CTE Connections

January 2020

CTE Connections Preparing Students for Future College and Career Success

Hungry Hound Café

Source: Ronnie Kay Erwin

Newport High School‘s Career Tech Department houses the one of the few student-run restaurants in our state. The Hungry Hound Café is located in their Tech Science Building and offers the Food Production, Management and Services Program of Study within the Family and Consumer Science Department. The school received funding through a State StartUp grant in 2017, which enabled them to offer this real-world experience to their students.

Under the leadership and guidance of teacher Leanne Bradley, the restaurant serves community members, faculty, civic organizations, and other patrons throughout the year. Funds from the Food Productions StartUp grant enabled the department to transform their kitchen into a certified commercial kitchen.

CTE Coordinator Ronnie Kay Erwin says, “Students are challenged with the task of passing the National Restaurant Association’s ServSafe Food Handlers license and the ServSafe Managerial license. Newport High School has had over 65 students pass these industry certifications since beginning the program. We are one of the first dine-in high school restaurants in the state and licensed by the Health Department. This program of study and the restaurant affords students in this career path an advantage that can be utilized while in high school as well as upon graduation. Their certifications and work skills place them in demand in local restaurants in Newport and surrounding areas.”

Har-Bér Studénts Win Régional Virtual Businéss Challéngé Congratulations to team Vikram and DECA advisor Laurie Jennings, from Har-Ber High School in Springdale, on winning round 1 of the Southern Region Virtual Business Challenge, Sports Track. The team, composed of DECA members Conor Clardy, Caleb Burns and Lawson Jenkins, qualified during round one of the DECA Virtual Business Challenge Sports event to compete within this event at DECA’s International Career Development Conference (ICDC) at the end of April. Team Vikram competed against thousands of other students throughout the Southern Region.

The Sports Track of the DECA VBC encourages DECA members to test their skills at managing a football franchise. Participants will manage concessions, book events, analyze players, choose ticket prices, organize staffing needs, coordinate parking logistics, and more. For each round, teams will be ranked based on their franchise's total profit after running the simulation for two virtual football seasons.

DECA is the student organization for Marketing students, with high school membership topping 220,000 students. The Southern Region includes Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia.

Round 1 Qualifier Team Vikram

The team says the Virtual Business Challenge helped teach them perseverance. In the spring competition last year they finished 3rd in the Southern Region, which made them that much more motivated to win this year.

Team Vikram explained "We really learned the importance of paying attention to detail. Every little thing and every number mattered. We couldn't just focus on the big items. We had to pay careful attention to every change we made, and document all of the changes. We just kept playing with the numbers until we got the solution we wanted."

They are excited about advancing to the finals at ICDC, and say their first place regional ranking really boosts their confidence in winning “DECA glass”.

Mrs. Jennings also had a team qualify for ICDC in the same event during round 2 of the VBC Sports simulation. Team Venesian Inn finished round 2 in second place for the Southern Region. Team members Blaise Wittschen, Braxton Bowen and Sean Hennarichs are also excited to be representing Arkansas at ICDC. Good luck to these students at ICDC on April 29May 2, in Nashville, TN!

Round 2 Qualifier Team Venesian Inn

Fébruary is CTE Month!

This month we are celebrating CTE Month with some special activities. As a part of our re-branding campaign, we have unveiled a new logo, and are creating a promotional video to be released on our social media platforms by the end of February. Throughout the month, we will be hosting a social media campaign themed “What CTE Means to Me” as a way to get students, parents, teachers, and industry leaders involved in our celebration. We ask everyone to share their CTE story with us by using #WhatCTEMeans and to tag our agency in their posts.

We are also partnering with Arkansas ACTE to host CTE Day at the Capitol on February 11. We are inviting state officers of all Career and Technical Student Organizations to come and network with legislators.

Students and teachers from exceptional programs in each occupational area will also be showcased through display tables in the Capitol. All participants at CTE Day at the Capitol will be able to interact with state staff and legislators, and have an opportunity for a photo with Governor Asa Hutchinson. Our speakers for the event include our Arkansas ACTE President, Justin Neel; Director of AR Division of Career and Technical Education, Dr. Angela Kremers; Director of the Arkansas Computer Science Initiative, Anthony Owen, and the Arkansas Secretary of Education, Mr. Johnny Key. We plan to post pictures from the event on our social media feeds, and go live on Facebook for a portion of the day.

