CTE September Newsletter
All things CTE for Montana
The New CTE Professionals Virtual Workshop 2020
Professional Development Specifically for those New to the Montana Career & Technical Education Classroom
The Office of Public Instruction’s Career and Technical Education Specialists will be conducting a New CTE Professionals Virtual Workshop beginning Tuesday, September 22, via Zoom.
The New CTE Professionals Virtual Workshop 2020 focuses on early-career professionals—specifically Career & Technical Education professionals within the first five (5) years in a Montana Career & Technical Education classroom. Additionally, Montana CTE professionals who have participated in the past are invited to attend to enhance their classroom skills and knowledge of Career & Technical Education. School administrators and counselors who maybe new to or want to learn more about Career & Technical Education in Montana are also invited to attend.
This FREE professional development opportunity will provide attendees with information on a variety of topics related to Career & Technical Education including
- Advisory committees
- Classroom safety & liability
- CTE and program-area standards and guidelines
- Dual Enrollment
Instructional strategies for the CTE classroom
- Montana Career Pathways
- Perkins funding
- Professional development organizations
- State CTE funding & data reporting
Work-Based Learning
The virtual workshop will be held Tuesday afternoons from 4:00-5:15 pm beginning Tuesday, September 22, and concluding Tuesday, October 20. The workshop is free of charge and up to six (6) OPI Renewal Units will be offered.
Additional details about the New CTE Professionals Virtual Workshop 2020, including a schedule of events, is available on the Secondary CTE page of the OPI website.
Registration for the New CTE Professionals Virtual Workshop 2020 can be completed and submitted online at bit.ly/NewCTEProWS2020.
For registration assistance or for more information, please contact the appropriate CTE program specialist in the footer below.
Montana ACTE Fall Institute Going Virtual
The Montana ACTE Fall Institute will be Virtual this year. After thoughtful consideration, the Montana ACTE board is excited to host, for the first time, the 2020 Montana ACTE Virtual Institute as an online, virtual event, happening October 15-16!
Montana ACTE believes this is the safest approach for attendees and looks forward to offering you, from the comfort and convenience of your own home, school or office, an innovative professional development experience that addresses timely topics impacting career and technical education (CTE)! The theme of the Institute, “Cultivating Connections Through CTE”, will focus on best practices and current “hot topics” for CTE. Engage in virtual interactions and sessions covering high-quality CTE and remote and blended learning environments.
Session topics include:
- CTE Panel - CTE’s Role in the Future of Work
- Keynote Presenter, Megan Pollock, The Power of Micromessages as a Tool for Student Success
- Montana Two Year Colleges - Montana’s High Wage Opportunities
- Work Based Learning Best Practices
- Literacy in CTE
- Math in CTE
- OPI CTAE Updates
- A Teacher’s Guide to Facilitating Online Learning
- Youth Entrepreneurs - Montana Showcase
- And more!
Registration for this virtual event will be $85 for ACTE members and $125 for non-members. Registration will open the week of September 7th.
OPI Now Accepting U.S. Presidential Scholars Applicants
The U.S. Presidential Scholars Program was established in 1964, by executive order of the President, to recognize and honor some of our nation's most distinguished graduating high school seniors. In 1979, the program was extended to recognize students who demonstrate exceptional talent in the visual, creative and performing arts. In 2015, the program was again extended to recognize students who demonstrate ability and accomplishment in career and technical education fields. Each year, up to 161 students are named as Presidential Scholars, one of the nation's highest honors for high school students.
Montana CTE Content Area Specialists will contact their MACTE divisions as well as the CTSOs and ask for a maximum of 5 nominees from each division that represent their top candidates for the award. The OPI Specialists will also send out information to the field on the process. The nominations from the field will go to the Montana OPI Content Area Specialists. The Specialist is responsible for determining, with their affiliate groups (teacher education group, applicable CTSOs, etc.) the process for which the top five candidates will be determined from their service area.
Please send your student nominations to the appropriate CTE Division Specialist listed in the footer below.
Montana High School Business Challenge Launches
as Big Sky Biz Sim this Semester
The Montana Council on Economic Education (MCEE) has been busy over the summer to transform the former High School Business Challenge to a web-based online portal to modernize the experience for teachers. One valuable new feature, students can submit their inputs directly from their own computer. With all of the changes, MCEE is launching the new program as the Big Sky Biz Sim by First Interstate Bank.
These leaps are all made possible by the generous support from the team at First Interstate Bank. MCEE shared last year that the founding sponsors of the HSBC were shifting their focus which put the program in jeopardy of leaving the classroom.
If teachers have taught with the High School Business Challenge before, the program, terms and learning principles will remain the same; MCEE did not add any new inputs and the will maintain the mini-cases.
The sponsors at First Interstate Bank also will be supporting cash prizes for the winning teams. Another bonus with the support is that we are going to waive all team fees this year to encourage more participation and remove any barriers for schools to introduce these business concepts into the classroom.
Check out the new website, registration is open and MCEE will be assigning teams into industries later this month. The first day that inputs will be due will be Wednesday, October 7, 2020. For questions about Big Sky Biz Sim by First Interstate Bank, contact Dax Schieffer at mcee@montana.edu.
