Some may remember our story about Sitka's Fabrication and Design lab back in 2013. Where are they now? Turns out, still doing great things for Alaska CTE! Read our latest success story on our Celebrate Success page, where Sitka's Mary Wegner talks about the challenges and rewards of bringing 21st Century fabrication and pedagogy models to rural Alaska CTE. Read the whole story here!
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The Alaska Association for Career and Technical Education (Alaska ACTE) named the following CTE award winners at its annual awards luncheon on October 21, 2015. Congratulations to our outstanding CTE colleagues!
Promising Practice Award Camron Wyatt, Kenai Pennisula Borough School District Sponsor: Fairbanks Economic Development Corporation Community Contribution Award Kathleen Castle, Alaska Construction Academies Director Hospitality/Tourism Teacher of the Year Penny Schram-Browner, Palmer High School Industrial/Technology Teacher of the Year Justin Aulie, Colony High School Career Guidance Award Wendi Graham, West Valley High School Outstanding CTE Administrator of the Year Erich Kuball, Kuspuk School District Leadership Award Sara Battiest, UAF Interior Alaska Campus New CTE Teacher of the Year Brian "Kelly" Shaw, Hutchison High School Outstanding CTE Teacher of the Year Jerry Million, North Pole High School UAS Juneau is offering a scholarship for their Introduction Mining class, a three-credit university course. The Introduction to Mining course covers a variety of topics in mining. It is designed specifically for students who are new to the industry, including those who may be looking to make a career change, get back to work, or who are interested in learning more about what it takes to have a rewarding career in mining. For accepted applicants, tuition will be covered for up to 20 local Juneau students, 30 distance-learning students, and 20 distance-learning students from across the state.
For more information, please contact Grant Assistant Lara Davis with UAS Professional Education at (907) 796-6045 or [email protected], or call instructor Steven Ziegenfuss at 796-6151. For more info on the course, see the attached packet with application. Alaska Governor Bill Walker has declared this week Apprenticeship Week in Alaska! Click here to view the full proclamation. Registered apprenticeships allow workers to learn a trade while getting paid, resulting in certifications in high-wage, high-growth industries. To find out more about apprenticeship opportunities in our great state, visit the Department of Labor & Workforce Development Apprenticeship site.
Deadline for Applications: 5:00 PM, November 9, 2015
Request Amount: Between $10,000 and $50,000 The Vocational Fund for Alaska’s Future (VFAF) grant program seeks applications from eligible organizations for projects that sharpen vocational skills and contribute to the competitiveness of Alaska’s natural resource and overall economy. Proposed projects should be focused on building skills of relevance to natural resource development industries such as oil & gas and mining. Projects that build and refine skills that are cross-cutting across a variety of industries and sectors will be especially competitive. Eligible applicants include 501(c)(3) nonprofit or equivalent organizations located in the state of Alaska. Equivalent organizations may include tribes, schools, churches, local government agencies and programs. Details here. The Real World Design Challenge is a free annual high school competition run by a public-private partnership with the goal of sustainably increasing the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) workforce. Teams of 3-7 secondary school students design a plane (this year an Unmanned Aerial System) to accomplish a specific task. Each team is supported by professional mentors. The Real World Design Challenge partners bring a broad base of resources and expertise from business, government, and academia. RWDC students have received recognition for their work from leaders in government, industry and education.
The Challenge is free to teachers and students. Each teacher gets $1 million in professional engineering software and teams get access to professional mentors. Thirty-nine governors have supported the “Governor’s Challenge” at the state level. There is no cost to the tax payers of the state. The national competition is held each year in Washington, D.C., and each student on the winning team will receive a $50,000 scholarship from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. The Challenge is “Real World” in the following ways:
Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Public Workforce Information and Planning Meetings10/16/2015
Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Public Workforce Information and Planning Meetings
The meetings will be held from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM as scheduled below: Tuesday, November 3, 2015 1:00 - 4:00 PM Centennial Hall Convention Center Ballroom 2 101 Egan Drive Juneau, Alaska 99801 Thursday, November 5, 2015 1:00 - 4:00 PM University of Alaska Butrovich Building Board of Regents Conference Room 109 910 Yukon Drive Fairbanks, Alaska 99701 Wednesday, November 18, 2015 1:00 - 4:00 PM William A Egan Civic & Convention Center Lower Level located in Summit Hall 555 West 5th Avenue Anchorage, Alaska 99501
The annual ACT College and Career Readiness Campaign celebrates achievement and creates awareness around the goal of college and career readiness for all. The Campaign recognizes exemplary college and career readiness efforts by employers, community colleges, high schools, and students in participating states. This is a national campaign, which culminates in both state exemplars and national exemplars.
