Celebrate with the 2012 theme, CTE: Careers Through Education. Congratulations to the creator of the 2012 CTE Month logo, student Hannah Stover.

Download the logo here -- please complete this form about your usage of the 2012 CTE Month logo and return it to Online Communications Manager Jon Miller -- logo use and restriction agreement.

Find out more about CTE Month here.

Begin an adventure in STEM in 2012. Join a "women in STEM" online community. Participate in a summer experience at NASA Johnson Space Center in Summer 2012. Collaborate with girls from across the country and female NASA engineers and interns. 

For specific project information, visit http://wish.aerospacescholars.org. 

Apply before February 22, 2012. 

As of January 27, 2012, 51 schools across Washington have administered over 2,250 certification exams.

The top certifying schools as of January 27, 2012 :

• Kamiakin High School -- 107 certifications passed
• Hazen Senior High School -- 55 certifications passed
• Lindbergh Senior High School -- 52 certifications passed
• Auburn Mountainview High School -- 39 certifications passed
• Anacortes High School -- 27 certifications passed

In-Person Training Dates:                      

Tumwater, Wednesday, February 15, 2012, 9:00am-4:00pm

Redmond, Thursday, February 16, 2012, 9:00am-4:00pm

Spokane, Thursday, March 1, 2012, 9:00am-4:00pm

Yakima, Friday, March 2, 2012, 9:00am-4:00pm

Anacortes, Wednesday, March 7, 2012, 9:00am-4:00pm

Register now.

Auburn Mountainview High School continues to have great success with the Microsoft Office Specialist program. Student Ian Nelson recently attained his Microsoft Office 2007 Master certification under the guidance of teacher Patty Eckelman. "We really feel that the partnership between Microsoft and OSPI has been a great opportunity for students to get certified who might not have otherwise due to certain barriers such as accessibility and expense," said Eckelman. 

"Being able to provide our students with a lifelong credential that proves that they are technically skilled is wonderful. I can't think of a better addition to their resumes." Eckelman added that "from a teacher's perspective, the certification experience has been seamless. Dan Sweeney and Emily Daubert from CCI Learning Solutions have been fabulous in helping us every step of the way."

Ian, who plans to enter into either the corporate law or computer engineering field, is a senior at Auburn Mountainview. "Being able to have the opportunity to get these certifications in high school is awesome," he said, adding that "this certification is what will set me apart from the rest when I go to apply for jobs." As for Ian's test-taking experience, he "definitely enjoyed the process. It's a lot of hard work, but when you finally see the screen that says 'Congratulations, you passed!', it is all worth it. I couldn't stop smiling!"

Next up for Ian is working towards his Microsoft Office 2010 Master certification and we wish him the best of luck.

• Reflects their commitment to STEM education by choosing a STEM education pathway to develop science, technology, engineering and mathematics learning opportunities for all students;
• Shows the team's understanding of the context in which they work (local, state and national) by setting goals and identifying the critical issues associated with these goals;
• Leverages prior efforts to: build students' abilities, understandings, skills and habits of mind in the areas of inquiry, problem-solving,  and design; improve achievement, college and work readiness; and demonstrate the connections between academic learning and the world beyond the classroom;
• Meaningfully integrates the current national Common Core Standards in Mathematics, English Language Arts, National Education Technology Standards and A Framework for K-12 Science Education;
• Uses current education research and strategies to design highly effective STEM education programs;
• Applies strategies for building awareness if a shared vision for STEM learning and teaching with all formal and informal stakeholders; and
• Incorporates a plan to evaluate/provide feedback for continuous improvement.

Any instructor with 3-years of experience teaching construction trade courses may be eligible to earn certification to teach the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) curriculum. As an NCCER Certified Instructor, a skilled and technical trade teacher is eligible to provide the NCCER portable, industry-recognized training documents in the form of wallet cards, transcripts, and certificates to each student, while directly aligning with Perkins standards. Additionally, all NCCER-generated industry credentials are recorded and maintained at the NCCER's National Registry and can provide career opportunities and training advancement articulation through an established career pathway. 

The course will be offered at CITC Campus in Bellevue and possibly one in Eastern Washington is numbers warrant. Cost is $125.00 per person plus about $60.00 for the instructor certification manual. Contact Dave Perrin for more information. dave@citcwa.com or call at (425) 285-2322.

NCCER is a 501 (c) 3 education foundation founded more than a decade ago by leading contractors, associations and manufacturers with the mission to develop a safe, productive and sustainable workforce of craft professionals. 

Peninsula College Hybrid Train-The-Trainer: NSF Grant provides a reduced costs for these In-service opportunities: Hybrid Train-The-Trainer , 5 days beginning July 9, 2012; Predictive Maintenance, 3 days beginning July 16, 2012 and Hybrid Battery Rebuild, 2 days beginning July 19, 3012. All will be held in Port Angeles. For more information or to register please contact  mhansen@pencol.edu.

In 15 years, GAAS has awarded more than 1,500 scholarships and more than $1.5 million to students planning careers in the automotive aftermarket.  In 2011 GAAS awarded 99 $1,000 scholarships in the US and eight in Canada. Most recipients are training to become technicians in mechanical, collision, or heavy duty areas.

Students apply on line at www.automotivescholarships.com.  The deadline for applications is March 31, 2012. GAAS scholarships are open to full time students attending an accredited college or university or an ASE/NATEF certified Automotive, Collision, HD, or Alternate Fuel program. Graduating high school students planning to attend college or a NATEF school are welcome to apply.

In addition, about 20 other donors and organizations collaborate with GAAS and make additional scholarship awards.  Some of these, like the Alliance of Automotive Service Providers of Minnesota, the Association of Diesel Specialists, Mitchell1, and the Women's Board offer scholarships specifically for technician students.

Once a student submits a complete application (including an essay, school transcripts, and at least one reference letter), their application is forwarded to GAAS and to every organization where they meet the qualifications.  In 2011, 22 students received multiple awards from their one application.

Download a poster here.

Automotive instructors, register today for the Automotive Training Expo 2012, at https://atetrainingexpo.com/register.

The expo is February 24-26, 2012, in SeaTac, WA. Clock hours are available. Contact Brenda at brenda@asawa.com with questions.

Any interested CTE Directors or Construction instructors are invited to learn about NCCER (National Center for Construction Education and Research) Programs and Credentials (certificate) by participating in one of the following webinars:

• Tuesday, January 24, 2012, at 3:15pm PST. Register here.
• Wednesday, February 8, 2012, at 3:00pm PST. Register here. 
• Thursday, March 1, 2012, at 12:00pm PST. Register here.

WithinReach, a health-focused statewide non-profit is creating a new website for teen parents, and your student's photos could be highlighted. 

Submissions will be accepted February 13 - March 12, 2012. WithinReach requests digital color photos (themes will be announced in February). Winners will have their photos highlighted on WashingTeenHelp.org, which is launching in the spring of 2012. Winners will also receive a photography-related gift certificate. The grand prize winner and their photography teacher will be honored in person in Seattle at WithinReach's annual luncheon on April 25, 2012.

More details will be available in February at the WithinReach website. Contact the project coordinator, Creagh Miller, at creaghm@withinreachwa.org.

The 29th annual Washington TSA state conference is at the Bellevue Hilton on March 22-24, 2012.  The registration deadline is February 17, 2012.

For complete information about the conference visit: www.washingtontsa.org or the state conference page.