As we prepare for the 50th Anniversary Arizona CTE Connection Conference: Empower Lives, we invite you to craft sessions that will inspire, engage, and empower Arizona’s CTE community. This conference, taking place from July 10-16, 2025, is a premier event designed to CONNECT CTE professionals with the networks, resources, and skills they need to make a lasting impact on students’ lives.
We encourage you to design sessions that focus not only on career readiness and best practices, but also on hands-on learning and organic networking opportunities. Your session should provide attendees—whether teachers, counselors, administrators, or industry partners—with practical tools and strategies that they can apply directly to their work.
Please ensure that your session fosters collaboration and provides a space for participants to engage deeply with the material, learn from one another, and strengthen their professional connections within the CTE family.
We look forward to seeing the innovative and impactful sessions you create as we come together to Empower Lives through CTE!
NOTE: Potential presenters should read ALL of this information before submitting a proposal.
Dates of Conference: July 10-16, 2025
Locations: Loews Ventana Canyon Resort and the Westin La Paloma in Tucson, Arizona
Deadline to Submit Proposal is December 27, 2024.
All proposals are peer-reviewed. Final decisions will be made, and submitters will be notified of the status of their proposal via e-mail by January 22, 2025.
ONLY SUBMIT A PROPOSAL FOR YOURSELF
Length of Presentation – All presentations are 90 minutes and will be Friday morning through Tuesday afternoon. Thursday is limited to invitation only classes.
Please only submit if you can present at any time during the conference. Do not submit a proposal for someone else.
Listed below is a curated list of topics to provide CTE professionals with a wide range of insights and practical tools to continue making a meaningful impact on their students and the future workforce.
CTE’s Role in Arizona’s Workforce Ecosystem
Explore how CTE programs are critical to the state’s workforce development and economic growth, highlighting the role of CTE in preparing students for high-demand industries.
Work-Based Learning and the Future of the Workforce
Discover the latest trends and strategies for connecting students with real-world work experiences that enhance their career readiness and align with industry needs.
Empowering Hands-On Learning
Learn techniques and strategies to create engaging, hands-on learning environments that equip students with the technical and professional skills required for career success.
CTE Program and Industry Partnerships to Elevate Student Success
Explore best practices for building and maintaining strong partnerships between CTE programs and industry, driving student achievement and aligning education with workforce demands.
Leadership Skills for CTE and Educational Leaders
Enhance your leadership abilities and learn how to inspire and lead CTE teams at the district and school levels, with a focus on strategic planning and professional growth.
Best Practices in Connecting Students with Industry Licensure and Certifications
Discover how to align CTE programs with industry standards and certifications to give students a competitive edge in the workforce.
Developing and Sustaining Effective Post-Secondary Partnerships
Learn how to cultivate dual enrollment programs, shared advisory councils, and other partnerships that bridge secondary and post-secondary education for greater student success.
Student Assessment and Measuring Success in CTE
Uncover innovative assessment strategies that measure both technical and professional skills to ensure students are meeting the demands of today’s careers.
Engaging Instruction: Creating Active Learning Environments
Explore proven techniques for making instruction more dynamic and engaging, fostering deeper student involvement and better learning outcomes.
Tools and Strategies for Improving Career Literacy
Learn how to promote career literacy across campuses and communities, equipping students with the knowledge and tools to navigate career pathways effectively.
Career and Technical Student Organizations (CTSO) Best Practices
Explore ways to strengthen student organizations that provide leadership development and enhance career-readiness through extracurricular involvement.
Student Recruitment and Retention
Discuss effective methods for attracting and retaining students in CTE programs, with a focus on building pathways to long-term success.
Standards-Aligned and Integrated Curriculum
Learn how to align curriculum with state and national standards while integrating real-world experiences to better prepare students for both certification and employment.
Growing CTE Ambassadors: Advocacy and Research
Empower CTE professionals with the tools to advocate for CTE at the local, state, and national levels, using the latest data and research to showcase its impact.
Facilities, Equipment, Technology, and Materials for CTE
Explore the importance of maintaining cutting-edge facilities, equipment, and materials to ensure students are working with tools that mirror industry standards.
Speed Networking: CTE Program Sharing and Collaboration
Engage in quick, dynamic networking opportunities to share program successes, challenges, and innovative solutions with colleagues from across the state.
Guidelines: Please do not use acronyms, initials or CAPS in your name, affiliation, address, title, or description. ACTEAZ/ADE reserves the right to edit presentation titles and descriptions for length and content.
Accepted Presenters and co-presenters are responsible for ALL conference related expenses, including travel, lodging, and meals.
Please bring enough handouts and materials for 20 participants. We also can upload the documents into our Mobile App so that attendees in the class have them for later.
By submitting a Call for Presentations, you grant permission for the use of your name, voice and/or likeness related to your participation in any event affiliated with the ACTE 2025 Summer Conference. You waive all rights to any compensation and to approve the images, social media, audio and/or printed and electronic material in which they are used, and you release the Association Career Technical Education of Arizona (ACTEAZ), Arizona Department of Education (ADE), ACTEAZ Affiliates, and its employees, consultants and agents from any claims, damages, or liability.
If you have any questions, please contact [email protected] or Courtney Cook at [email protected] or Shelly York at [email protected]