The Alaska ACT Council is currently inviting applicants from across the state. If you know a student, high school, community college , and/or employer who are making a positive impact on their communities through their efforts to advance college and career readiness, we would love to hear from them! Applications are online and can be found here. The student who is named the Alaska Student Exemplar will be awarded a $500 scholarship, with the opportunity to move onto the semifinal and final stages, where the scholarships are $1,000 and $4,000, respectively. Deadline to apply is November 13, 2015. The September 2015 CTE Plan Quarterly Update is now available! Please click here to view or download the 3-page PDF document.
From the October 1, 2015 Press Release issued by the Alaska Department of Education & Early Development -
The U.S. Department of Education has honored Bear Valley Elementary School in Anchorage, Kaleidoscope School of Arts and Sciences in Kenai, and Mat-Su Career and Technical High School in Wasilla as Blue Ribbon Schools for 2015. The national award honors public and private elementary, middle, and high schools in two categories: 1) exemplary high-performing schools that are among their state’s highest-performing schools as measured by state assessments or nationally-normed tests; and 2) exemplary improving schools, . . . All three Alaska awardees were recognized as exemplary high-performing schools. Mat-Su Career and Technical High School serves approximately 460 students in grades 9-12. It is not a charter school, but students apply for entrance. Mat-Su CTHS’ application said: “Our instructional goal is that student learning is either hands-on or part of our guaranteed and viable curriculum. Academic courses share grading and content goals. Direct instruction, cooperative learning, differentiated instruction, and projectbased learning are seen in abundance every day in our classrooms. For the full Press Release, visit this link. In a recent article in Forbes, Nicholas Wyman states that 'the “college-for-everyone” mentality has pushed awareness of other possible career paths to the margins. The cost to the individuals and the economy as a whole is high. If we want everyone’s kid to succeed, we need to bring vocational education back to the core of high school learning.'
Read the entire article here. Please consider recognizing your colleagues through the annual Alaska ACTE awards. Award winners will be recognized at the annual CTE Professional Development Conference, October 19-21 in Anchorage.
Information on the Awards nomination process is detailed on the Alaska ACTE website. Please share this information with other CTE colleagues! Submit nominations on or before October 1, 2015 to Joni Simpson, [email protected]. The United States Department of Labor announced the recipients of $175 million in American Apprenticeship Grants, including the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development (DOLWD). One of 46 grantees, DOLWD received an award of $2.9 million over five years.
The Alaska project is focused on pre-apprenticeship training and the development of Registered Apprenticeships for the health care field, with a projected 450 new registered apprentices during the five years of the project. The Alaska Association for Career and Technical Education (Alaska ACTE) is soliciting nominations for its 2015-2016 awards. Nominations may be made by any Alaska ACTE member, and the deadline is October 1, 2015.
For more details, please visit the Alaska ACTE website or download the nomination instructions here. The Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Division of Employment and Training Services, is soliciting public comments on the draft Eligible Training Provider and Program List (ETPL) policy, procedural guide and applications.
