The federal Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act require states to set aside at least $60,000 - $150,000 in preparing individuals for nontraditional fields.  Washington State has chosen to have both the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges and the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction set aside $75,000 each for nontraditional grants to local recipients.  The goal is to provide preparation for nontraditional fields in current and emerging professions and other activities that expose students, including special populations, to high skill, high wage occupations.

The following districts have been awarded the nontraditional competitive grant for the 2011-12 school year, totaling $84,700.

• $10,000 to McLoughlin Middle School, Vancouver
• $6,100 to Eastmont School District
• $7,500 to Granite Falls School District
• $10,000 to North Kitsap School District
• $10,000 to Vancouver School of the Arts and Academics, Vancouver
• $3,000 to Walla Walla School District
• $10,000 to Seattle Public Schools
• $5,100 to Tumwater School District
• $10,000 to Clover Park School District
• $5,000 to Auburn School District
• $4,000 to Spanaway Lake High School, Bethel
• $4,000 to Graham-Kapowsin High School, Bethel

Women in Construction Week is next week: March 4-10.

NAWIC Puget Sound announced they have allocated $2,500 toward three scholarship awards for 2012. The following categories and amounts are available:

• $1200 for an undergraduate in a bachelor's degree program in construction management, engineering, or architecture.
• $800 for an undergraduate in a 2-year program in construction management, architecture, engineering, welding, carpentry, "green" building, or other construction related program.
• $500 for a construction trades apprenticeship program student

Contact Maureen at  info.nawicps@gmail.com for information or for an updated list of eligible school. 

The application deadline is March 15. 

Applications and eligibility criteria may be obtained online here: http://www.nawic.org/nawic/NFSF.asp.

Please pass this info on to all career counselors and specialists.

Calling all K-12 sareer specialists and career counselors. Help us identify what you need most to assist students to explore their options for educational and career pathways.  Tell us what information you need to be an even stronger resource for helping our young people navigate the world of work and develop the knowledge and skills needed to thrive.

According to Senator Patty Murray, "We have a skills deficit. People who want to go to work don't have the skills for the [good] jobs in their own community."

The Manufacturing Technology Advisory Group (MTAG) will be offering free professional development opportunities to support Washington State career specialists and career counselors in K-12. The kickoff event will be Tuesday, May 1, 2012 at Edmonds Community College. The series is designed to strengthen the efforts of career specialists as they help students make important post-secondary choices.

We are inviting career advisors and career counselors in your district complete this quick survey so we can provide enhanced tools for their use and professional development.  Please forward this email to all Career Specialists/Career Advisors in your school district.

Click here to take the Professional Development Survey.

The survey is open until 5:00 p.m. Friday, March 16.

Becky Wallace - Outstanding Young Member

Andy Williams (Lind, WA) - Outstanding Program

Denny Wallace - Outstanding Service

Randi Krieg - Teacher Turn the Key participant

3 NAAE Region 1 Award Recipients

The 4th annual Try-A-Trade is taking place on May 3, at the Regional Education and Training Center at Satsop.

Try-A-Trade is a full day event designed to give high school students hands on experience in the skilled trades. Through the different opportunities and demonstrations at Try-A-Trade, students can explore their interests and gather information about how to get start out on a variety of career paths after graduation.

This year also marks the return of the Washington State Labor Council's Counselor  Apprenticeship Workshop. 

The Apprenticeship Workshop is focused on expanding  counselor's knowledge of apprenticeship options and giving them the tools to assist their  students in finding and securing apprenticeships and training programs that suit their  particular interests. Space and bus scholarships are limited.

Student Registration:  Email Garrett.starks@retcs.org. Phone at (360) 482-1755. Counselor Registration: email Kairie Pierce at  kpierce@wslc.org.  Phone at (360) 943-0608.

The Foundation For Private Enterprise Education (Washington Business Week) uses experiential learning to teach high school students about careers, business, leadership, and teamwork while they gain valuable life skills and college credit (optional) in a fun and exciting way. Students can choose programs in Business, Healthcare, Manufacturing, Energy and Agri-Business.  Students live on one of four university campuses (Gonzaga, CWU, WWU or PLU) for a full week and get a taste of college life, mentored by industry professionals.  

Registration is now open for all programs.  To learn more, watch this 9 minute documentary or download flyers for classroom distribution.  For more information go to www.wbw.org, or contact WBW at (253) 815-6900, or Herman Calzadillas, Pathways Manager, at herman@wbw.org; (253) 561-1840.

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 - see the website for themes. 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 at the WithinReach website. Contact the project coordinator, Creagh Miller, at creaghm@withinreachwa.org.

• 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.

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.

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.

47th Annual National Association for Workforce Improvement (NAWI) conference, Pathways to Prosperity: Innovation for the 21st Century Workforce in Boston, MA, May 23-25 This year's NAWI conference will focus on ways education stimulates creation and innovation. Keynote speakers and presenters will discuss how we strengthen workforce development to engage learners in the art of making things, utilizing academic and technical resources, and to instill the entrepreneurial spirit in everyone. Learn more here. 

Recently, the students at River View High School in Finley, WA, were featured on NBC affiliate KNDU 25. At the beginning of the school year the high school Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) chapter received a grant from  fueluptoplay60.com and the Dairy Farmers of Washington to host "fitness challenges," including this "Heart Smart Dance Challenge."

Students at the high school could "go online every day to record 60 minutes of exercise and their food intake" in an effort to promote healthy living throughout life. Take a look at the video to learn how it went.

Applications now open for summer Materials Camp opportunities. Here's your opportunity to participate in a week-long, hands-on lab experience that shows you how to use applied engineering techniques in the classroom. Camp is July 16-20 in Seattle. Apply here. Learn more here.

Announcing the 2012 Christopher Columbus Foundation-U.S. Chamber of Commerce Life Sciences Awards. Deadline for submission is Tuesday, March 27. Apply here.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce supports American industry dedicated to protecting human health through the testing, manufacturing and marketing of biomedical products. As scientific innovation of biomedical products begins at the lab bench, the Chamber has formed a partnership with the Christopher Columbus Fellowship Foundation, a Federal government agency with the mission of promoting and encouraging new discoveries, to present the Fourth Annual Life Sciences Awards. 

The awards recognize, through four monetary awards, one adult scientist/researcher; one current high school educators; and two current high school students who are judged to exemplify excellence in life sciences.

The Washington State Science and Engineering Fair 2012 is hosting a course on project development, March 31 in Bremerton.

From making structured observations to communicating scientific results in a poster presentation, this 4-hr course will cover the fundamentals of how scientists develop projects. Participants will walk through the development of a complete science fair project by learning how to ask a testable research question, collect and analyze quantitative data, and display the four parts of a scientific report. The course will help parents and teachers guide students in producing independent science research projects while meeting the Washington State education standards.

Seating is limited; to reserve a seat send an email to gary.c.foss@boeing.com.