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Summer Quarterly News Update

Greetings Region IV Members,

I hope the summer months have brought you the relaxation and rejuvenation needed to kick off a fantastic 2024-25 school year. Regardless of when your school begins, this time of the year always brings a sense of excitement and energy to career and technical education (CTE) professionals. 

The last few months have been busy with national conferences, CTSO nationals, state conferences and hopefully a vacation. I was fortunate to be able to attend the Arkansas ACTE Conference in July and of course the Oklahoma ACTE Summit in August. Headlining both conferences were, of course, member awards, breakout sessions and great presentations on artificial intelligence in the CTE world. Our state conferences are vital to the success of our region and I look forward to attending the Texas state conference next year. 

In July, the ACTE Board of Directors had our meeting in Alexandria, Virginia. We welcomed the following new board members from Region IV: Brooke Kusch-Oklahoma-Counseling & Career Development, LaDonna Selvidge-Oklahoma-Health Science Education, and Shawn Freie-Oklahoma-Postsecondary Adult & Career Education. I can report that not only is membership strong in Region IV, it is as well across the nation. The association is fiscally sound and the ACTE Board of Directors are determined to continue moving the association forward and championing CTE efforts and advocacy across the nation and beyond. 

I look forward to seeing you all in San Antonio, Texas for ACTE 's CareerTech VISION this Dec. 4–7. Additionally, please mark your calendars for our 2025 ACTE Region IV Conference in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, happening April 23–25. You will not want to miss out on this conference and location. 

Please check out all of the many opportunities to become involved in ACTE at the regional or national level below. ACTE is only as strong as our members' involvement and your participation is essential to the continued growth we are experiencing with CTE.  Have a fantastic start to your school year!

Sincerely,

Michael Culwell

ACTE Region IV Vice President

Region IV News

From ACTE

Don’t Miss the CTE Event of the Year!

Happening this Dec. 4–7 in San Antonio, Texas, ACTE’s CareerTech VISION is the must-attend event for CTE professionals!

• Gather with your peers and grow professionally.
• Learn via hundreds of concurrent high-quality CTE sessions that address the full range of issues facing CTE
• Ignite your inspiration while you learn from innovative keynote speakers and leaders on our main stage.
• Explore the CareerTech Expo, which features hundreds of exhibits, workshops and demonstrations.
• Kick-start your event experience with pre-conference workshops and tours on focused CTE topics.
• Celebrate the extraordinary contributions of CTE professionals, programs and organizations at the ACTE Awards Gala.

Register by Oct. 13 to take advantage of discounted rates!

Extend Your VISION Experience with Catapult Masterclasses

Join us for a CareerTech VISION special offer! Gain transformative insights and increased support for your programs through Catapult’s masterclasses. Equipping you with the tools to advance career-connected learning and CTE, Catapult makes education relevant for your students. Choose from the following on-demand masterclasses and receive content access for five months. ACTE members who attend VISION will receive a 10% discount on each masterclass!

• Career Readiness
• Employer Partnerships
• Instructional Excellence
• Student Recruitment and Marketing
• Work-based learning

Click the button to learn more and sign up via CareerTech VISION registration.

Calling All Postsecondary CTE Professionals

Join us at ACTE’s Postsecondary CTE Summit, happening Sept. 18–20 in Chicago, Illinois, to address: promising practices and emerging technologies; building community partnerships; the future of teaching and learning in postsecondary CTE; data interpretation, and more! Don’t miss this must-attend event for postsecondary CTE professionals to ensure your students are successful in their educational journeys and beyond!

Boutique Event for CTE Administrators

Join us this Oct. 9–11 in Portland, Oregon, for the Best Practices and Innovations in CTE Conference, from ACTE and the National Council of Local Administrators. This event offers focused content on strengthening the field for CTE administrators of both secondary and postsecondary CTE programs and institutions. Check out the program lineup, including keynote speakers, pre-conference workshops and tours!

Deadline to Submit Applications for ACTE’s Leadership Programs

Apply by Sept. 30

ACTE’s premier leadership programs provide CTE professionals opportunities to enhance their leadership potential through the following three yearlong programs.

• ACTE National Leadership Fellowship: Fellows will receive a $1,500 stipend and complimentary registration to ACTE’s CareerTech VISION and National Policy Seminar.

• NextLevel Postsecondary CTE Fellowship: This nationally recognized program is now a registration-based initiative. Registration fees for accepted applicants will be $3,000 (not including lodging or travel for in-person events).

• IAED Mentorship Program, sponsored by IMAGO: Participants will receive complimentary registration to ACTE’s CareerTech VISION and free access to IMAGO’s intelligence learning platform content.

The deadline to apply for these leadership programs is Sept. 30.

Affinity Groups to Support You!

This fall, ACTE is launching a series of all-new affinity groups designed to support CTE professionals with common identities, interests or experiences in building community. It is our goal that these groups will serve as platforms on which members engage in mentoring relationships and have discussions aimed at personal and professional growth.

• Asian CTE Professionals
• Black CTE Professionals
• CTE Professionals w/Disabilities
• Hispanic CTE Professionals
• LGBTQ+ CTE Professionals
• Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) CTE Professionals
• Women in CTE Leadership
• Young CTE Professionals (Under 40)

To learn more, contact Candice Mott.