Below is a curated list of topics to provide CTE professionals with a wide range of insights and practical tools to continue making a meaningful impact on their students and the future workforce.

Workforce Alignment & WBL

Highlight models that connect students directly with career opportunities and strengthen alignment to workforce demand. How can schools expand high-quality WBL for all students? How might industry partners play a role in ensuring the value of industry credentials and advancing student achievement? What partnerships with industry most effectively support pathways?

• Sample sessions: “Scaling Apprenticeships and Internships”; “Strengthening Employer Engagement”; “Workforce Alignment That Works”

 

Career Literacy Across K-12+ 

Highlight practices that help students discover career paths early and navigate seamless transitions. How can career exploration begin meaningfully in middle school? What tools and strategies help students connect coursework to future careers?

• Sample sessions: “Career Literacy in the Middle Grades”; “Designing Seamless Pathways from High School to Postsecondary”; “Integrating Career Awareness into Student Learning”

 

Empowering Counselors 

Focus on the critical role counselors play in guiding students toward meaningful career pathways. How can schools equip counselors to be strong advocates for CTE? What counseling practices ensure students make informed choices?

• Sample sessions: “Counselors as Change Agents”; “Partnering Counselors and CTE Teachers”; “Career Advising That Impacts Student Futures”

 

Best Practices, AI, & Innovation

Explore teaching strategies that empower the CTE Delivery Model (standards based and hands-on learning, work-based learning, and student leadership, curriculum design, and integration of new tools like AI and digital platforms). What instructional practices most engage students in CTE? How is technology reshaping learning in your program?

• Sample sessions: “AI in the CTE Classroom”; “Project-Based Learning at Scale”; “Designing Instruction for Employability Skills”

 

Rural CTE Best Practices 

Spotlight solutions that address the unique challenges and opportunities in rural CTE programs. How can rural schools expand access to high-quality CTE and WBL? What creative partnerships strengthen rural CTE?

• Sample sessions: “Expanding Pathways in Small Schools”; “Leveraging Technology to Overcome Distance”; “Industry Partnerships in Rural Communities”

 

Marketing & Community Engagement

Share approaches to tell the CTE story, recruit and retain students, and engage families and communities. What strategies effectively increase enrollment and retention? How can storytelling elevate program reputation?

• Sample sessions: “Branding Your CTE Program”; “Student Recruitment in a Digital Age”; “Partnering with Parents and Communities”

 

Program Development & CTE Academies

Highlight strategies for designing, aligning, and sustaining coherent CTE pathways that prepare students for success. How do you build programs that align with labor market demand and postsecondary opportunities? What practices ensure pathways are relevant, rigorous, and accessible?

• Sample sessions: “Building Future-Ready Pathways”; “Designing Programs of Study for Relevance and Rigor”; “Strengthening Vertical Alignment in CTE”

 

Postsecondary CTE Initiatives

Explore practices that strengthen CTE at the community college and university level. How can postsecondary programs align with industry credentials and workforce needs? What partnerships with K–12 and employers ensure smooth transitions?

• Sample sessions: “Bridging High School and College Pathways”; “Industry Credentials That Matter”; “Innovations in Postsecondary CTE”

 

Data Driven Improvement

Emphasize how schools use data to strengthen instruction, program quality, and student success. How do you use Perkins indicators, CLNA results, or credential data for improvement? What tools and dashboards help drive decisions?

• Sample sessions: “From Data to Action: Using Perkins Indicators”; “Embedding Assessments to Inform Instruction”; “Quality Matters: Elevating Programs Through CLNA”

 

High Quality Instructor Engagement

Highlight strategies for developing leadership capacity, supporting new educators, and sustaining the CTE workforce. How can leaders mentor and support the next generation of CTE professionals? What leadership skills are essential today?

• Sample sessions: “Building Leadership Pathways”; “Mentoring New CTE Teachers”; “Leading Through Change”

 

CTSOs: Leadership in Action

Explore how CTSOs elevate student voice, leadership, and career readiness by integrating real-world skills, community service, and competition into CTE pathways. How can CTSOs be leveraged to build employability skills and leadership across all CTE programs? What are best practices for aligning CTSO experiences with classroom instruction and career pathways? How can schools ensure equitable access to CTSOs so that every student benefits from participation?

• Sample Sessions: “From Classroom to Competition: Integrating CTSOs Into Daily Instruction”; “Empowering Student Leadership Through CTSOs”; “Building Inclusive CTSO Programs for All Learners”; “CTSOs as a Bridge Between Education, Industry, and Community”

 

Standards-Aligned & Hands-On Curriculum
Explore how curriculum design rooted in industry standards and reinforced with authentic, hands-on experiences empowers students to master technical and durable skills. Sessions in this track highlight strategies for aligning CTE instruction with academic and industry standards while ensuring students engage through labs, projects, and real-world applications. How do educators balance meeting standards with engaging students in authentic, hands-on learning? What curriculum practices best connect classroom instruction to industry expectations? How can project-based and experiential learning strengthen student mastery and confidence?

• Sample sessions: “Designing Standards-Based Curriculum that Engages”; “From Standards to Skills: Hands-On Approaches that Work”; “Aligning Curriculum with Industry Expectations and Student Needs”