COLORADO
ASSOCIATION FOR
CAREER & TECHNICAL
EDUCATION
Advocacy/Outreach Toolkit
One of the most effective advocacy tools CACTE has is YOU! Becoming an advocate is one of the most important actions you can take to secure the future of CTE. It's all about outreach and relationships!
Take advantage of these super cool videos developed by CCCS for us to use! Filmed in COLORADO, featuring COLORADO CTE PROGRAMS, the videos have Spanish and English closed-captioning. There are 4 videos from which to choose, aimed at different audiences. They are linked on the Colorado CTE website, about halfway down the home page or here for your use.
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Colorado CTE Overview, 3:52 minutes
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Colorado CTE for Students, 2:38 minutes
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Colorado CTE for Parents, 2:44 minutes
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Colorado CTE for Counselors, 2:41 minutes
Use CACTE Virtual Backgrounds to Create Curiosity!
2023-2024 CACTE President, Emily Sherwood, created these virtual backgrounds for us to use during online meetings to Use these CACTE backgrounds to initiate curiosity and opportunities to talk about CTE within our community, state, and nation. CLICK HERE to download the backgrounds.
CACTE and ACTE have developed a wide variety of tools to assist you in your advocacy activities, keep you informed and promote ongoing support for CTE. The tools here provide step-by-step directions and examples that will help you reach out to policymakers at the local, state and federal levels, as well as your community and the media.
From your Members of Congress to your state and local policymakers, these individuals all make decisions that impact CTE. With your help, we can ensure the strength and future of CTE!
CTE Outreach/Advocacy Lesson Plan
This lesson plan is designed to engage your students in advocating for CTE with policymakers and is aligned to the National CTE Common Core Standards and all CTE program area standards. Be sure to use it to promote Career & Technical Education during CTE month! Please refer to the 2024 CACTE Legislative Priorities and CCCS CTE Fact Sheet for talking points!
CACTE thanks members Lawson Miller and Kim Reiser, Cherry Creek Schools, for creating the original CTE Advocacy Lesson Plan! And thank you to Mimi Leonard, retired from Littleton Public Schools, for revising the lesson for use a couple of years ago. Continual updates are made to assure currency of information and links.
CTE Month Activities
Career and Technical Education Month®, or CTE Month®, is a public awareness campaign that takes place each February to celebrate the value of CTE and the achievements and accomplishments of CTE programs across the country.What can I do to celebrate CTE Month?
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Use this calendar of bell-ringers to help your students and others learn more about CTE! (Thanks, 2023-24 Outreach Committee!)
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Share the Governor's Proclamation of February as CTE Month in Colorado!!
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Encourage your students to participate in the CTE Month and NASA HUNCH Video Challenge
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Host a school visit and invite members of your local community to learn about your school’s strong CTE programs firsthand
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Engage your policymakers and the media to encourage them to attend events and advise them of the benefits of CTE, or use social media to do the same
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Work with business and industry leaders to ensure they understand the role CTE plays in readying their future workforce
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Purchase pens, pencils, lanyards and other CTE Month Merchandise to use at events or at your school
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Download our CTE Month logo for use with any print or digital outreach
Please note that the term “CTE Month” or “Career and Technical Education Month” must be followed by the trademark sign (®) the first time it appears in a document or visual presentation.
Working with Policymakers
Policymakers work for you and your students! CACTE encourages you to visit your local, state, and federal policymakers often and remind them of the value of CTE. Below are some resources on how to plan and carry out these visits.
Media and Community Outreach
You are doing amazing things in your program and you should be sharing them with the media and community. Use the following tips to engage the media and community to become advocates for your program.
Policy and Advocacy Publications
Be sure to use the following publications and fact sheets to support your program and your CTE advocacy efforts.
Special thanks to Robert Van Dyke, CACTE Past President, for originally compiling this information!
