The Career and Technical Education State Competitive Grant for 2011-2012 school year is now posted on iGrants as Form Package 414.

Purpose:

• Increase the quality and rigor of secondary Career and Technical Education in support of high demand occupational areas,
• Improve links to postsecondary education, encourage and facilitate academic instruction through Career and Technical Education courses, and
• Expand the access to and awareness of the opportunities offered by high quality career and Technical Education.

Priority considerations:

• Programs in the following areas:

o   Manufacturing: Aerospace, Marine Technology, etc.

o   Biomedical

o   Health Sciences

o   Engineering

• Programs considered being in highest demand in the state or applicable region.
• Programs that lead to occupational credentials and/or post-secondary articulation.
• Districts participating in developing and adopting course equivalencies in math and/or science.

Due Date: Thursday, November 10, 2011.

Mark your calendars for February 25, 2012, for an Arts, A/V Technology and Communications Cluster targeted mini-conference,open to all teacher who may benefit form workshops including: Adobe Lightroom, Anyone Can Draw, Social Networking and Mimeo Pads. The conference will be held in Kennewick. Registration $99 includes clock hours, lunch and single day training. Go to www.wasts.us for more information and registration.

Did you know that every 26 seconds a young person in the United States drops out of high school? You can help turn that statistic around by participating with SkillsUSA in the 26 Seconds Campaign. By doing so, you can win prizes, scholarships and help SkillsUSA and the student drop-out crisis in the process. 

Help take back the stat by taking the pledge to graduate via the BMOR Project. 

If you wish to participate, when you pledge, select SkillsUSA as your affiliation. Then, return to the BMOR Project regularly to participate in the new activities that launch on the 26th of each month. Right now, in addition to a chance to win monthly prizes when you participate, you'll also receive a 26 Seconds T-shirt just for pledging. Plus, you can share videos, photos, projects (like SkillsUSA's Student2Student Program), artwork and creative writings on the Facebook page. By doing so, your creativity may also be chosen to be featured on www.26seconds.com. Shine a light on yourself, your school and the importance of high school graduation.

February 1, 2012, is the deadline for the entries to the SkillsUSA National Conference Pin and T-shirt design competition. This event is open to all paid student members of SkillsUSA and it's a great way to have a student and advisor from your state recognized in front of a national audience. A plaque for the teacher and student, plus a school grant to the advisor of the winning student, will be awarded. Rules are in the membership kit and are also posted on the SkillsUSA website at http://skillsusa.org/compete/other.shtml. Questions may be directed to Heidi Ambrose at 703-737-0615 or to hambrose@skillsusa.org.

Here is an exciting new opportunity to engage girls of the Pacific Northwest in robotics. As partners in a National Science Foundation grant, the Pacific Northwest Girls Collaborative Project will host a one-week educator training for regional organizations to learn to use the WaterBotics™ curriculum. Potential participants must apply to receive the training at no-cost. 

The training will be held in the Seattle area, January 23-27, 2012, each day from 8:00am-5:00pm.  For more information on educator requirements and to access the application, visit: http://www.ngcproject.org/events/events.cfm?eventid=225.   If you have questions, please contact Laura Enman, Project Manager, at lenman@edlabgroup.org.

Registrations deadline is December 1, 2011. For more information go to http://autoskills.aaa.com. Last year, the competition offered nearly $12 million in scholarships, with teams in the top 10 earning tuition to some of the nation's top automotive technology schools. They also receive a Ford engine for their schools' automotive technology programs to use for training purposes.

Are you a middle school or high school teacher interested in learning how to successfully engage students in science, technology, engineering, and math concepts by using robotics? If so, LEGO® Education and National Instruments (NI) would like to invite you to a FREE robotics symposium where you will experience the benefits of robotics and learn how to get started using our hands-on STEM solution in your classroom.

Saturday, November 12        

8:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.

University of Washington, Haggett Hall, Cascade Room (Seattle, Washington)     

Lunch will be provided.  

Seating limited to 70 participants.  

Reservations required. Registration due by Friday, November 4, 2011.

The Washington FCCLA Advisor of the year award was presented to Debbie Romesburg of Clarkston Washington at the WA ACTE Summer Conference. This award  goes to an advisor  who has significantly contributed to leadership development and growth of their students at local, state and national levels. Debbie has taught for 19 years and always inspires her students to create positive change in their community with FCCLA projects. She has taken many students all the way to Gold level recognition at the national level, served on the advisory board and helped many a student officer grow through the experience of serving at the state level.

Susan Wolf from Ferris High School and Susan Heyer from Sequim High School. Received Scholarships to attend the WA-FACSE and AAFCS fall conference The Exec Committee decided to give them to two members at large. Check out Susan's presentation on the new costuming class at the conference. Be sure to apply next year.

Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill.

November 4-6, 2011

$ 350.00 Registration includes two nights' lodging, meal events, and full participation in the conference this conference helps prepare classroom educators to be more effective teachers of personal finance at any grade level Pre-K through 12; and in any subject matter-including social studies, math, business, consumer finance, economics, and language arts. To learn more, visit http://nhjumpstart.org/NationalEducatorConference2011.htm. 

Samsung has launched its unique education initiative, Samsung Solve for Tomorrow for the 2011/2012 school year. This exciting contest has a special focus on supporting math and science learning in middle and high schools across the country. , your school will have a chance to win a piece of $1,000,000 in technology.

Twenty-five classrooms will be selected and equipped with a camcorder, laptop, and video editing software to create videos addressing the challenge, "Show how STEM can help the environment in your community.

Apply or get more information at www.samsung.com/solvefortomorrow to apply or visit on Facebook at http://bit.ly/solvefortomorrow.

• Basic orca biology
• Orca food webs and chains
• The status of orcas in Puget Sound
• Conservation issues

Through the IT Academy partnership, Microsoft and state officials partner to make technology training and industry-recognized certification available to every high school, skills center, ESD and tribal school in the state, regardless of location, size or economic status. 

Online and in person trainings throughout the fall have reached staff representing over 400 sites in Washington, and over 225 Microsoft Office Specialist Centers have been registered in WA.   Thank you to all the staff in the districts working to rollout ITA in schools. 

If you would like to integrate IT skills into your course, or have questions about IT Academy, please contact waita@microsoft.com or waita@k12.wa.us

Important Contact information for IT Academy: 

Technical support or guidance with E-Learning or IT Academy specific benefits.

• Phone: 1-800-508-8454 for immediate help (5:30am - 5:30pm PST)
• Email: acadsupp@microsoft.com expect 24-48 hour response time

Register for IT Academy Training: http://waschools.ccilearning.com/ 

OSPI IT Academy Moodle:

http://edtech.ospi.k12.wa.us/course/view.php?id=7

Certification Support

1-800-668-1669