ACTE Announces New Jersey Director as National Award Finalist

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 28, 2018

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

ACTE Announces New Jersey Director as National Award Finalist

ALEXANDRIA, VA—Today, the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) announced Leonard T. Szczawinski, Director of Curriculum in Wayne, New Jersey, as the 2018 ACTE Region I Administrator of The Year. This award recognizes administrative CTE professionals at the school, district, county, state or federal level who have demonstrated leadership in ensuring teacher and student success and have made significant contributions toward innovative, unique and effective career and technical education programs.

Leonard “Ted” Szczawinski has long worked to improve career and technical education opportunities for students. At Passaic County Technical Institute (PCTI), Szczawinski worked collaboratively with a team of conscientious administrators to plan, design and develop a new CTE STEM school focused on engineering, biomedical sciences and computer science. The school opened for students in grades seven and eight this fall.

Szczawinski partnered with Passaic Public Schools (PPS) to implement a high-quality CTE engineering program funded through a New Jersey State Department of Education grant. As the project director, Szczawinski and the PPS team identified an immediate need for student recruitment, staff development and to foster an effective professional learning community. Together they worked to design a cutting-edge career pathway that would attract and engage students.

An advisory board made up of industry leaders and employers, students, parents and educators was formed to guide implementation and curate job-shadowing, mentorship and other such opportunities for student employment. Szczawinski strongly believes in collaboration and has worked to develop a program that provides support to the administrative team, guidance staff, instructors and students so they can all grow personally and professionally.

Szczawinski is one of 5 finalists for the 2019 national title. The national winner will be announced at the ACTE Awards Banquet, a dinner and award presentation recognizing the best CTE educators in the country. The event will take place on Wednesday evening, November 28, during ACTE’s CareerTech VISION 2018 in San Antonio, TX. The Awards Banquet is sponsored by Express Employment Professionals, the US Army, 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.