Weingarten was also in Rio Rancho, N.M., this month, where she visited RioTECH for the third time in four years to see the transformation. It is now a career and technical education hub creating real opportunities for students. RioTECH has already proven its success with a 100 percent graduation rate for seniors.

  AFT CTE Educators Honored

• Linda Daniels, Ohio Federation of Teachers member, is a STEP (Students Transitioning to Employability with Purpose) instructor at Vanguard- Sentinel Career and Technology Centers, and her students led a project that recognized the school as a Model of Excellence by SkillsUSA. For the project, students in STEP built beds for children in need.

• Donald Mattoon, a welding and metal fabrication teacher from Capital Region BOCES, was recently chosen to be the American Welding Society District 6 Educator of the Year.  

                    Resources

AI in the CTE Classroom: Preparing Students for the Workforce

How can educators prepare students for careers shaped by artificial intelligence and emerging technologies? Watch this free, for-credit Share My Lesson webinar to explore how generative AI tools like Adobe Express can support creativity, critical thinking and career readiness in CTE classrooms. Discover practical ways students can use AI to create digital art, design logos and develop marketing materials while building real-world skills for the future workforce. Watch on demand now at https://sharemylesson.com/webinars/ai-cte-classroom.

The AFT would love to connect with you at the SkillsUSA’s National Leadership and Skills Conference in Atlanta from June 1-5, and we are interested in featuring stories from SkillsUSA teachers and students who will participate in this year’s National Leadership and Skills Conference. Please share your stories with Kate Salasky at ksalasky@aft.org.  

Work-Based Learning Educator Liability

As federal and state workforce, labor and education policies continue to evolve, educators leading work-based learning programs are navigating an increasingly complex landscape of compliance, student safety, employer partnerships and career-readiness expectations. Learn more about the educator’s role in work-based learning liability with these resources: “Re-Culturing the Educational System: Restructuring Schools for Economic Mobility Through Work-Based Learning” Intermediary WBL Toolkit.

STEMfinity  

STEMfinity strives to be a worldwide leading provider for STEM education resources and services. This includes free STEM resources, STEM grants, and a monthly STEM giveaway.

The Stock Market Game 

A free online simulation of the global capital markets that engages students in grades 4-12 in the world of economics, investing and personal finance; it has prepared nearly 20 million students for financially independent futures.

Each month, we’re committed to recognizing the invaluable contributions of CTE educators. We would love to uplift an AFT CTE educator in this newsletter. Nominate someone here.

Thank you for reading the AFT Career and Technical Education Newsletter. If you enjoyed this edition and would like to stay updated with our latest news and resources, please click here to subscribe. We appreciate your support and look forward to connecting with you again next month.