Pre-Conference Tours & Workshops

Tours

James Lawson High School Tour
Dec. 9, 8:00 a.m.–12:15 p.m.
Registration Cost: $95
Join us for a tour of James Lawson High School, the newest addition to Metro Nashville Public Schools, opened in 2023. Nestled on 274 acres of rolling hills in the scenic Bellevue neighborhood, this impressive 300,000-square-foot campus is a showcase of modern design, innovation, and student-centered learning. Explore the school’s outdoor courtyards, state-of-the-art theater, expansive sports complex, as well as inspiring art studios, advance science labs and a stunning library that anchors a vibrant central commons.

Designed from the ground up around the academy model, James Lawson High School is home to a Freshman Academy and four thriving career academies: Art, Design & Communications, Business & Hospitality, Engineering, and Health Sciences. Each academy features specialized learning spaces and industry-aligned tools tailored to students’ interests and career pathways. Don’t miss this opportunity to explore one of the most forward-thinking high school campuses in the region and see the future of career and technical education in action.

McGavock High School Tour
Dec. 9, 8:15–11:15 a.m.
Registration Cost: $95
Join us for an exciting tour of McGavock High School — Nashville’s largest high school and a shining example of college and career readiness in action. Just minutes from the Gaylord Opryland Resort, McGavock is home to over 1,750 students, creating a vibrant, dynamic school community. Spanning more than 500,000 square feet, McGavock offers an impressive array of programs across four career academies and 13 career and technical education (CTE) pathways. During your visit, you'll experience how students are engaged in hands-on, real-world learning that prepares them for high-demand careers. Highlights include tours of our Aviation & Transportation, Digital Design & Communication, Life Science & Law, and Hospitality & Finance academies. And you'll also see McGavock’s newest additions: a student-run food truck and coffee shop where culinary and business students manage every aspect of the operation — from concept and marketing to day-to-day management. Discover how McGavock High School is blending tradition with innovation to help every student chart their unique path to success.

Northeast Middle School & Kirkwood Middle School (Clarksville-Montgomery County School System)
Dec. 9, 8:00 a.m.–12:45 p.m.
Registration Cost: $95 (lunch included & sponsored by Paxton-Patterson)
Are you passionate about helping students find the right career and technical education (CTE) pathways? Join us as we learn how to:

Increase CTE participant and concentrator rates.
Reduce student misalignment within CTE programs.
Empower students to create personalized career plans.

We’re teaming up with Paxton-Patterson to visit two model middle schools near Nashville that are successfully putting these strategies into action. Lunch sponsored by Paxton-Patterson.

Tennessee College of Applied Technology – Clarksville Campus
Dec. 9, 8:30 a.m.–12:15 p.m.
Registration Cost: $95
Get an inside look at the innovative CMCSS Early Technical College (ETC) at the Tennessee College of Applied Technology in Clarksville — a bold, hybrid learning model that offers high school students a no-cost opportunity to earn technical college credit and aligned industry certifications while completing their high school diploma. During this exciting tour, attendees will explore how ETC students thrive in hands-on, career-focused training across five high-demand pathways: diesel powered equipment technology, heating, air conditioning & refrigeration, industrial electrical maintenance/mechatronics, machine tool technology, and pharmacy technology. Participants will tour shared college and high school learning spaces, hear directly from students, and engage with program leaders who will share the story behind ETC’s development, practical strategies for replication, and the vital role of business and industry partnerships.

Workshops

Building Robust Work-Based Learning Programs: A Step-by-Step Approach
Speaker: Susan Leon
Dec. 9, 1:00–5:00 p.m.
Registration Cost: $175
Unlock the power of work-based learning (WBL)! This practical workshop guides you through the essential steps of establishing and maintaining robust WBL programs, from campus-wide initiatives to classroom-based experiences. Learn actionable strategies for setup, monitoring and ensuring program quality. Participants will:

Gain tangible resources applicable across diverse educational settings, including templates and frameworks
Engage in interactive activities and leave equipped to implement
Scale impactful WBL opportunities for student success.

Building Sustainable Middle School CTE Career Exploration Programs
Speakers: Amy Gunnels & James Hawk
Dec. 9, 1:00–5:00 p.m.
Registration Cost: $175
In this interactive workshop educators will learn to create, implement and sustain middle school career exploration career and technical education (CTE) programs adaptable to any setting — from small, rural schools to large, well-funded districts. Without promoting pre-packaged curricula, this session emphasizes how to design customized, student-centered programs that reflect local needs and resources. Participants will receive actionable tools, including planning templates, resource guides and sample frameworks. Implementation planning will include guided discussions around real-world challenges, such as teacher training, certification, scheduling, and community engagement. Through collaborative activities scenario analysis, and peer dialogue, attendees will develop strategies they can immediately apply in their own schools or organizations. The session ensures that participants walk away with a clear, scalable plan tailored to their unique context.

CTE Admin 101
Speakers: Michelle Conner & Kirsten Coury
Dec. 9, 8:00 a.m.–noon
Registration Cost: $175
ACTE’s popular pre-conference workshop for new K-12 career and technical education (CTE) administrators returns to VISION offering engaging, hands-on learning experiences. Participants will explore the role of a CTE administrator, with a focus on the CTE program model and ACTE's high-quality frameworks. New and aspiring K-12 CTE administrators will learn strategies for leading classroom instruction, managing CTSOs, overseeing work-based learning, building industry partnerships and aligning curriculum. The workshop will also briefly cover how AI can be used to simplify and streamline the work of a CTE administrator. With practical tips, templates and forms, attendees will leave with actionable tools to enhance their programs and implement key takeaways in their own districts. Don’t miss this opportunity to elevate your leadership and stay at the forefront of CTE!

