Career and Technical Education

The Role and Economic Effects of Career and Technical Education (CTE) in Rural Illinois Communities

Career and Technical Education (CTE) has strong potential in rural schools to serve as a student empowerment and community revitalization powerhouse. Because of their embeddedness, rural schools have long been the foundation of their local economy and society, and CTE offers a direct tie that links school to community through student professional development. Despite this […]

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Why Rural America Should Lead the CTE Charge to Reimagine Schools

By Joe Brewer When Thomas bolted out of my history class to respond to an accident on a remote road in our rural community, his training as a student EMT helped him turn fear into action. At just 17 years old, Thomas was the first to arrive on the scene—a heavy  responsibility for someone his

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Winter 2024 Issue of The Prairie Career Advocate

The AIRSS team is proud to present the second issue of our new digital publication, The Prairie Career Advocate. This storytelling effort is part of the Rural IL CTE Project that AIRSS and the Illinois State Board of Education began in 2023. We encourage you to read the issue below, featuring Reed-Custer Community Unit School

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RASI Helps Rural Students Find Community and College Success

Starting college was difficult for me. Even though I always excelled in my small town Illinois school district, and still view myself as a lifelong student with a zeal for learning, I had no idea the initial challenges I would face. I had the opportunity to attend college in a major urban area hours and

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Response: Rural CTE and the “Great Misalignment”

It’s no secret that our education system is struggling to inspire and train the next generation of the American workforce, and this problem is especially pernicious for rural districts. The Rural IL CTE Project has just concluded its first year, focusing on research, showing that rural and small school districts across Illinois are struggling to

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