What We Do

ACTE’S CareerTech VISION brings together more than 4,000 CTE professionals educators, administrators, guidance professionals and others—for three days of educational sessions, meetings, workshops and networking opportunities designed to maximize program and classroom effectiveness. At the same time, ACTE’s CareerTech Expo hosts 200 educational vendors showcasing the very latest products and technologies.

Every day, ACTE staff is hard at work to make sure that valuable federal dollars are being directed toward the development of high-quality CTE programs. Our legislative advocacy is at the very forefront of the field, and our research into CTE effectiveness has proven again and again that CTE works. We provide that support to our members and the field, but being an ACTE member means being empowered to join in the fight! Between our Legislative Updates and the CTE Policy Watch blog, you’ll always know what’s happening in the policy arena, and our periodic Legislative Action Alerts coordinate and direct activity around key federal policy and legislation. You can also get the resources you need to effectively advocate locally and in your state.

If public policy is your thing, you won’t want to miss the National Policy Seminar, held every spring in Washington, DC. You’ll hear about the policy environment straight from government representatives and ACTE staff, and you’ll gain valuable training in advocacy before heading up to Capitol Hill to meet with congressional staff—and maybe even your elected representatives themselves—about the importance and value of CTE.

Our National Leadership Fellowship Program brings together highly motivated members who want to learn the skills necessary to become more effective educators, and not just in the classroom. Similarly, the National Leadership Training Program develops the leadership and organizational skills necessary for members looking to play a role in the future of their state associations.

The very best members are showcased by our ACTE Excellence Awards, a unique program that rewards the best teachers, administrators and guidance professionals for exemplary work. Our members are leaders in community service, innovative in the classroom and dedicated to developing cutting-edge programs, and we strive to recognize that by extending the awards program to the states and Regions, too.

Being involved with ACTE means prestige, but it also means service to students and the entire CTE community, and our members never lack for opportunities. Following a Legislative Action Alert means speaking out for CTE, but it’s just scratching the surface. The Ambassadors Network puts ACTE members at the forefront of CTE’s image by becoming contacts for media inquiries. You can also help govern and shape our community by joining a committee or task force. And highly motivated members can be elected to our Board of Directors.