News Archives

NASA HUNCH Students Send Hardware into Space

Posted on June 3, 2020May 30, 2024 by acte

Four single stowage lockers made and signed by NASA HUNCH students, onboard Crew Dragon (May 31, 2020)

Ready for launch! High school students across the nation contributed flight hardware to the historic Launch America event. SpaceX Crew Dragon sent astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) from the historic 39A launch pad at Kennedy Space Center on Sunday, May 31. And with them went four single stowage lockers (SSLs) designed by NASA HUNCH (High School Students United with NASA to Create Hardware) program participants.

Manufacturing students have made 70 flight-ready single stowage lockers (SSLs) over the past four years. Four of these SSLs carried supplies to the ISS; supplies included liquid cooling ventilation garments, crew shoes and an exercise harness for the astronauts.

In recognition of their dedication and skills, students and instructors were encouraged to sign their names on top of the single stowage lockers.

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CTE Students Make Their Voices Heard in Sticker Design Competition

Posted on May 5, 2020May 30, 2024 by acte

The people have spoken! Two career and technical education (CTE) students at Nevada’s Carson High School won first place in a local competition to design “I Voted” stickers.

As the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic closed schools, many graphic design students found themselves at home without access to standard software. Some students didn’t have computers. Patricia Ababio, graphic design instructor at Carson High School, was not deterred.

“We brainstormed a solution,” said Ababio. “Students created thumbnails of their designs using pencil and paper. They created what they considered sticker designs, that voters would be both proud to wear and that would reflect the character of the American voter. It was a great way for us to participate in a terrific contest, even while staying home, for Nevada.”

Flyer advertising Carson City’s 2020 primary election features first-place sticker designs submitted by Victor Clavel and Alondra Mata Izquierdpo.

The competition, open to Carson City students in grades nine through 12, received more than 200 entries. A selection panel of local and state officials determined two first-place winners. An additional eight entries were identified for honorable mention.

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Plan for High-quality CTE in a COVID-19-impacted School Year: A guide & call for innovations

Posted on January 4, 2020May 30, 2024 by acte

Is your career and technical education (CTE) program planning to transition between delivery models this school year, based on COVID-19 case counts in your area?

Plan for a COVID-19-impacted school year

In addition, ACTE will share innovative practices related to COVID-19 in Techniques, on social media and through other communication channels. Whether your school, district or institution is open with social distancing, using a blended approach or continuing with remote learning, ACTE wants to hear about the innovative ways you are coping with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on CTE and career development.

Share innovative practices

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Member Connected News: Washington High School Students Compete at DECA International Career Development Conference

Posted on October 16, 2019May 30, 2024 by acte

In April 2019, DECA students from Lakewood, Washington’s Clover Park High School competed at the DECA International Career Development Conference in Orlando, Florida. In recognition of their hard work and determination, Kitti Wheeler, ACTE member and Clover Park marketing teacher, wrote:

“We are a new DECA Chapter and we had just opened our student store the year before. This was the first opportunity for us to compete in the school-based enterprise event. As a new adviser, I didn’t know how to prepare my students to compete at this level. Not to mention, my students had numerous extenuating circumstances — including personal illness and a parent’s terminal cancer diagnosis. These events caused two of my three team members to miss a lot of school and presented significant barriers, making it more challenging to work together and compete.

“I requested an extension and, to my surprise, we were granted one extra day. When I received word that we qualified to compete, I was in disbelief. Actually, I’m still amazed because we placed in the top 10! Proud doesn’t describe how it felt to watch my students receive award medallions on stage in front of 20,000 people. As a result our student store earned Gold Certification.

“This is truly a Cinderella story. Every time I think about our accomplishment, I get goose bumps.”

When asked about what motivated their success, the Clover Park High School students responded, “Teamwork and [Ms. Wheeler’s] belief in us.”

Wheeler, who was recently named the WA ACTE Teacher of the Year, concluded, “I learned a huge lesson to never underestimate what my students can achieve.”

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Member Connected News (MCN) is a new regular column on PAGES, a Techniques blog. Here is where we highlight the buzz about career and technical education. If you have something (program news, event news, award news or a note of appreciation) to share, we want to hear about it. Fill out the form and you might be featured next.

Family, Career and Community Leaders of America Give Back

Posted on May 17, 2019May 30, 2024 by acte

During the 2018–19 school year, The Twiggs County Comprehensive Middle High School partnered with The Fort Valley State University and its Extension Agent Terolyn Chaney to feed the community and conduct resume writing workshops.

The FCCLA chapter and its advisor, TaQuila Thomas, and Chaney conducted several workshops throughout the year — teaching employment skills, polishing resumes, creating cover letters and doling out food to Twiggs County’s citizens.

These efforts were part of the initiative spearheaded by the FCCLA chapter whose focus is on “Family, Community and Self-love.” They look forward to helping Twiggs County again and extending a hand to other counties also.

Do you have news?

Member Connected News is a new regular column on PAGES, a Techniques blog. Here is where we highlight the buzz about career and technical education. If you have something (program news, event news, award news or a note of appreciation) to share, we want to hear about it. Fill out the form and you might be featured next.

