ACTE Networking Reception and Auction
This year, the ACTE Networking Reception promises to be an amazing time. There are games, live entertainment and the auctions. All of this to give you a good time and to raise money for the CTE Support Fund. Have you ever wanted to try steer roping, outdraw your opponent or dress up like an outlaw? For $10, you get an all-access ticket to these events, which are sponsored by the Center for Energy Workforce Development. While you are enjoying yourself, you can listen to the country sounds of The U.S. Army Recruiting Entertainment Team featuring SFC Jamie Buckley, sponsored by the U.S. Army Recruiting Command. And don’t forget the auction itself. Nearly 60 items will be waiting for your bid. The Reception will take place on Thursday, December 13, in Pavilions 9-10 in the Hilton, from 5:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m.

Career Readiness Certificate Summit
Are you looking for information on developing skills-based solutions for workforce education and development? If your answer is yes, then plan on attending the Worldwide Interactive Network’s (WIN) pre-Convention Career Readiness Certificate Summit on Wednesday, December 12, 2007.

ACTE Announces School Tour
As part of an ever-expanding choice of professional development opportunities during its Annual Convention, ACTE has just announced that it has added a tour of the Northwest Career and Technical Academy in Las Vegas. Find out more about tour information.

Jump Start Your Math-in-CTE Program
The Math-in-CTE Jump-Start initiative is offered as a service to states or regional consortia that are interested in requesting technical assistance for full implementation of the Math-in-CTE model in the 2008-09 academic year or in the near future. Visit Jump Start Your Math-in-CTE Program for more information.

ACTE Adds Pre-Convention Workshops
ACTE has continued its expansion of Convention programming by adding three pre-convention workshops to its 2007 Annual Convention schedule. All of these Workshops will take place on Wednesday, December 12, in Las Vegas.

ACTE Partners for Great Content
For the 2007 ACTE Annual Convention and Career Tech Expo, the Association has partnered with a number of organizations to continue to ensure that this event remains the premiere educational and networking event for career and technical educators. Check out 2007 partners.

2007 NATEF Evaluation Team Leader Training
Evaluation Team Leader Training to be offered at ACTE in Las Vegas on Thursday, December 13, 2007. The training will take place in the auto tech department at College of Southern Nevada, 3200 East Cheyenne Ave., North Las Vegas, Nevada. Pre-registration is clossed now.

You Can Deduct ACTE Convention Expenses From Your Taxes
If you are paying for ACTE’s Annual Convention out of your own pocket, you can deduct expenses from your taxes. Registration fees for educational conferences are 100 percent deductible if the education provided maintains or improves the skills related to the attendee’s trade or business. Additionally, your transportation expenses, including airfare, automobile mileage, and reasonable taxi or shuttle fares for traveling from your regular place of business to the conference are 100 percent deductible, as are lodging expenses. Meals are 50 percent deductible. Remember to keep your receipts. Of course, if your employer reimburses you for your expenses, you may not deduct them from your taxes. For further details, check with your tax professional.

General Session Speakers

Ruby Payne will share her insight on working with students in poverty. Payne has been involved with education as a teacher, principal, consultant and administrator, and is working to spread the word throughout North America that children of poverty need not suffer through an educational system oblivious to their needs. A gifted synthesizer, Payne presents her research and observations in such a way that many people experience "eye-opening learning," enhancing their own abilities to help children of poverty succeed. Payne will be signing copies of her book A Framework for Understanding Poverty outside the ACTE bookstore in the Grand Concourse following the General Session.

Listen to an interview with Ruby Payne or read interview transcript.

Assistant Secretary of Labor for Employment and Training Emily Stover DeRocco, will share her insights into the work of their respective departments. She will also participate in a panel discussion that will explore how reforms in the U.S. education system and regional economic development initiatives could impact our future workforce, and what will need to happen in both the education and workforce development systems at the local, state and national level to enable the American economy to thrive and prosper in a global marketplace. The discussion will be moderated by Mike Schmidt from the Ford Motor Company Fund, which is sponsoring the session and discussion. Following the panel discussion, ACTE will present its annual awards to the best in career and technical education. With the technical and financial support of CEV Multimedia, the awards program will be an exciting and energetic program.

For anyone facing a challenge, ACTE’s ACTE’s Closing General Session speaker should help you overcome that challenge and succeed in ways you can’t yet imagine. On May 25, 2001, Erik Weihenmayer became the only blind man in history to reach the summit of Mount Everest. A former middle school teacher and wrestling coach, Weihenmayer is one of the most exciting and well-known athletes in the world. Despite losing his vision at the age of 13,Weihenmayer has become an accomplished mountain climber, paraglider, and skier, who has never let his blindness interfere with his passion for an exhilarating and fulfilling life.Weihenmayer will share his inspiration, which in turn, will inspire educators to keep encouraging and supporting their students to succeed. This is a unique opportunity for ACTE Convention attendees to hear an amazing story of triumph. Weihenmayer will be signing copies of his book The Adversity Advantage—Turning Everyday Struggles into Everyday Greatness outside the ACTE bookstore in the Grand Concourse following the General Session.

Listen to an interview with Erik Weihenmayer or read interview Transcript.

What else? ACTE is working on a number of new ideas to help attendees get the most out of their Convention experience and bring back information and ideas that will help them improve student success. Keep checking this site for more information.

See you in Las Vegas!

If you want to get a brief glimpse of an ACTE Convention, read about last year’s Convention in Atlanta.