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Spring Quarterly Newsletter

Greetings, Region III Members!

The end is near.

Can you feel it?

Is it causing you anxiety? Stress?

Or are you feeling joy and excitement?!

I am referring to the close of another school year, of course! As you plan for all the exciting things happening this summer (like the Region III Conference), I hope you cherish your role in students’ CTE journeys. To all the CTE educators across the region, I want to thank you for the difficult work you do with, and for students every day. It is challenging and rewarding work! Have a fantastic end of the school year.

I hope to see you at our Region III Conference from June 12–14 at the Historic Crowne Plaza Hotel in Indianapolis, Indiana. You can find details about registration and booking your hotel here. We really want to see you there!

On another note, if you are interested in serving ACTE and Region III, there are opportunities for members in Minnesota, Illinois, or Indiana. There are open positions for 2024-25 on the Region III Policy Committee and representatives from Region III on the ACTE Audit Review and Nominating committees. Seek out the leaders in your state to express interest, or let me know and I can connect you with the right person.

See you soon!

Brandon Russell

VP, ACTE Region III

The State of CTE: News from Across Region III

Illinois ACTE held its 94th Annual Conference in February in Springfield, Illinois. Sixty-five professional breakout sessions were available over the two-day conference. Forty-three exhibitors participated in the conference as well. The IACTE award winners were announced during the IACTE Conference. The following individual awards were presented:

Administrator of the Year – Kyle Burritt

Lifetime Achievement – Cindy Stover

Teacher of the Year – Debra Eungard

Carl Pekins Community Service – Regina Birch

New Teacher of the Year – Rebecca Merrill

Plans are moving forward for IACTE July summer professional development focused on new and nearly new teachers.

Indiana ACTE is working hard on delivering a fabulous Region III Conference to be held here in Indianapolis, IN. For more information, visit the Indiana ACTE website here. The state association is also planning the Fall Conference for Indiana ACTE members to be held Sept.12–14. Individuals and teams are invited to submit proposals for educational sessions by Friday, May 3. For more information click here. Indiana had an excellent turnout of participants for ACTE’s National Policy Seminar and managed to visit all of the Indiana legislators while on the hill. Indiana ACTE is also currently looking for a new Executive Director and hopes to have someone in place by May. 

Iowa ACTE took four CTSO students to Arlington, VA/Washington D.C. to attend the ACTE National Policy Seminar March 17–21. It was an amazing learning adventure and a packed agenda. The students and their CTSO organizations could not have represented Iowa ACTE in a better light. The state association received MANY compliments on the students, their professionalism, and the appreciation for Iowa in bringing them to the conference. “After one trip to ACTE’s NPS, I strongly feel that the opportunity that Iowa ACTE provides our youth and CTE leaders is something that is strongly needed, and each student will take with them in their future, whatever that may be,” said Kristen Bandy, Executive Director of Iowa ACTE.

A few sights observed in this experience:

• Two students taking the initiative to go back in after we had finished our legislative visits (multiple times) and ask about possible internship possibilities, both in Washington D.C. and Iowa

• One student was asked to consider joining the National CTSO organization in a leadership role, ensuring he had contact information for the correct people when he returned home

• Four students coming to life when approached by anyone asking them about their CTSO story and how CTE programs have affected their lives.

• Four students professionally and proudly talking to legislators about four specific needs that Iowa CTE programs need their support in.

Our CTE and CTSO students are the ones who need to learn the importance of legislative actions and how to maneuver that world. They will be the leaders of something when they graduate!

In other news, Iowa ACTE's annual conference will be held in Altoona, Iowa on June 18. We would welcome any Region III ACTE members to see what we are up to in Iowa! We have listened to our members and have revamped our conference to include an interactive format. Please see the link for more information: IACTE Conference Flyer 

Missouri ACTE is working hard to get its Joint Summer Conference planned and ready for over 1,000 expected attendees from July 22–25 in Springfield, Missouri. MoACTE’s Executive Director, Karen Mason, and the planning committee are doing an amazing job, and we look forward to another record-breaking summer conference. The state association's communication committee has implemented some new procedures to help boost their social media presence. Due to these efforts, more people are hearing about the great things happening in Missouri ACTE than ever before.

