We’re excited to celebrate Black History Month and Career and Technical Education Month in February! At NAF, we work to ensure that all students, regardless of their background, have the necessary opportunities to be successful in today’s and tomorrow’s workforce. Employer partners and advisory boards play a key role in supporting our students, and a few powerful examples are highlighted this month.

Speaking of powerful examples, now is the perfect time to highlight advisory board members who exemplify service to their academies and their community: nominations for the NAF Next 2024 Advisory Board Champion Awards are now open!

How You Can Celebrate Black History Month

• Check out NAF's learning resource on Black History Month.
• This webpage from PBS contains several lesson plans that can be used in a classroom setting, and board members could be great guest speakers.
• In the classroom, highlight local Black figures or advisory board members and have the students learn more about their careers.

Have you ever heard a student ever ask, “why I am learning this material?” NAF academies build practical, technical, and durable skills in students and provide opportunities for students to learn about careers. One of our partners, ACTE, has several Sector Sheets, ACTE Fact Sheets, that describe several STEM industries, career paths, and possible salary options. This information can also be shared with advisory board members to illustrate how CTE supports specific industries and prepares students for career success.

Nominations for the NAF Next 2024 Advisory Board Champion Awards are now open! This award is a fantastic way to honor an advisory board member who has exercised extraordinary leadership to provide life-changing opportunities for students. Previous winners have partnered on workforce initiatives, fully supported academy development, provided impactful WBL experiences and internships, and ensured all students are prepared for college, career, and future success. Deadline to submit is March 15.

Applicants are encouraged to self-nominate or nominate a peer, alumni, or friend.

NAF Launches ODIS

Traditionally in education, student need is measured by eligibility for free and reduced-price lunch, but a stronger picture of what challenges are faced by school communities is needed. That's why we created ODIS, a free, first-of-its-kind open data resource, to help address this issue. Access ODIS →

Connect with NAF’s Advisory Board Members on LinkedIn!

Celebrate and share work-based learning opportunities for high school students.