Winter 2025 Issue of The Prairie Career Advocate
Bureau Valley CUSD #340: Investing in Rural Career Pathways
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Career and Technical Education
Fall 2025 Issue of The Prairie Career Advocate
Stillman Valley High School: The Changing Field of Ag Education
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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
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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
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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
Summer 2025 Issue of The Prairie Career Advocate
Flora CUSD #35: Sustaining Momentum for Education Innovation
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Spring 2025 Issue of The Prairie Career Advocate
Bunker Hill CUSD #8: Overcoming Obstacles and Embracing Change for Student Success
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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
Reed-Custer CUSD 255-U: Bringing Professionalism and Purpose to the “Hobby Shop”
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