Wisconsin is gearing up to host the ACTE Work-Based Learning conference from May 1–3, offering professionals in CTE, specifically CTE Work Based Learning, a platform to explore strategies and collaborate. This event, set against the backdrop of Milwaukee, promises a dynamic platform for professionals in CTE to explore innovative strategies, share success stories, and forge impactful collaborations. A highlight of the pre-conference activities includes a special social event on the evening of April 30 at the famed Milwaukee Brewers baseball game. This informal gathering offers attendees an excellent opportunity to network, exchange ideas, and immerse themselves in the spirit of collaboration before diving into the conference sessions.

Looking forward, Wisconsin members anticipate the ACTE Region III conference in June in Indianapolis, acknowledging the diligent efforts of Indiana ACTE's efforts in organizing what promises to be an exceptional gathering. These conferences serve as important forums for CTE professionals from across the region to engage in discussions, gain valuable insights, and collectively contribute to advancing CTE initiatives and best practices.

We look forward to seeing you in a couple of weeks at the Work Based Learning Conference and or in two months at the Region III Conference!

From ACTE

The Early Bird Gets the Best VISION Rates



ACTE’s CareerTech VISION is the must-attend event for career and technical education (CTE) professionals! Happening Dec. 4–7 in San Antonio, Texas, VISION offers attendees:

• Hundreds of concurrent sessions covering high-quality secondary and postsecondary CTE
• Inspirational keynote speakers sharing innovations in CTE
• CareerTech Expo with hundreds of exhibits, workshops and live demonstrations
• Numerous networking opportunities to forge meaningful professional connections with educators and industry leaders

Register by July 31 for the best rates!

Calling all Postsecondary CTE Professionals!

ACTE’s Postsecondary CTE Summit happens Sept. 18–20 in Chicago, Illinois, and we hope to see you there! Tackling critical issues in postsecondary CTE, this event addresses apprenticeship models, best practices related to faculty recruitment and retention, and strategies for securing business partnerships. Interested in presenting? The deadline to submit you presentation proposals is May 17.

Call for ACTE Board of Director Nominations

As a member of ACTE's board of directors, you have the opportunity to determine the direction of the Association and make an impact on CTE programs, professionals and students nationwide. ACTE encourages you to apply for one of several open board positions. Applications are due June 15.

Boutique Event for CTE Administrators

Join us this Oct. 9–11 in Portland, Oregon for ACTE’s and NCLA’s Best Practices and Innovations in CTE Conference with focused content on strengthening the field for CTE administrators of both secondary and postsecondary CTE programs and institutions.

Delivering $2,500 in Scholarship Money

Encourage students and adult learners, ages 18–35, to apply for the Horatio Alger Association Career and Technical Education Scholarship, worth up to $2,500 to pursue CTE. The application is open now through June 17. To request a presentation to students or educators please email Julia Kasper at jkasper@acteonline.org.

Student Trophy Design Contest

Encourage your students to participate ACTE’s Student Trophy Design Contest. The winning trophy will be 3D-printed by Stratasys and presented to the 10 national award winners at the ACTE Awards Gala, happening Dec. 4 at CareerTech VISION in San Antonio, Texas. The winning team will receive a $1,000 scholarship, a free one-year lease of a 3D printer for the winner’s school, courtesy of Stratasys, and more! The deadline for design submissions is May 1.

Now Accepting Impact Awards Applications

The ACTE Impact Awards recognize groups and individuals from the education, business and industry communities who contribute to the improvement and promotion CTE. The deadline to apply for the Impact awards, the Business-Education Partnership Award and the Champion for CTE Award, is June 30.

New Teach CTE Workshop 

ACTE’s Teach CTE initiative focuses on addressing teacher recruitment and retention challenges and preparing tomorrow’s CTE teaching workforce. To support this effort, ACTE is pleased to offer an upcoming Teach CTE workshop — Developing Customized CTE Educator Retention, Professional Learning and Support Programs — at the ACTE Region III Leadership Conference in Indianapolis, Indiana, on June 12, 9:00 a.m.–3:30 p.m. Cost to attend is $225 and includes lunch.