Montana HOSA to Launch New Webpage in September
Montana HOSA is in the process of launching an updated web page available in the middle of September. The page will feature curriculum and CTSO resources to help Montana health science teachers find new ideas to bring CTE to life despite the changing and challenging circumstances we are facing with COVID-19.
Additionally, the site will soon be adding more tutorials to help in preparation for competitive events hosted at the Montana HOSA State Leadership Conference. The web address will stay the same at www.montanhosa.org
Please let me know if you have any questions or would like additional information.
Thanks,
Katie Meier,
Montana HOSA State Director
Former OPI Agricultural Education Specialist Passes Away
Dr. Brad King, the former Agricultural Education Specialist for OPI, passed away last Friday September 4, 2020 in his sleep. He had been fighting an infection for a while and succumbed to it. He was an agriculture education teacher, the State Ag Ed Specialist, and a friend to many. At this time there are no funeral plans however a celebration of life might be arranged around Thanksgiving.
Brad was a member of the August FFA Chapter and was named the Glacier District Greenhand in 1979. He then received his State FFA degree in 1982 and was named the Star Farmer for the state. He was also elected to serve the Montana FFA as the 1st Vice President and served from 82-83. In 1984 he was one of five Montana FFA members to receive their American FFA degree.
He graduated from Montana State University with his bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Education and started teaching in Stevensville, MT from 1985-1998. Eight of his former students from Stevensville High School went on to become Agriculture Teachers and are still teaching and positively impacting students today.
Brad then spent the next few years working to earn his doctorate from the University of Missouri in Agricultural Education. He then took the position as Agricultural Education Specialist at the Office of Public Instruction in Helena in 2006 and served Montana ag teachers till 2016, when he retired. He was the 3rd longest-serving Ag Ed specialist in Montana’s history. In 2018, Brad received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Montana Association of Agricultural Educators.
Montana FFA Update:
As the summer fun comes to a close and the school year begins, we begin to set our sights on new and exciting activities for Montana FFA. Welcome to the new teachers and students who will continue to help make Montana FFA the exceptional organization that it is. Hopefully, we will soon be able to get back to normal.
The new officers are excited to be at MSU and immersed in a truly unique college experience. This year’s state officers are: Brooke Mehlhoff - Twin Bridges, President; Bailey Gasvoda - Big Sandy, 1st V.P.; Chay VanDyke - Glendive, 2nd V.P.; Mckenna Quirk - Missoula, Secretary; Gracie Smith - Victor, Treasurer; Gracie Tooke – Ekalaka, Reporter; Max Andres – Missoula, Sentinel; Allyson Young – Fairview, Parliamentarian.
Some important fall dates are as follows:
- September 17 - FFA Foundation Golf Tournament
- September 29 - Ruby Valley Invitational Livestock, Range and Forestry contest in Sheridan, Montana
- October 8 - NILE online
- October 27-29 - National FFA Convention in Indianapolis
Good luck to all students, teachers, advisers and parents for a successful school year. State FFA Officers and I look forward to seeing what can be accomplished throughout 2020-21.
- Jim Rose,
Montana FFA State Director
Montana FCCLA Breaking Ground Event
 Join Montana FCCLA on Facebook Live September 22 at 4:00pm for our launch event, Breaking Ground! We will be kicking off the year with our State Executive Council team, premiering virtual leadership workshops, and much more! Check out mtfccla.org for more information. “See” you there!
Case Model in Local Classrooms Across Montana
Keturah Vangen, FFA Advisor in Medicine Lake, speaks on the implementation of Curriculum for Agricultural Science (CASE) in her classroom. The CASE model is a blend of time-tested instructional strategies used to guide students in their studies to meet the demands of post-secondary education and careers in the Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources (AFNR) industries. Watch the full story below.
U.S. Department of Education Launches Challenge
to Inspire Students to Build Technical Skills
Building on the Administration-wide commitment to expand student interest in the booming science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields, the U.S. Department of Education today launched CTE Mission: CubeSat, a national challenge to inspire students to build technical skills for careers in space and beyond. High school students from across the country are invited to design and build CubeSat (cube satellite) prototypes, or satellites that aid in space research, bringing space missions out of the clouds and into the classroom.
You are invited to share this notice with high schools and LEAs. Schools interested in entering CTE Mission: CubeSat should form a team and submit a mission proposal by 5:59 p.m. Eastern Time on October 16, 2020 – no in-person collaboration or prior experience with CubeSat is required. The online submission form asks for school information, a team profile, a project proposal, and anticipated learning outcomes. Curated educational resources are available to students and teachers online in the CTE Mission: CubeSat resource hub. Schools can learn more at a virtual information session on September 1.
For questions, please contact:
Shannon Boswell, Division Administrator - 406.444.7915
Eric Tilleman, Agriculture Education Specialist - 406.444.4451
Renee Erlandsen, Health Sciences Education Specialist - 406.994.6986
Ian Beagles CTE/Perkins Data Control Specialist - 406.444.9019
Mike Houghton, Industrial Technology Specialist - 406.444.4452
Austin Schweitzer, Marketing Program Coordinator - 406.444.2059
Eric Swenson, Business Education Specialist - 406.444.7991
Megan Vincent, Family & Consumer Sciences Education Specialist - 406.444.3599
The OPI is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to people with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation, require an alternate format, or have questions concerning accessibility, contact the OPI ADA Coordinator, 406-444-3161, opiada@mt.gov, Relay Service: 711.
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