The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) replaced the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA) on July 1, 2015. WIOA requires States to establish eligibility criteria, policy and procedures for initial and continued eligibility for training providers and their programs to be included on the State’s ETPL. WIOA emphasizes informed consumer choice, job-driven training, training provider performance and continuous improvement in performance achievement and accountability. A primary means WIOA employs to achieve these goals is through the ETPL. The ETPL is designed to gather and display useful information on training providers, their services, and the quality of their programs. It is a key piece of the State one-stop system and it must be made available to the public and specifically to individuals seeking information on training programs to be funded under WIOA title I-B programs. Comments on the draft ETPL policy, procedures and applications are due to the Division by 5:00 pm, September 15th and should be emailed to Shawna Harper, Program Coordinator II, at [email protected] . For more details and to download all related documents, please visit https://aws.state.ak.us/OnlinePublicNotices/Notices/View.aspx?id=177915. From EED's Information Exchange Newsletter, August 7, 2015
Register for the College Board Fall Counselor Workshop Registration is open for a free College Board Counselor Workshop that covers key information about the redesigned PSAT/NMSQT®, the redesigned SAT®, and how best to help your students move closer to college and career success. Attendees will receive a sample score report for the redesigned PSAT/NMSQT® and handouts to help students and parents understand the redesigned SAT® that Alaskan students may take March 2, 2016. See the Counselor Resource Guide to the Redesigned Assessments at https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/sites/default/files/counselor-resource-guide-to-the-redesigned-assessments.pdf?excmpid=EX-I90_24&ep_mid=11106786&ep_rid=32106079 The College Board recommends registering at least eight business days before the workshop so there will be enough materials on hand. Late and on-site registrants will be accommodated as space and resources permit. If you can't attend a workshop in your area, you can access an online workshops or on-demand webinars at your convenience. The workshops are September 2 at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, September 3 at the University of Alaska Southeast in Juneau, and an Anchorage workshop to be announced. If you have questions, please contact Norfina Joves, [email protected] ACT's 2015 College and Career Readiness Workshops are open for registration.
September 29 in Anchorage September 30 in Fairbanks Each workshop is about 3 hours long and is provided at no charge for educators, principals, school counselors, district testing coordinators, and curriculum professionals. Workshop Schedule
For more details and to register, visit this page. A recent survey conducted by the national non-profit "Youth Truth" shows less than half of high school students feel well prepared for college and career, even though nearly 90% of them said their goal is to have a college degree and a career.
Read the full article here. View or download a one-page survey summary here. ACT is now accepting applications for its 2015-2016 College & Career Readiness Campaign honorees. Categories are: 1) High School Senior; 2) High School; 3) Community College; and 4) Employer. Alaska applications are due no later than November 13, 2015. Forms and other details are available on the ACT website at http://www.act.org/readinesscampaign/applications.html.  In a July 17, 2015 Education Week article, author Caralee J. Adams reports on efforts in a variety of states that focus on better career exploration and information for middle school students so that they might make informed choices in high school and beyond. For many, middle-school marks the time when they become disengaged in school or start "opting out" of certain careers, even without knowing much about those careers. Jason Cascarino, CEO of the non-profit SPARK, says "We need to meet middle school kids where they are. They are going through the process of identity formation and finding their place in the world.”
Some of the highlighted programs include mentorships with college students and the business community. For details on these programs, read the entire article here. By using simulators, Alaska's Goose Creek Correctional Center is providing heavy equipment training to inmates, which will provide them with a leg up on their quest for employment after their release. The training is based on NCCER standards, and is directly linked to construction career pathways at Ilisagvik College in Barrow.
For more details, view or download the PDF article here. The Juneau Empire reports on the Summer Boost Camp at UAS in Juneau, a pilot program sponsored by UAS and Alaska’s Learning Network. The program provides mentors for the students as well as featuring Native Alaskan leader guest speakers, in an effort to give the students a broader awareness of career opportunities.
Read the entire article here http://juneauempire.com/art/2015-06-17/college-prep-program-brings-rural-kids-uas. Top U.S.-Based Companies Launch the “100,000 Opportunities Initiative” to Create Pathways to Economic Opportunity for Young Americans. The companies, many of which have a presence in Alaska, include Alaska Airlines, Cintas, CVS Health, Hilton Worldwide, HMSHost, JCPenney, JPMorgan Chase, Lyft, Macy’s, Microsoft, Porch.com, Potbelly Sandwich Shop, Starbucks, Taco Bell, Target, Walgreens and Walmart.