Delaware Area Career Center Student Thinks Big

Posted on May 14, 2019May 30, 2024 by acte

Triston Tuggle, a high school senior studying Power Sports at the Delaware Area Career Center (DACC), has been accepted into Caterpillar’s ThinkBIG Technician Education program. Tuggle is only the second student from DACC to be accepted into the program.

“I’ve always been a big fan of Caterpillar,” Tuggle said. “I’m happy I got accepted. I’ve always wanted to do diesel mechanics. My favorite part is knowing I’m heading down the right path, and I won’t be lost after I get out of school.”

The program will send Tuggle to Owens Community College for eight weeks, and then into the field for real-world, hands-on training. There he will learn “how to service Cat equipment using cutting-edge diagnostic and maintenance systems, advanced technologies and high-tech tools.

“ThinkBIG combines classroom work with hands-on learning in the field and in state-of-the-art labs, so students see technologies in real-world applications — solving problems and helping Caterpillar customers get their jobs done. Graduates of ThinkBIG receive an associate’s degree in applied science.”

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Tri-County Team Designs Device to Travel into Space

Posted on May 10, 2019May 30, 2024 by acte

Along with their instructor, three engineering technology students from Tri-County Regional Vocational Technical High School traveled to Houston, Texas, on April 15–17, 2019, to present a device they designed to NASA engineers and astronauts as part of the HUNCH program.

High School Students United with NASA to Create Hardware, or HUNCH, is an innovative, school-based program that partners NASA at Johnson Space Center, Marshall Space Flight Center, Langley Research Center, Goddard Space Flight Center, Glenn Research Center, Kennedy Space Center and AMES Research Center with high schools in states across the nation. The partnership involves students fabricating real-world products for NASA as they apply their science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) skills as well as learning to collaborate and administer a project in teams and think creatively.

Five juniors Averi Ayre, of North Attleboro, Massachusetts; Katie Dion, of North Attleboro, Massachusetts; Colin Donoghue, of Walpole, Massachusetts; Eric Kugler, of North Attleboro, Massachusetts; and Jacob Lipson, of Franklin, Massachusetts, designed The Tool Pouch, an organized tool storage box that they hope will be used to solve a tool storage problem on the International Space Station. The project has made it to the Final Design and Prototyping Review scheduled at NASA’s Johnson Space Center at Rocket Park in Houston. If selected, their designs will likely be used by NASA astronauts in Space. This is the fourth year Tri-County’s team attended the event.

Tri-County RVTHS, located at 147 Pond Street in Franklin, Massachusetts, is a recipient of the High Schools That Work Gold Achievement Award and serves the communities of Franklin, Medfield, Medway, Millis, Norfolk, North Attleboro, Plainville, Seekonk, Sherborn, Walpole and Wrentham.

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Cooks and Camo in Bartlett, Illinois

Posted on April 24, 2019May 30, 2024 by acte

Students enrolled in upper-level culinary classes at Bartlett High School participated in Cooks and Camo, a competition-style event sponsored by the Illinois Army National Guard. Competitors were challenged to create an entree and dessert items inspired by military field rations, known as meals ready to eat (MRE).

“The students did a great job turning MREs in to unique (and tastier) meal creations,” said Kari Laga, a family and consumer sciences teacher at Bartlett High School, in Bartlett, Illinois.

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Kokomo Area Career Center & Bona Vista Host Sock Hop & Roll

Posted on March 7, 2019May 30, 2024 by acte

Attendees danced and had fun at the Sock Hop and Roll. On Dec. 14, 2018, Bona Vista and Kokomo Area Career Center, in Kokomo, Indiana, hosted the Sock Hop >amp; Roll. The event was designed by Keegan Paul, a career center student and Bona Vista intern, to offer “adults with disabilities a fun night of dancing, snacking and socializing.” The event was a success! Success that is due, at least in part, to collaboration among career and technical educators — and with business and community partners.

Shelley Rust gets a big hug. “My Kokomo Area Career Center students learn to work together with people from all walks of life. These experiences will serve our culinary arts students well in any situation,” said Shelley Rust, culinary arts instructor and past president of Indiana ACTE. “Watching my students interact with the Bona Vista students fills my heart with joy.”

Culinary arts students prepare food for the event. The event offered a unique opportunity for career and technical education students to gain real-world experience and have some fun, too. Culinary arts students developed recipes and conducted tastings with Bona Vista Bistro clients to create the menu. Students in the Kokomo Area Career Center’s cosmetology program styled hair and makeup for the guests, while media marketing students played paparazzi. Those enrolled in the certified nursing assistant program volunteered to provide aid to attendees as needed.

For Keegan Paul, the Sock Hop >amp; Roll was especially memorable. He told the Kokomo Perspective what it meant to him: “He said he’s never forgotten how much fun he had at [a sock hop], and by planning one, he hoped to create lasting memories for others.”

This story originally appeared in the Kokomo Perspective in December 2018.

Do you have news?

Member Connected News is a new regular column on PAGES, a Techniques blog. Here is where we highlight the buzz about career and technical education. If you have something exceptional (or exceptionally cool) to share about your program, school, school district or organization, send it in! You might be featured next!

Refine welding techniques with Miller AugmentedArc

Posted on January 1, 1970April 22, 2024 by acte

This content is sponsored by Miller Electric Mfg. LLC.

When it comes to welding training, you need a tool that will not only engage your students but be a useful hands-on teaching method to enhance the learning curve.

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