CTE for All: Hands-On Strategies to Engage Every Learner
Speakers: Amanda Bastoni & Heather Singmaster
Dec. 9, 8:00 a.m.–noon
Registration Cost: $175
Engaging every learner in CTE requires intentional strategies and practical tools. In this interactive workshop, we will provide hands-on activities and real-world examples to help secondary and postsecondary CTE educators and administrators support all students, including those with disabilities, English language learners and nontraditional learners. Participants will:

Gain practical strategies to increase student engagement and remove barriers to learning using best practices, including Universal Design for Learning — a research-backed framework recognized in Perkins V
Explore AI as a tool to develop new instructional materials
Highlight free, high-quality resources available through Digital Promise and CTE Learn that can be leveraged to build capacity for CTE educators who want to learn more and directly improve classroom engagement

Attendees will leave with ready-to-use strategies, new ideas from peers, and a clear roadmap for learning opportunities in their classrooms and programs.

District Administrator Best Practices for CTSO Support & Engagement
Speaker: Robert Van Dyke
Dec. 9, 1:00–5:00 p.m.
Registration Cost: $200
This session will provide district administrators with essential strategies for managing Career and Technical Student Organizations (CTSOs). Participants will learn how to foster student engagement, support advisors and align CTSO activities with district goals. Key topics include budgeting, resource allocation and leveraging community partnerships. Attendees will also explore best practices for promoting CTSOs, ensuring compliance with state and national standards, and measuring program success. By the end of the session, administrators will be equipped with actionable insights to enhance the impact of CTSOs, driving student achievement and career readiness.

Industry Partnerships That Scale: Strengthening Career Academies & Workforce
Speaker: Jenn Edge
Dec. 9, 8:00 a.m.–noon
Registration Cost: $175
Industry partnerships in CTE programs often start strong but fade without a structured system to sustain them. This session goes beyond employer engagement to focus on building an integrated, long-term industry partnership model that connects students, schools, and the community, aligned with workforce needs and the career academy model. This session introduces the Blueprint for Powerful Partnerships, a structured approach to moving beyond advisory councils and ad-hoc industry engagement. By embedding partnerships into the career academy model, this system ensures that industry collaboration is scalable, community-driven, and workforce-aligned.

Powerhouse Strategies to Recruit, Retain & Reinspire the Post-Pandemic Student
Presenter: Mark Perna
Dec. 9, 8:00 a.m.–noon
Registration Cost: $175
Join education visionary Mark C. Perna for cutting-edge insights to recruit, retain and reinspire post-pandemic students with hope and motivation! Amid challenging levels of student apathy and negative behaviors, CTE has a new opportunity to reconnect with Gen Z. Discover how to:

Unlock Gen Z’s missing motivation to build a personal competitive advantage
Attract, retain and graduate more of the right students in the right programs/pathways
Set a compelling rally point in your classroom, organization and community
Empower parents to partner with you
And much more!

Perna will share not just his positive, data-driven outlook on CTE, but also the practical steps to reach that strong future. Join us to experience a new vision for the post-pandemic student.

Revitalizing CTE Instruction: Innovative Strategies for Seasoned Educators
Speakers: Michelle Conrad, Larae Watkins & Kemaly Parr
Time: 8:00 a.m.–noon
Registration Cost: $205
Quality CTE instruction increases student engagement and can impact student achievement. To be effective, instructional strategies must align with specific CTE concepts and skills being taught. This interactive session invites seasoned educators to critically evaluate, select and apply teaching and learning strategies that enhance student learning and engagement. Participants will:

Explore a variety of instructional strategies to apply within CTE classrooms and labs
Investigate ways to utilize curriculum-aligned, work-based learning experiences within CTE instruction
Analyze ways to teach (or re-teach) their content to engage all learners.

Experienced teachers, faculty, and administrators should plan to bring their own CTE curricular content to utilize within the session! Participants will also use and receive a copy of ACTE’s resource, Instructional Strategies for Career & Technical Educators.

State Association Leadership Training
Tuesday, Dec. 9, 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
Registration Cost: $40
Join ACTE for a full-day leadership training designed for current and emerging state association leaders. This interactive session focuses on essential leadership and association management skills aligned with ACTE’s Quality Association Standards. Topics include governance, membership, finances, communications, and public policy. Participants will gain practical strategies to strengthen their state associations. Ideal for executive directors, board members, and committee leaders.

Note: Lunch is not provided.
Questions? Contact Kelli Diemer.

Strengthening K-8 Career Exploration to Drive CTE Enrollment and Success
Speakers: Hans Meeder & Joann Hudak
Dec. 9, 8:00 a.m.–noon
Registration Cost: $185
Many school systems struggle with disconnected career exploration and CTE programs, leading to under-enrollment or mismatches between students and CTE pathways. Without a structured approach, students may enter programs that don’t align with their skills or interests — resulting in disengagement and missed opportunities. Join us for this high-impact, four-hour workshop designed for CTE administrators and counseling leaders seeking to enhance student engagement, increase enrollment in "best-fit" CTE programs, and align career readiness efforts across K-12. Participants will develop practical strategies and actionable solutions to strengthen career exploration and CTE enrollment.

Vision to Action: Mastering Brand Strategy & Marketing for CTE
Presenter: Molly McGowan Gorsuch
Dec. 9, 1:00–5:00 p.m.
Registration Cost: $175
In this transformative session, Rhodes Branding's K-12 branding and marketing strategists will take participants on a journey that starts with the big picture — understanding the role of branding and marketing in shaping the future of career and technical education (CTE). They’ll then drill down into practical, actionable strategies that CTE leaders can implement immediately to elevate their programs and resonate with students, families and industry partners. Combining expert insights with hands-on activities, this session will empower attendees to return to their districts and schools with a clear plan and the tools they need to make an impact.