The month-long celebration of CTE kicks off with National Job Shadow Day and concludes with National Entrepreneurship Week USA. Celebrate all month long with this year's theme, CTE: Learning Today, Earning Tomorrow!

Job Shadow Day
Each February, career and technical educators and ACTE participate in National Groundhog Job Shadow Day (NGJSD), a national campaign that gives young people a new perspective on their studies through hands-on learning and a one-day mentoring experience. NGJSD is a joint effort of with several national organizations including Junior Achievement, America's Promise and the U.S. Department of Labor.

Social Media Day
ACTE is asking administrators, teachers and students to advocate for CTE through their social media networks on Thursday, February 17, 2011. Participation is as easy as changing your Facebook status or writing a blog post about the importance of CTE.

ACTE is working on creating talking points and status updates for members, and ACTE will distribute them by the day before, Wednesday, February 16, 2011. For blog posts, you can highlight the critical role CTE plays in developing a qualified workforce, preparing students to be career and college ready, and reducing the dropout rate. Be sure to include why the Perkins Act needs more funding for CTE programs nationwide.  If you have any questions, please contact Sabrina Kidwai at skidwai@acteonline.org.

NASA is offering a professional development internship opportunity for teachers. This unique program, developed by NASA, will offer 32 science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) middle and high school teachers a rare opportunity to work beside NASA engineers and mentors during a two-week paid internship focusing on aeronautics modeling and simulation at a NASA facility during July 2011.

RTI International, the managing contractor for this project, currently seeks applications from outstanding middle and high school teachers who will adapt and use this exciting material in their classrooms. This is for teachers who would benefit from this internship and have the capacity and support to integrate aerospace simulation-based engineering lessons into their curriculum.

Please inform STEM teachers about this opportunity by directing them to the program Website (see link below). Or you can contact Olivia Rice at (919) 541-7011 or onix@rti.org to coordinate a formal announcement directly to teachers in your community.

You can find more information about the program as well as the application packages by visiting https://simaero.rti.org. We will accept applications through March 7, 2011.

 The Professional Photographers of Washington is pleased to announce that applications are
being accepted for the 2011 Student Photographer of the Year Award, which is open to all high school seniors in Washington State, graduating in the year 2011. One Student will receive the $2000 scholarship grant, which will be used to further the applicant's study in the photographic arts.

A panel of professional photographers who are members of the Professional Photographers of Washington will select the finalists. The Student Photographer of the Year will be chosen based upon photographic and scholastic studies, and the student's wish to continue their studies in the photographic arts. 

The application postmarked deadline is April 1, 2011 and the winner will be announced in June, 2011. For more information or to receive an application, contact Anita Weston (425) 776-4426.

Applications, information, and past Student Finalists are also available online at http://www.ppw.org.

SkillsUSA is expanding the offerings for Health Sciences. This year SkillsUSA will be including Medical Math, Medical Terminology, Health Occupations Professional Portfolio, Nurse Assisting, & Health Knowledge Bowl.

For more information, contact Bruce McBurney at

bruce.mcburney@skillsusawashington.org.

AUBURN - February 10-11, 2011, at the JA Finance Park. The Financial Education Public Private Partnership's (FEPPP) Financial Education and Training Institute will provide financial education training for k-12 teachers. The cost is $800 per educator, and FEPPP will provide full scholarships on a first-come, first-served basis to all educators whose applications are accepted and who cannot provide the $800 conference fee.

The Institute is a fun and informative two-day program, providing ample opportunities for discussion and participation. The Financial Education Public Private Partnership, a committee created by the legislature that brings together organizations from both the public and private sector in an effort to provide quality financial education for students in our state, is proud to offer this program to you.

Space is limited for this event, apply today at http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/WEB22BLL7WWLXC/. Upon notification of acceptance, you will be required to send a $100 refundable registration fee in the form of a purchase order or check to secure your space at the event. If the fee has not been received by January 27, 2011 your space will be awarded to someone else. This fee will be returned to you at the conclusion of the training, or if you cancel with a minimum of 2 weeks notice.

This workshop will be repeated during the last week in June in Vancouver, Washington, if the February dates do not work.

Contact Tracy Godat at tracy.godat@k12.wa.us with any questions.