Synergytech, a consortium of industry leader in the region. The Expo was a result of conversations with employers in northwest Arkansas who expressed the need to develop a more personal relationship with parents, students, and educators to encourage students to consider the many opportunities available to them after high school. It was also a recruitment event for the RTC. On the day, forty five exhibitors set up early in the morning. Throughout the day, over five hundred students from several of the school districts in the RTC service area came through the Expo. Students and exhibitors received prizes all day long. Tyson Foods provided lunch for everyone. Students asked questions of the exhibitors and learned about the variety of opportunities for training and stable employment. The Expo is sure to become an annual RTC event.

The events of the week at the RTC were a great way to celebrate Career and Technical Education Week. The manner in which the students, instructors, and business and industry worked together to make it successful exemplifies the importance of and the need for career and technical education.

Submitted by Lee C. Haight, Ed.D., Director

Hinds Community College – Rankin Campus celebrated National Career and Technical Education Week during February 12-18. Governor Barbour signed a proclamation announcing that Mississippi would officially celebrate Career and Technical Education Week. Student services put together a scholarship packet and passed it out to juniors and seniors so the students could prepare for scholarships. Fliers were posted on bulletin boards around the school and community. PA announcements were made at the Rankin county and Pearl public schools. DECA celebrated the week beginning in Tupelo, MS at the State DECA competition. FBLA celebrated the week by holding their district competition. An open house was held at the Career and TechnicalCenter on Wednesday, February 15th and Thursday, February 16th inviting local school officials as well as the State Department of Education. Also, HindsCommunity College, Rankin Campus held its Advisory Spring Meeting inviting local businesses to attend.

Submitted by Tammie Brewer, Marketing Management Technology Instructor and DECA Advisor

The students in our various programs made gift baskets for our governing board members, which were presented to them at the board meeting during CTE Week. First, the Industrial Tech classes made wooden tool boxes to hold the gifts. Other items in the baskets included:

• Clocks made by our Woodworking classes
• Cookie mixes made by our Culinary Arts classes
• Horseshoe cowboys made by our Welding classes
• Plants from our Ag program
• Safety brochures from Allied Health program
• Business cards and greeting cards made by our Business classes
• Certificate for an oil change from Auto Technologies

 Submitted by Arlene McLaughlin, CTE Director

At Western Wisconsin Technical College we held Network Night where middle and high school CTE staff, postsecondary staff, and community members attended. Click on the following link to view the agenda http://www.wwtc.edu/highschool/network_night.asp. The event was co-sponsored by Western and CESA 4. Overall, it was a very successful evening of collaboration and communication.

Submitted by Brenda Scheurer, Tech Prep Curriculum Specialist

At the Oneida-Herkimer-Madison BOCES in New Hartford, NY, the Observer-Dispatch ran a front page story about our Career & Tech Center, as well as mentioned National CTE Week. This story ran on Monday, February 13, 2006 and ended up producing a positive editorial in the newspaper on Friday, February 17, 2006. Click below for links to the news article and editorial.

News article: http://tinyurl.com/pwob4.
Editorial: http://tinyurl.com/md6l2

Submitted by Jean Palmer, Public Relations Assistant

Athens High School CTE instructors and students celebrated CTE Week by organizing and implementing a Career Fair for the students enrolled in Business Marketing, Career Technologies, Family and Consumer Sciences, and Pre-Engineering. Speakers from the local business community visited CTE classes on a rotating schedule. Speakers included: a manufacturing engineer, a bank representative, an insurance agent, a human resources coordinator from the City of Athens, a local entrepreneur and an investments counselor. Because this event was successful, our principal has approved a Career Fair to which the entire student body will be invited for CTE Week in 2007. A Valentine's Day Tea was hosted by the Family and Consumer Sciences Department for our guests at the Career Fair and other local dignitaries, including representatives from the Athens City Schools Career Technical Advisory Council.

Submitted by Marcia Day, Career/Tech Department Chair

StevensHigh School teachers featured in Concord Monitor Online. Click below for news article.

http://www.concordmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2006601080317

Submitted by John Doherty, Director, Sugar River Valley Regional Technical Center

This year for CTE Week Lone Peak High School hung signs at each CTE teacher's door. We also hosted a reception for the entire faculty and staff one day at lunch. Along with some great food we used State produced PR materials to encourage conservation about the importance of CTE. On Friday we hosted a student fair during lunch with information on classes, games and prizes. It's a great time for us since students are registering for next year about this time every year! We also hung CTE signs all over the school, used our school marquee during the week and did a display of student projects in our school display case.

Submitted by Becky Cox, CTE Coordinator

The Sunrise Mountain DECA students in Peoria, AZ held their annual fundraiser on February 14th. The event featured the creation and delivery of “Cookie Bouquets for Valentine’s Day”. It is the clubs largest single day fundraiser to get the students to State and International competition. The event occurred during National Career and Technical Education Week. The students sold 251 bouquets.

Submitted by Deb Moore

This year Hannibal Career and Technical Center in Hannibal, MO worked very hard in promoting CTE week in our school. Attached is an article that appeared in our local newspaper highlighting our activities.

Submitted by Sharon Bergman, Counselor