ADVOCACY TOOLKIT

Special thanks to Robert Van Dyke, CACTE Past President, for compiling this information!

One of the most effective advocacy tools CACTE has is you! Becoming an advocate is one of the most important actions you can take to secure the future of CTE.

Take advantage of these super cool videos developed by CCCS for us to use! Filmed in COLORADO, featuring COLORADO CTE PROGRAMS, the videos have Spanish and English closed-captioning. There are 4 videos from which to choose, aimed at different audiences. They are linked on the www.coloradostateplan.com website, about halfway down the home page or here for your use.

• Colorado CTE Overview, 3:52 minutes
• Colorado CTE for Students, 2:38 minutes
• Colorado CTE for Parents, 2:44 minutes
• Colorado CTE for Counselors, 2:41 minutes

How to Advocate for CTE at the Local Level!

ACTE’s Mike Matthews, Government Relations Manager, presented this Breakout Session at the 2021 CACTE Virtual Summit. CLICK HERE to access his slides and see what you can learn about local level advocacy!

CACTE and ACTE have developed a wide variety of tools to assist you in your advocacy activities, keep you informed and promote ongoing support for CTE. The tools here provide step-by-step directions and examples that will help you reach out to policymakers at the local, state and federal levels, as well as your community and the media.

From your Members of Congress to your state and local policymakers, these individuals all make decisions that impact CTE. With your help, we can ensure the strength and future of CTE!

CTE ADVOCACY Lesson Plan

This lesson plan is designed to engage your students in advocating for CTE with policymakers and is aligned to the National CTE Common Core Standards and all CTE program area standards. Be sure to use it to promote Career & Technical Education during CTE month! Please refer to the 2021 CTE Advocacy “Asks”, CACTE Legislative Priorities and CCCS 2018-2019 CTE Fact Sheet for talking points!

CACTE thanks members Lawson Miller and Kim Reiser, Cherry Creek Schools, for creating the CTE ADVOCACY Lesson Plan! And thank you to Mimi Leonard, retired from Littleton Public Schools, for revising the lesson for use in 2021.

CTE Month Activities

Career and Technical Education Month^®, or CTE Month^®, is a public awareness campaign that takes place each February to celebrate the value of CTE and the achievements and accomplishments of CTE programs across the country.What can I do to celebrate CTE Month?

• Encourage your students to participate in the CTE Month and NASA HUNCH Video Challenge
• Host a school visit and invite members of your local community to learn about your school’s strong CTE programs firsthand
• Engage your policymakers and the media to encourage them to attend events and advise them of the benefits of CTE, or use social media to do the same
• Work with business and industry leaders to ensure they understand the role CTE plays in readying their future workforce
• Purchase pens, pencils, lanyards and other CTE Month Merchandise to use at events or at your school
• Download our CTE Month logo for use with any print or digital outreach

Please note that the term “CTE Month” or “Career and Technical Education Month” must be followed by the trademark sign (®) the first time it appears in a document or visual presentation.

Working With Policymakers

Policymakers work for you and your students! CACTE encourages you to visit your local, state, and federal policymakers often and remind them of the value of CTE. Below are some resources on how to plan and carry out these visits.

• Visiting Policymakers
• Calling Policymakers
• Building Relationships With Policymakers
• Corresponding With Policymakers
• Hosting a Site Visit for Policymakers
• Testifying Before Policymakers
• Social Media Advocacy
• Congressional Directory
• Congressional CTE Caucus
• ACTE’s Legislative Alerts

Media and Community Outreach

You are doing amazing things in your program and you should be sharing them with the media and community. Use the following tips to engage the media and community to become advocates for your program.

• Targeting the Media
• Building Community Support
• Media Directory

Policy and Advocacy Publications

Be sure to use the following publications and fact sheets to support your program and your CTE advocacy efforts.

• Fact Sheets to Promote CTE
• State Policy Info
• General info on Federal Legislation
• Business Leader’s Guide to Advocacy