Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) Conference

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Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) Conference

The Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) welcomed over 8,000 attendees, which was held at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center in Nashville, Tennessee. The ACTE conference gave career educators an opportunity to discover new approaches, find solutions to shared challenges, share best practices with colleagues, and leave with constructive new ideas to take back to their schools. Chef Jeff Henderson, South Central Los Angeles native and award-winning chef, opened this year’s Convention as the Opening General Session speaker.

During this conference a groundbreaking event occurred. A new strand of ACTE, Career Academy Division, was introduced and attended by over 350 stakeholders. This strand is designed to provide the foundation and philosophy behind career academies and to examine a systematic approach on how to convert a Career and Technical Education (CTE) program into a career academy. During this time period, the first career academy policy meeting took place where the new operating policies were approved. Constance Scotchel-Gross, Manager, Career Education, and Susan Katzman, President of the National Career Academy Coalition (NCAC) and National Consultant, were named as co-chairs in establishing the Career Academy Division of ACTE and will continue next year.

In the afternoon, a session was held on “Strategies for Moving CTE Programs into Career Academies,” presented by Constance Scotchel-Gross, Susan Katzman, and William Taylor from the National Academy Foundation (NAF). With tremendous interest and many questions on how CTE programs become career academies, a discussion was held on differences and strategies to begin a career academy. Constance later in the afternoon presented “Palm Beach’s Strategic Plans for Career Academies for the 21st Century” and how community involvement is crucial for success of an academy.

Atlantic High School Principal Dr. Kathleen Weigel and Career Academy Coordinator Jerry Crocilla spoke to conference participants on “Meeting Community Needs through Career Academies.” During this session, they described how Atlantic High School meets community needs, identify and resolve issues that become part of the curriculum, and being sure that the career academy reflects the real world.

Constance Scotchel-Gross and Career Education Specialist Miguel Benavente presented on “Career Academies-Health Care and Medical Science Academies.” This session described how Palm Beach County has developed a variety of career academies targeted at health care and medical science. Participants learned how the sequenced curriculum works, how relationships with hospitals and health care providers are established, and especially how students are blossoming from the experiential components both within and outside the classroom.
Palm Beach Central High School senior Maurico Escobar, chaperoned by CTE Advisor, Tammy Skinner, manned the Future Business Leaders of America booth in the Career Tech Expo. Maurico had the opportunity to speak with the business and marketing teachers on behalf of all career education student organizations at a breakout session. As part of the opening and closing sessions, Maurico had an opportunity to talk personally to both Chef Jeff Henderson and Mr. Stedman Graham.

Mr. Stedman Graham, a businessman, educator, writer and speaker who focuses on maximizing leadership, achieving success, and embracing diversity, closed the general session. At the General Session on Saturday, Mr. Graham shared his leadership insights and tips that will not only help career and technical education professionals themselves, but will also get them thinking about their roles as mentors and educators.

Constance said, “The ACTE Conference was an informative experience, sharing ideas, and leaving with a sense of purpose to take back to our teachers about how we can assist our students assimilate their classroom experience into the real world they soon will be entering.”

South Florida University Professor Victor Hernandez, Maurico Escobar, Constance Scotchel-Gross

The Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) welcomed over 8,000 attendees, which was held at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center in Nashville, Tennessee. The ACTE conference gave career educators an opportunity to discover new approaches, find solutions to shared challenges, share best practices with colleagues, and leave with constructive new ideas to take back to their schools. Chef Jeff Henderson, South Central Los Angeles native and award-winning chef, opened this year’s Convention as the Opening General Session speaker.

During this conference a groundbreaking event occurred. A new strand of ACTE, Career Academy Division, was introduced and attended by over 350 stakeholders. This strand is designed to provide the foundation and philosophy behind career academies and to examine a systematic approach on how to convert a Career and Technical Education (CTE) program into a career academy. During this time period, the first career academy policy meeting took place where the new operating policies were approved. Constance Scotchel-Gross, Manager, Career Education, and Susan Katzman, President of the National Career Academy Coalition (NCAC) and National Consultant, were named as co-chairs in establishing the Career Academy Division of ACTE and will continue next year.

In the afternoon, a session was held on “Strategies for Moving CTE Programs into Career Academies,” presented by Constance Scotchel-Gross, Susan Katzman, and William Taylor from the National Academy Foundation (NAF). With tremendous interest and many questions on how CTE programs become career academies, a discussion was held on differences and strategies to begin a career academy. Constance later in the afternoon presented “Palm Beach’s Strategic Plans for Career Academies for the 21st Century” and how community involvement is crucial for success of an academy.

Atlantic High School Principal Dr. Kathleen Weigel and Career Academy Coordinator Jerry Crocilla spoke to conference participants on “Meeting Community Needs through Career Academies.” During this session, they described how Atlantic High School meets community needs, identify and resolve issues that become part of the curriculum, and being sure that the career academy reflects the real world.

Constance Scotchel-Gross and Career Education Specialist Miguel Benavente presented on “Career Academies-Health Care and Medical Science Academies.” This session described how Palm Beach County has developed a variety of career academies targeted at health care and medical science. Participants learned how the sequenced curriculum works, how relationships with hospitals and health care providers are established, and especially how students are blossoming from the experiential components both within and outside the classroom.
Palm Beach Central High School senior Maurico Escobar, chaperoned by CTE Advisor, Tammy Skinner, manned the Future Business Leaders of America booth in the Career Tech Expo. Maurico had the opportunity to speak with the business and marketing teachers on behalf of all career education student organizations at a breakout session. As part of the opening and closing sessions, Maurico had an opportunity to talk personally to both Chef Jeff Henderson and Mr. Stedman Graham.

Mr. Stedman Graham, a businessman, educator, writer and speaker who focuses on maximizing leadership, achieving success, and embracing diversity, closed the general session. At the General Session on Saturday, Mr. Graham shared his leadership insights and tips that will not only help career and technical education professionals themselves, but will also get them thinking about their roles as mentors and educators.

Constance said, “The ACTE Conference was an informative experience, sharing ideas, and leaving with a sense of purpose to take back to our teachers about how we can assist our students assimilate their classroom experience into the real world they soon will be entering.”

South Florida University Professor Victor Hernandez, Maurico Escobar, Constance Scotchel-Gross