We plan to celebrate all month with social media posts from these events and events taking place in our schools. Please remember to share your celebrations with us by using #WhatCTEMeans and tagging us in your posts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Arkansas ACTE has also partnered with the Innovation Hub in Little Rock to host a reception the evening of Feb. 11. This reception will be a meet and greet to bring together policymakers, industry leaders, state leadership, and our new Computer Science and Cybersecurity Task Force. Arkansas ACTE President Justin Neel will welcome all guests, then we will hear remarks from a representative of the Innovation Hub; Director of the Computer Science Initiative, Anthony Owen, will introduce the Task Force and Governor Hutchinson will be our keynote speaker.

Wélcomé to thé Téam!

We are happy to welcome Mr. Chris Davis to our team. Chris is working as a Program Advisor in the Office of Business and Marketing Technology, and will also be working with FBLA.

Huntsvillé SkillsUSA Spréads thé Word!

Ms. Leticia Wrinkle and her SkillsUSA officer team have been busy spreading the good word about the benefits of SkillsUSA. First the team traveled to North Central Career Center in Searcy County to help them organize a new chapter. Next, they traveled to Bentonville West, where they visited with new Advisors and newly elected officers, along with other interested students. Huntsville Officers presented Opening and Closing Ceremonies, answered questions and shared information to encourage membership. Lastly, the group stopped in at their sister school, Saint Paul, to encourage them to start their own chapter and to invite interested students to join this year as part of the Huntsville Chapter.

In addition to visiting schools, the officer group has met with the Huntsville Kiwanis Club and shared opportunities available to students through SkillsUSA. Ms. Wrinkle says, “Our students really enjoyed traveling to other schools and sharing information on SkillUSA! We plan to visit all three schools again this coming Fall to help them get their chapters going for the school year. They would also like to visit other schools and help them as well.”

Pictured are President, Dalton Meyers (Senior); Vice President, Alana Shepherd (Junior); Secretary, Taylor Phillips (Junior); Historian, Hailey Jo Gates (Junior); Reporter, Jamie Malotte (Junior); Treasurer, Alex Hatchel (Junior); Parliamentarian, Wyatt Crow (Junior); Sentinel, Bryar Lewis (Junior); Executive Officer, Kelly Harrell (Junior); and officer fill-ins, Shiloh Dasen (Freshman), Mason Martin (Junior), Jayla Rose (Junior) and George Meyers (Senior).

ACTE Partnérs with Malvérn Photography Studénts

Source: Judy Beard, Malvern Photography Instructor

Judy Beard’s Malvern High School Digital Photography II and III students have the opportunity to apply their skills at the Arkansas Career and Technical Education (ACTE) Convention in July 2020.

Akeria Craig sets camera for shots during a field trip to the Little Rock Zoo.

ACTE is partnering with the program to have students provide professional headshots for attendees of the convention. This service will be provided at no charge and photos will be edited and emailed to attendees, or downloaded to a flash drive provided by attendees.

Students Hallie Todd, Kaylea Warrick, Daviena OwensMcLain, Kadence Lane, and Izzy Nix are currently scheduled to take photographs and Judy Beard, Malvern High School Photography Instructor, will oversee their efforts.

Judy said "This is a great opportunity for my students to apply what they have learned in a real life situation."

Elijah Morehead stands in while lights are set up

The Arkansas ACTE annual summer conference will be held July 27-28, 2020, at the Hot Springs Convention Center. For more information about Arkansas ACTE or the summer conference, please visit their website at https://www.arkansasacte.org/.

Our Leadership Team

MISSION To prepare students for future college and career success.

VISION The Arkansas Department of Education is committed to transforming Arkansas to lead the nation in student-focused education so that every child graduates ready for college, career, and community engagement. In our 21 century economy, the lines between college, techst

nical education and career have blurred. And to succeed on any of these paths, our students need more complex academic skills, including creative problem solving, synthesis and design; they need interpersonal and teamwork skills; and they need a work ethic and flexibility to thrive in an economic and technological future where change and innovation will be constant.

CORE VALUES

Johnny Key Secretary of the Department of Education Dr. Ivy Pfeffer Deputy Commissioner Department of Education Dr. Angela Kremers Director Division of Career and Technical Education Sonja Wright-McMurray Associate Director DCTE Career Readiness/Work-Based Learning Dr. Kelly Lyon Associate Director Career and Technical Programs

This vision for excellent, student-centered CTE has five key goals that are aligned with the goals in Arkansas’ ESSA plan that was approved by the U.S. Department of Education in January 2018:

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