Spring 2026 Issue of The Prairie Career Advocate
Bureau Valley CUSD #340: Investing in Rural Career Pathways
Spring 2026 Issue of The Prairie Career Advocate Read More »
Career and Technical Education
Association of Illinois Rural and Small Schools Completes Most Detailed Career Education Report To-Date: Finds Rural Problems, Perseverance, and Hope
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MACOMB, IL, FEBRUARY 2026 – The Association of Illinois Rural and Small Schools (AIRSS) has completed a third statewide assessment of rural career and technical education programs (CTE) through their partnership with Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) and Regional Office of Education 26 called the Rural IL CTE Project. The Project
Driving Equity: Understanding and Addressing Transportation Barriers in Rural Illinois
For rural districts in Illinois, transportation remains one of the most expensive and logistically complex responsibilities.
Driving Equity: Understanding and Addressing Transportation Barriers in Rural Illinois Read More »
Growing Rural Computer Science Lessons through Ag Education
Rural and small school districts have an incredible opportunity to leverage their agriculture classes to offer invaluable career skill development for all students. The Association of Illinois Rural and Small Schools Rural IL CTE Project team recently explored this opportunity through a workshop for Ag educators with the Illinois Learning Technology Center (LTC) at Regional
Growing Rural Computer Science Lessons through Ag Education Read More »
Winter 2025 Issue of The Prairie Career Advocate
Bureau Valley CUSD #340: Investing in Rural Career Pathways
Winter 2025 Issue of The Prairie Career Advocate Read More »
Fall 2025 Issue of The Prairie Career Advocate
Stillman Valley High School: The Changing Field of Ag Education
Fall 2025 Issue of The Prairie Career Advocate Read More »
New Review of Rural and Small School Career Education Programs Finds Systemic Misalignment Hinders Student Access and Achievement
MACOMB, IL – The Association of Illinois Rural and Small Schools (AIRSS) has completed its initial statewide assessment of rural career and technical education programs (CTE) with the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) and the Western Illinois University Seymour Center for Rural Education. This initiative, called the Rural IL CTE Project, was launched in
Middle School CTE: Foundation for Lifelong Learning
Intro When most people hear “career and technical education,” (CTE) they picture high school students in a shop class, coding in a computer lab, or learning agricultural basics in a greenhouse. But what if we’re starting too late? By the time students reach high school, many have already formed perceptions about themselves. They have preconceived
Middle School CTE: Foundation for Lifelong Learning Read More »
Introducing Karli Strom
The Association of Illinois Rural and Small Schools is excited to welcome Karli Strom to our work as an Assistant Director reviewing Career and Technical Education. Karli was born and raised in rural Warren County. Growing up in and around rural Illinois, she saw both the challenges and the incredible resilience that define them, and
Introducing Karli Strom Read More »
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