Rural IL CTE Project
Overview
The Rural IL CTE Project is a collaborative effort between the Association of Illinois Rural and Small Schools, the Illinois State Board of Education, and the Western Illinois University Seymour Center of Rural Education to support rural and small school districts to grow and sustain their career and technical education (CTE) programs.
CTE programs bolster the capacity of rural and small schools to provide students with high-quality and individualized education. Rural students who follow these CTE pathways forge the bedrock of their personal and professional lives while supporting local businesses and industry through internships and future employment.
The primary goals of this effort are to better understand the needs and equity gaps of rural CTE programs through intentional research, and to provide targeted technical assistance to all Illinois rural and small schools.
This Web Portal compiles the research and technical assistance conducted by the Rural IL CTE Project team for easy use by all Illinois rural and small school districts, and beyond, to strengthen and enrich their CTE offerings.
Research
Growing Rural IL Success through CTE Programs is the first report of its kind in Illinois to systematically research and analyze the status of CTE programs in the most rural and highest need districts across the state. The report engages over 240 rural districts as well as experts and regional service organizations through surveys, conversations, and focus groups to highlight needs and equity gaps in CTE funding, support, and awareness. Four key recommendations address the most pressing needs and lay the path forward for future research and technical assistance.
The work and findings of this research were made possible through the collaboration and insight of the Rural IL CTE Advisory Council.
Technical Assistance
Providing direct and purposeful support to all Illinois rural and small school districts has remained a core goal of the Rural IL CTE Project. To that end, we have developed three sources of technical assistance designed to help your district grow their CTE offerings, sustain or innovative your current programming, and find ways to network with other rural districts and community and industry partners:
1. Prairie Career Advocate: a quarterly journal highlighting exemplary rural CTE programs and resources (coming soon)
2. Rural CTE Resources: a database of tools, guides, and grants to addressing common rural CTE challenges
3. Rural IL CTE Asset Map: the map below visualizes the different systems and organizations that support CTE in rural schools
