The AIRSS team is proud to present the third 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 Bunker Hill CUSD 8, to learn more about the successes of their CTE programming and how your district could potentially start a similar program in your community. The links in the document will work if it is downloaded to a computer; otherwise you can find them at the bottom of this page. You may download the PDF by clicking the three dots on the bottom right of the menu, then clicking “Download.”
If you have any questions or comments about the Advocate, please contact Program Director John Glasgow at john@airssedu.org.
Empowering STEM, CTE, and Computer Science in Rural Schools: Exploring Learning Blade
The Rural IL CTE Project is constantly looking for effective CTE and career exploration options for rural districts. Recently Project Director John Glasgow co-hosted a webinar with LearningBlade to spotlight their virtual career exploration software for Grades 5-9. This software is completely free for Illinois. Please watch the recording of webinar here, and reach out to LearningBlade Illinois State Manager Colleen Ross for questions.
SC tech schools seek $5M to expand dual enrollment for high schoolers in poor, rural districts
Part of the narrative work conducted by the Rural IL CTE Project is to share how CTE is being successfully redefined with purpose and impact in other states. Illinois has plenty of assets at hand to grow a truly nation-leading CTE system, yet some states are ahead of the game and offer good perspectives to consider and models to pursue. For example, here’s a fascinating piece from South Carolina about a new state grant targeted specifically at expanding dual credit opportunities for rural districts.
Shut Out: High School Students Learn About Careers — But Can’t Try One That Pays
We’re all trying to do our best to get students work-based learning opportunities, or at least hands-on career exploration experiences. However, unpaid internships and career fairs may not be enough. Students need higher-quality and more immersive apprenticeship experiences. This article from The74 points out this concerning trend, confirming what the Rural IL CTE Project has recently heard among some rural districts in Illinois. As this article finds, students that do benefit from a more intensive and paid experience tend to do better
after graduation.
How Business Leaders Can Help Improve The US Education System
This final article from Forbes underscores a seriously important truth: student success and the efficacy of our education system relies on good-faith community collaboration. We have to remember that despite so much rhetoric and heat swirling around the education sector today, rural schools and especially CTE programs are wholly dependent on local businesses and industries to be partners in providing educational and career opportunities. This article is a call to business leaders to become respectfully, responsibly, and creatively engaged with educators.
3 ways to create a strong district CTE program
This short article is another great resource offering three simple tips for creating a strong CTE program. If you’re looking for any and all ideas, this could be a great place to start. The Rural IL CTE Project also offers a Rural CTE Resource Database with even more to check out.
Why Rural America Should Lead the CTE Charge to Reimagine Schools
In case you missed it, check out this wonderful perspective piece by rural educator Joe Brewer on why rural America should and can lead the charge to reimagine how education looks with CTE, much like Bunker Hill in this issue’s featured section.
30 Practical Ways to Increase STEM and Career Awareness in Your School
In addition to the webinar, we also recently learned from LearningBlade how their software can provide essential STEM, computer science, and CTE practice during school testing season.
FarmBeats for Students: Hands-On Precision Agriculture with micro:bit
The Rural IL CTE Project has teamed up with the Illinois Learning Technology Centers (LTC) and Facilitating Coordination in Agricultural Education (FCAE) to offer a summer professional development during FCAE’s July Local Program Support event. For this event, LTC will show ag teachers how to use Microsoft FarmBeats to incorporate data gathering, data analysis, and computer science into ag courses.
Rural IL CTE Project Portal
Visit the Rural IL CTE Project Portal for the latest tools, tips, guides, and resources your rural CTE program needs! From research, case studies, an asset map, and more, we’re working to provide you with everything you need to grow and sustain an exemplary program for students. The Portal is updated regularly with new content, and any suggestions and criticisms are welcome.
The links on this page, and throughout the Advocate, are active and clickable when viewed in the original PDF format.