Across the state, Career and Technical Education programs are joining with others to serve and grow their communities. In Work Ready Community counties, CTE programs are sitting down with economic developers, businesses, and chambers of commerce to discuss how to prepare workers and grow businesses in the counties. With the Work Ready Communities program, CTE centers are showcasing the value of their programs to business and community leaders. Early childhood education programs are also connecting with the community by operating day care and preschool centers. CTE students in these programs get hands-on experience with children, and parents in the area have an affordable option for preschool.
In this issue of Connections, you’ll find other instances of CTE in action like polymer science students experimenting in labs, construction and teacher academy students building “little libraries,” and culinary arts students participating in a summer camp led by experts in the field. The culinary camp was a great success in its first year, and reading the menu is sure to leave you thinking about your next meal.
This issue gives information on how to prepare for testing by interacting with your students, a list of music to play in the classroom to encourage learning and concentration, and reasons to be involved in student organizations. The student organizations teach our students leadership skills and so much more, and I hope you’ll encourage each of your students to take part in a CTSO.
To continue our work of promoting what CTE is doing, please share this issue with friends, colleagues, local economic developers, and elected officials. Remember to follow Connections on Facebook (ConnectionsMS) and Twitter (@ConnectionsMS), and bookmark the Connections website, where we share stories throughout the year. And while you’re there, share news from your school, so we can feature your students, teachers, and programs across our platforms.