2026 Arkansas CTE Summer Conference

CTSO Update for the 2026-2027 School Year

Learn how Little Rock School District’s Metropolitan Career Technical Center partnered with Baptist Health College of Little Rock, healthcare industry leaders, and community stakeholders to launch one of Central Arkansas’s first high school Licensed Practical Nursing (LPN) programs. This session will highlight the strategies used to remove barriers for students, align secondary and postsecondary systems, secure funding, and create authentic healthcare experiences that prepare students for high-skill, high-wage careers.

Participants will explore lessons learned in program development, student recruitment, concurrent credit alignment, clinical experiences, and sustainability planning. Presenters will also share early outcomes from the inaugural cohort of graduates and discuss how cross-sector partnerships can strengthen the future healthcare workforce pipeline while expanding access and opportunity for students.

Project Lead the Way Gateway program for 6-8th grade has many activities in the curriculum. Many times these are dry and not very creative. My session would describe ways the teacher can enhance their instruction with different types of hands-on projects that can be done as a group, pairs or individually. 

This workshop will provide high school educators with practical strategies for strengthening college and career readiness through the three postsecondary pathways: Enroll, Employ, and Enlist. Participants will explore engaging classroom activities, career exploration tools, workforce readiness lessons, and student-centered planning strategies that help students confidently prepare for life after graduation.

The session will also highlight the use of ACT WorkKeys and the National Career Readiness Certificate as valuable tools for measuring workplace skills and increasing student employability. Educators will gain ideas for incorporating career readiness standards, employability skills, and real-world preparation into their classrooms while helping students connect their strengths and interests to future opportunities in education, the workforce, and military service.

Empowering young people to own their economic success through hands on experiences. Learn about the many programs Junior Achievement offers for K-12th grade students including JA Inspire and virtual career fair, Future Ready Leader opportunities for 9th-12th grade students, curriculum-based K-5th grade programing, career speaker opportunities and more.

Discover how to transform environmental stewardship into a powerful vehicle for career readiness. This session introduces Keep Arkansas Beautiful’s newly structured, standards-aligned education framework, designed to take students from foundational classroom knowledge to high-impact community action. Learn how the program’s structured service-learning projects integrate with Arkansas graduation requirements, offering students measurable project management experience in litter prevention, recycling, and conservation.

This workshop will provide high school educators with practical strategies for strengthening college and career readiness through the three postsecondary pathways: Enroll, Employ, and Enlist. Participants will explore engaging classroom activities, career exploration tools, workforce readiness lessons, and student-centered planning strategies that help students confidently prepare for life after graduation.

The session will also highlight the use of ACT WorkKeys and the National Career Readiness Certificate as valuable tools for measuring workplace skills and increasing student employability. Educators will gain ideas for incorporating career readiness standards, employability skills, and real-world preparation into their classrooms while helping students connect their strengths and interests to future opportunities in education, the workforce, and military service.

Educational transformation requires more than new initiatives—it requires leaders who can build a shared vision, strengthen culture, and develop systems that create lasting impact. This session will explore practical strategies for leading teams through meaningful change by honoring current successes, creating collective ownership, and aligning people, programs, and resources toward a common purpose. Participants will examine how intentional leadership, clear communication, and a focus on continuous improvement can turn challenges into opportunities for innovation and growth. From shifting mindsets to sustaining momentum, transformational leadership is about developing people and building the capacity needed to move organizations forward.