As loyal CTE Policy Watch readers may already know, ACTE Legislative and Public Affairs Manager Sean Lynch recently conducted a media tour of programs in central Illinois to raise awareness of successful CTE programs in the area.
The final day of the ACTE Illinois media tour began in Princeville, Illinois. This small community boasts a great offering of CTE programs in 12 course areas, including fashion, culinary arts and mechanics. We began by visiting a FACS program for 7th and 8th grade students, where the culinary arts curriculum was carefully designed to teach students not only the fundamentals of safe, sanitary and effective food preparation, but also group work and the science of nutrition.
Later, we visited the school’s agricultural mechanics classroom. John Deere donated engines from agricultural equipment for students to examine and work on, which provides them with the basics of engine design and machining as well as advanced literacy skills in parsing advanced technical manuals. Students in the class have gone on to careers in agriculture-related fields, but often also apply their skills in other mechanical settings outside of agricultural equipment.
The local FFA organization has a strong presence at Princeville, which helps the school to align its curriculum in CTE programs to the local workforce needs – 25 percent of Illinois jobs are based in agriculture, and it’s a pervasive part of local culture. Students from FFA and the broader CTE community work to raise and sell plants every year in the school’s greenhouse, which members of the local community can come to purchase. In the last year, this effort raised more than $36,000, all of which was invested in the FFA chapter and general community development.
Later in the day, we visited Manual High School and Woodruff Career and Technical Center. Both located in Peoria, Illinois, they prepare students for careers that are in demand in their communities. Students at Manual High School can pursue courses in health careers, pre-K child development and human services, as well as architectural drafting and metals.
Students in these CTE programs gain valuable insight into how they can apply their academic coursework in college and careers, while also obtaining advanced technical skills. One such example is Manual’s industrial technology program, wherein students work in teams to construct Adirondack chairs with industry-grade technical equipment. The students then use their entrepreneurial skills to develop a sales plan for the chairs, which can be purchased by members of the community. These students complete their education with foundational knowledge in a range of engineering and business topics, which many of them apply in postsecondary educational settings at two- or four-year institutions.
Another theme in successful CTE programs in Peoria is the attainment of industry-recognized, valued credentials or licenses upon completion. One example of such a program is Woodruff’s cosmetology program, which teaches the students advanced STEM curriculum through the lens of cosmetology topics. Students in this class learn everything from the molecular chemistry of hair dye to the levels of matter, and can sit for their state board licensure upon completion of their studies, which enables them to work in a salon or start their own business.
“We have students who go on to college and work in a salon while they obtain additional education after they graduate,” said instructor Demetra Bolden. Through CTE, her students have opened doors to career opportunities that will benefit them throughout their professional lives.
The media tour provided me with a remarkable opportunity to learn more about the diverse courses available in Illinois, and to see firsthand their shared power in preparing students for career success. To learn more about how you can organize your own public awareness activities, visit ACTE’s Targeting the Media page in the Action Center – and keep an eye out for ACTE’s guide to organizing your own media tour, coming soon!
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