ACTE Announces Minnesota Teacher as National Award Finalist

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 23, 2019

Contact: Jarrod Nagurka
jnagurka@acteonline.org, 703-683-9312

ACTE Announces Minnesota Teacher as National Award Finalist

ALEXANDRIA, VA—Today, the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) announced Katherine Lechleitner, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator at Shakopee High School in Shakopee, Minnesota, as the 2019 ACTE Region III New Teacher of the Year. This award recognizes new career and technical education (CTE) teachers who have made significant contributions toward innovative and unique CTE programs and shown a professional commitment early in their careers.

Lechleitner has been teaching Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) in Minnesota for five years. She currently teaches at Shakopee High School, a comprehensive high school for grades 9-12. Lechleitner teaches courses in Culinary Foods, Baking and Pastry, Nutrition, and Interior Design. She is highly motivated to prepare her students for life skills and future careers. Lechleitner is dedicated to providing high-quality CTE, along with Career and Technical Education Student Organization opportunities. Utilizing the national FCS Standards and the MN FCS frameworks, Lechleitner has developed engaging curriculum with a wide variety of learning activities in her courses. The ServSafe Food Handler certification, required in today’s foodservice industry, is embedded in her Foods classes. She has also adopted the National Restaurant Association Education Foundation’s ProStart curriculum. Classroom activities include higher level culinary industry skills including cuts of meat, mother sauces, knife skills, food plating and presentation, pastry making, and cake decorating. In her Interior Design courses, Lechleitner provides an industry recognized Elements and Principles of Design curriculum and inspires students to create design boards for potential future clients.

In addition to ProStart, over the years, Lechleitner has been an active member and Adviser of FCCLA (Family, Career, Community Leaders of America)-HERO, FCCLA and MN Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (MAFCS). She has joined the MNACTE group to help on the planning committee for the ACTE Region III Conference in MN in 2020.

Lechleitner is one of five finalists for the 2020 national title. The national winner will be announced at the ACTE Awards Gala, a dinner and award presentation recognizing the best CTE educators in the country. The event will take place on Wednesday evening, December 4, during ACTE’s CareerTech VISION 2019 in Anaheim, CA. The Awards Gala is sponsored by Express Employment Professionals, Goodheart-Willcox, CareerSafe, and Stratasys. For more information about the ACTE Excellence Awards, visit our webpage.

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About ACTE
The Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) is the nation’s largest not-for-profit association committed to the advancement of education that prepares youth and adults for successful careers. ACTE represents the community of CTE professionals, including educators, administrators, researchers, school counselors, guidance and career development professionals and others at all levels of education. ACTE is committed to excellence in providing advocacy, public awareness and access to resources, professional development and leadership opportunities.