2026 CACTE CareerTech Summit

Do you have a bold idea, but need help with how to fund it?  This panel of Innovations in CTE grant recipients will deliver highlights of their projects designed to improve quality and expand access to CTE.  We will share tips for educators and administrators trying to put together a proposal likely to be funded that highlights partnership and bold thinking for the benefit of learners.  You will leave with ideas of projects that may be replicated using your institution's Perkins grant funds or the seeds of a new project idea that could be built in time for the next Innovations in CTE grant cycle.  Examples showcased include program quality expansions in welding, health care, manufacturing, engineering, and construction from small, medium, and large school districts across the state. 

As Colorado and its school districts come together to expand access to postsecondary credit, work-based learning, and industry-recognized credentials, a critical question remains: how do we ensure students are truly prepared to succeed in these experiences and in the workforce beyond them? In response to the "Big Three", Junior Achievement has designed a no-cost, engaging work-based learning program that meets up to 30 of the 60 cumulative hours required by SB 25-315, and ensures students build the essential skillsets and mindsets needed for career success as artificial intelligence disrupts nearly all industries. This session will outline the program, its outcomes, how success is measured, and how schools and teachers can implement it at scale for the 2026-27 school year.

This session features a panel presentation of 6 unique projects in rural, urban and suburban settings across the state that have expanded districts' capacity to deliver on the promise of the Big 3.  Administrators and teachers will benefit from hearing what worked, what didn't, and how districts and colleges can partner to expand access to work-based learning (in rural areas), college credit, and industry recognized credentials.  Each featured project was funded by Innovations in CTE grant funds, but could also be funded using start-up funds or Perkins. Featured programs come from skilled trades (welding, manufacturing), culinary, healthcare, and more.