2026 CACTE CareerTech Summit

What happens when career exploration is designed for your most complex learners first? This session introduces Opening Doors, a structured career exploration model built for students who need the most support — and powerful enough for every student in the room. CTE educators, special education co-teachers, and ACE instructors will leave with a practical, classroom-ready differentiation framework grounded in what educators observe every day — and aligned with the accommodations already required by your students' IEPs, 504s, and ELL designations. Grounded in live implementation at Cherry Creek School District and the equity-first design principles behind CTEsoft, this session is equal parts philosophy and ready-to-use practice. Attendees will engage through guided discussion, a live framework walkthrough, and small-group application to their own context. Deliverables include the Opening Doors companion whitepaper, sample scaffolded activity structures, and a live demo of CTEsoft's differentiated curriculum generation.