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Winter Quarterly News Update

Greetings Work-Based Learning Division Members!

Welcome to 2025! I love the excitement and energy that comes with the start of a new year. This can also be a busy time of year for work-based learning (WBL) professionals as we work to find placements and set up experiences for a new semester of students. I wish you all the best in your efforts to help students connect learning to careers.

Join the next WBL Monthly Webinar focused on “Maximizing Your Advisory Board's Impact”

Jan. 23 @ 3:00 p.m. ET - Register here.

Register for ACTE's upcoming Work-Based Learning Conference happening April 2-4 in Bellevue, Washington. Our fastest growing annual conference is again packed with opportunities to network and learn from WBL professionals across the country. With over 60 sessions presented by fellow WBL professionals, two pre-conference workshops and industry tours to be added soon, this will be an event you won’t want to miss. Learn more and register here!

Send in your success stories! For the spring WBL Division newsletter, we would like to again highlight the awesome work you are doing. Please email me your articles, videos, and websites that showcase the work you and your students are doing, so we can celebrate together!

Best regards,

Jan Jardine

VP, ACTE Work-Based Learning Division

WBL Division News

Upcoming WBL Division Webinar

Jan. 23 @ 3:00 p.m. ET - Maximizing Your Advisory Board's Impact

Feb. 20 @ 3:00 p.m. ET - WBL for All: Support for Special Needs and Related Services

March 20 @ 3:00 p.m. ET - Getting Industry Buy-in for WBL

If you have webinar ideas or would like to be part of a future panel, contact Sapph Espinoza at sapph.espinoza@cobbk12.org.

Join Us at Our Annual WBL Conference  

Happening April 2–4 at the Hyatt Bellevue on Seattle’s Eastside in Bellevue, Washington: the ACTE Work-Based Learning (WBL) Conference 2025! ACTE’s fastest growing event offers focused professional development for WBL professionals in secondary and postsecondary CTE programs and institutions.  

Key topics 

• Partnership engagement and relationship management 
• Equitable access to WBL opportunities 
• Compliance with insurance and worker’s compensation-related laws and regulations   
• Internships, job shadows and apprenticeships 
• New and innovative WBL initiatives
• WBL advocacy and learning how to market and grow your program 

Join the WBL Community of Practice

Connect with other work-based learning division members to share ideas, access resources and stay up-to-date on what’s happening in the division.

Contact mconner@acteonline.org for more information.

Submit a Nomination for the Business-Education Partnership Award

Take time to recognize the amazing business partners that make work-based learning possible for you and your students. Submit your nomination by June 30.

GET INVOLVED WITH THE ACTE WBL DIVISION!

YOU are what makes the WBL Division strong! Consider getting involved with a committee, submitting a presentation proposal, sharing success stories, etc.

Please email Jan Jardine, WBL Division VP, if you are interested.

From ACTE

ACTE Announces Board of Directors 2025 Election Results

ACTE recently held its board of directors’ election, which was open to the Association’s membership of approximately 28,000 CTE professionals. We sincerely thank all of the candidates for their dedication and willingness to serve the Association. Congratulations to the newly elected Board members:

• Brandon Russell, President-Elect
• Jonathan Walker, Business Education Division Vice President
• Michael Herrera, Region I Vice President-Elect
• Michael Ogas, Region IV Vice President-Elect
• Robert Torres, President (appointed by the ACTE Board of Directors)
• Lavyne Rada, Agricultural Education Division Vice President (appointed by the ACTE Board of Directors)

Celebrate CTE Month!

Generously sponsored by NAHB

Each year in February, we celebrate professionals like you and educate the public about the importance of career and technical education (CTE). Here are some ways to get involved!

• Share our CTE social media messages by following ACTE @actecareertech and @actecareertech1 on Instagram, and then share your own success stories on social media with #CTEMonth.
• Download graphic resources, including the CTE Month logo, available in English and in Spanish, for use with any of your print and digital outreach.
•  Gear up with festive CTE Month merchandise. 

Submit Your Session Proposals for VISION 2025!

Join your peers at ACTE’s largest annual conference of the year for CTE professionals! ACTE’s CareerTech VISION 2025 will take place Dec. 10–13 at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center in Nashville, Tennessee. We are seeking session proposals that address high-quality secondary and postsecondary CTE and showcase program innovations, stories of successful collaborations and the most pressing issues facing CTE professionals today. The deadline to submit session proposals is March 15.

Raise Awareness for CTE at NPS 

Join CTE professionals from across the nation to voice your vision on policy and programming. Attend ACTE’s National Policy Seminar (NPS), happening March 16–19 in Arlington, Virginia.  

• Engage on key federal education policy priorities. 
• Influence federal policies related to CTE advocacy and messaging. 
• Participate in Capitol Hill visits. 
• Hear from featured keynote speaker Melanie Zanona, senior congressional reporter for Punchbowl News.

Register by Feb. 16 to secure early bird rates. 

CTE Educators: Encourage Your Students to Enter ACTE’s Student Design Contests!

This year, ACTE is delighted to host three student design and video contests:

• CTE Month-NASA HUNCH Student Video Challenge: The theme for this year is “What is Artemis?” Encourage your students to create and submit videos, two minutes or less in length, by April 1.
• Student Merch Design Contest: In honor of ACTE’s 100th anniversary in 2026, we invite students to submit original artwork for a chance to be featured on our official centennial merchandise! Entries are due by May 1.
• Student Trophy Design Contest: Have your students design the 3D-printed trophies for ACTE’s prestigious Excellence Awards. Submissions are due by May 1.

Encourage your students to showcase their creativity and talent in these exciting contests!

Apply for the Achieve 100 Award  

ACTE's Achieve 100 Award is presented to schools and institutions that achieve 100% membership among their CTE staff and faculty. This is a distinguished award that showcases an organization's dedication and commitment to career and technical education. Applications are due Feb. 1.