According to the press release, "The coalition has the collective goal of engaging at least 100,000 Opportunity Youth – 16-24 year olds who face systemic barriers to jobs and education – by 2018 through apprenticeships, internships, training programs, and both part-time and full-time jobs." Read the entire Press Release. From the EED Info Exchange Newsletter, July 10, 2015:
Comment on Proposed Regulations Re: College and Career Readiness Assessments The State Board of Education & Early Development is seeking comment on proposed regulations to allow persons with certificates of achievement to take a college and career readiness assessment and receive a high school diploma. The department also proposes to clarify the circumstances in which students may waive college and career readiness assessments. The legislature has repealed the requirement that high school students take a college and career readiness assessment, but the new law does not go into effect until the 2016-2017 school year. There will be two graduating classes (Class of 2015 and Class of 2016) that could contain students who were denied a diploma only because they did not take a college and career readiness assessment. The proposed regulations give those students a path to a diploma. To see a summary and the complete proposed regulations, and to learn how to submit written and oral comments, go to https://education..alaska.gov/regs/comment.cfm. Written comments must be received no later than 4:30 p.m. on August 7. Also, you may submit written questions relevant to the proposed action to Eric Fry at [email protected] or Department of Education & Early Development, Attn: Eric Fry, 801 West Tenth Street, Suite 200, PO Box 110500, Juneau, Alaska 99811-0500. The questions must be received by 4:30 p.m. July 28, which is 10 days before the end of the public comment period. The department will aggregate its response to substantially similar questions and make the questions and responses available on https://education..alaska.gov/regs/comment.cfm. Opportunity for Oral Comment on Proposed Accountability Regulations The State Board of Education & Early Development will provide an additional opportunity for oral comment on proposed regulations related to school and educator accountability. The department proposes regulations to implement statewide student assessments, give school districts more time to implement educator evaluation regulations, and remove requirements that student learning data compose a certain percentage of educators’ evaluations. The proposed regulations were sent out for written comments in April and May. The board took oral comments at a hearing on June 4. However, the board did not act on the proposed regulations at that time. The proposed regulations are now on the agenda for an audio-conferenced board meeting on August 24. Consequently, the public is invited to submit oral comments at noon August 24. A summary of the proposed regulations, the complete text, and information on how to submit oral comments will be posted next week at https://education..alaska.gov/regs/comment.cfm. SkillsUSA NEWS RELEASE
Contact: Jane Short, SkillsUSA Phone: (703) 737-0612 Email: [email protected] Leah Morton, 18, Chugiak, a student at the King Career Center and an Alaska gold medalist in Commercial Baking was the recipient of a mikeroweWORKS Foundation scholarship to attend the SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference in Louisville, Ky., June 22-26. Mike Rowe, former host of the Discovery Channel's "Dirty Jobs" and current host of CNN's "Somebody's Got To Do It," created the foundation in 2008 to, in his words, "give something back and challenge the prevailing definition of a 'good job.' For decades, we have put a premium on a four-year degree, and told an entire generation that trade schools and skilled labor are alternatives to higher education. Hyperbole aside, the skills gap is real. Our infrastructure is crumbling. And, our country is scrambling to put itself back together." The scholarship provides support for SkillsUSA state contest winners who have insufficient personal resources to travel to and participate in the 2015 National SkillsUSA Championships. The total contribution this year was $95,000 - up from $50,000 in 2014 because of the generosity of not only mikeroweWORKS, but also DEWALT and Cisco Systems, Inc. This year's scholarship award amounts were determined by the geographic travel distance to Louisville, Kentucky. The winners will also have the opportunity to meet with a member of the mikeroweWORKS Foundation staff during the conference. This is the fifth consecutive year that the mikeroweWORKS Foundation, in partnership with SkillsUSA, has offered scholarships for SkillsUSA members who compete and place first in their state's SkillsUSA Championships and who otherwise would not be able to attend the national SkillsUSA Championships for financial reasons. The scholarship is awarded based on a student-written narrative describing the need for the scholarship and lack of school or community resources. A student may be nominated with a letter of recommendation written by his or her SkillsUSA advisor or the SkillsUSA state association director. This year, the mikeroweWORKS Foundation had a priority focus on high school and college/postsecondary students who are working toward careers in manufacturing, construction, automotive, engineering and STEM-related trade occupations. Since 2011, the mikeroweWORKS Foundation has provided scholarship support to 262 SkillsUSA students, representing an investment of more than $261,000 in America's future skilled workforce. |