WA-ACTE 2026 Summer Conference

1:00pm PDT

WE-BAM Board Meeting

Saturday August 1, 2026 1:00pm - 4:00pm PDT

Meeting Room # 1

The 2025-26 WE-BAM Board will meet to go over the annual agenda and work. Agenda to be sent soon.

Speakers

Emily Wray

Operations Director WE-BAM, WE-BAM

Saturday August 1, 2026 1:00pm - 4:00pm PDT
Meeting Room # 1

WE-BAM

10:00am PDT

Amplify Student Success Using MBA Research Resources and AI Tools for FBLA Competitive Events

Sunday August 2, 2026 10:00am - 10:45am PDT

Terrace West

Discover how to combine MBA Research resources with emerging AI tools to better prepare students for classroom learning and FBLA competitive events. Learn practical strategies for using study guides to align instruction with the expectations of competitive events, and explore how AI can support lesson planning, generate practice activities, and help students build the skills needed to succeed in both the classroom and competition.

Speakers

Tami Perez

Vice President of Professional Learning, MBA Research & Curriculum Center

Tami Perez is an accomplished educational leader with extensive experience in career and technical education, instructional leadership, professional development, and community partnership development. Throughout her career, she has demonstrated a strong commitment to empowering educators... Read More →

Holli Ryan-Kalaleh

Program Supervisor, Career Technical Education, Washington OSPI

Holli Kalaleh serves as a Program Supervisor at the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI). In partnership with Washington educators, CTSOs, and industry experts, her work focuses on transformative processes and programs that encourage innovation in career skills... Read More →

Sunday August 2, 2026 10:00am - 10:45am PDT
Terrace West Second Floor Davenport Grand

WE-BAM

10:00am PDT

Bringing Business, Personal Finance, and Career Readiness Together

Sunday August 2, 2026 10:00am - 10:45am PDT

Meeting Room # 4

AP Business with Personal Finance helps schools expand access to rigorous, relevant, career-connected learning and is included on Washington’s state industry-recognized credential list. This session will highlight practical strategies for using the course to build financial literacy, business knowledge, and real-world decision-making. Through interactive discussion and practical examples, attendees will leave with concrete strategies for integrating AP into CTE programs and engaging districts, schools, and partners to support student success across college and career pathways.

Speakers

Mikael Taylor

Director, K-12, College Board

Mikael Taylor is a K–12 education strategist at College Board, where he partners with districts and state agencies across Washington and Utah to expand access to Advanced Placement coursework. Over the past six years, he has worked alongside school and district leaders to grow AP... Read More →

Sunday August 2, 2026 10:00am - 10:45am PDT
Meeting Room # 4

WE-BAM

11:00am PDT

Ideas for a Student Ran Enterprise

Sunday August 2, 2026 11:00am - 11:45am PDT

Meeting Room # 4

A student-run enterprise is a business or operational project created, managed, and operated by students as part of their education. It functions as a real-world business within a school or community setting, allowing students to apply classroom learning to practical, hands-on scenarios. I will highlight successful programs and give ideas to how to start your own.

Artists

Andrew Hill

President, Northwest Technical Products Inc

After graduating from the University of Washington with a BS in Mechanical Engineering I was employed by Northwest Technical Products as the field service technician in 1996. In 2011 I took over ownership. In the last 29 years I have worked with all aspects of skills based training... Read More →

Sunday August 2, 2026 11:00am - 11:45am PDT
Meeting Room # 4

WE-BAM

11:00am PDT

Level Up to Win: AI + MBA Research for DECA Success

Sunday August 2, 2026 11:00am - 11:45am PDT

Terrace West

Discover how to integrate MBA Research resources with emerging AI tools to elevate student readiness for both classroom learning and DECA competitive events. This session will highlight practical approaches to using performance indicators to align instruction with competitive events and demonstrate how AI can streamline lesson planning and generate targeted practice activities. Walk away with actionable strategies to help students build confidence, master key concepts, and perform at their best in both academic and competitive settings.

Speakers

Tami Perez

Vice President of Professional Learning, MBA Research & Curriculum Center

Holli Ryan-Kalaleh

Program Supervisor, Career Technical Education, Washington OSPI

Sunday August 2, 2026 11:00am - 11:45am PDT
Terrace West Second Floor Davenport Grand

WE-BAM

3:00pm PDT

Advanced Strategies for Using the MBA Research Learning Center

Monday August 3, 2026 3:00pm - 3:45pm PDT

Terrace East

Take your use of the MBA Research Learning Center to the next level. Designed for educators already familiar with the platform, this session focuses on advanced strategies to leverage its full instructional potential. Participants will explore efficient course setup techniques, deeper use of topic-specific content, and advanced applications of the platform resources to better align instruction with learning outcomes. Additional features within MBA Research will also be highlighted to help streamline instruction, improve assessment design, and maximize classroom impact. Come ready for a fast-paced hands-on experience to get you ready for the upcoming school year! NOTE: Bring your computer. This session is most effective when used with a computer and teachers who have an active Learning Center account.

Speakers

Tami Perez

Vice President of Professional Learning, MBA Research & Curriculum Center

Monday August 3, 2026 3:00pm - 3:45pm PDT
Terrace East Second Floor Davenport Grand

WE-BAM

4:00pm PDT

Running a T-Shirt Student Based Enterprise

Monday August 3, 2026 4:00pm - 5:00pm PDT

Meeting Room # 4

This session will cover tips and resources to set up a t-shirt student based enterprise as a fundraising business for any club. Resources such as a startup shopping list, web sites, and business services/templates will be shared. Additionally, there will be a hands on portion where for $5.00 people will get to make their own WA-ACTE t-shirt so that you can experience making your own product.

Speakers

Adam Smith

Teacher, Spokane Valley Tech/Central Valley School District

Adam Smith been teaching at Spokane Valley Tech in Spokane Valley, WA since 2024 and previously taught at Cheney High School for 26 years. He currently teaches Microsoft Office, Cyber Security, AP CS P, AP CS A, Computer Repair, and Cisco Network Engineering. He is a FBLA Advisor... Read More →

Monday August 3, 2026 4:00pm - 5:00pm PDT
Meeting Room # 4

WE-BAM

9:00am PDT

DECA Update

Tuesday August 4, 2026 9:00am - 9:45am PDT

Terrace West

Join Washington DECA for a briefing on the upcoming school year. We will cover essential calendar dates, state-specific initiatives, and the latest competitive event updates to ensure your chapter is ready for success. This session is designed to provide you with a clear roadmap and the resources you need to support your student leaders effectively from day one.

Speakers

Marian Morris

Advisor and Chapter Support, Washington DECA

Marian Morris is a Career and Technical Education (CTE) advocate and the Advisor and Chapter Strategist for Washington DECA. With a focus on workforce readiness and financial literacy, she works to bridge the gap between classroom theory and real-world application. As the founder of MKLmorris Educat... Read More →

Tuesday August 4, 2026 9:00am - 9:45am PDT
Terrace West Second Floor Davenport Grand

WE-BAM

9:00am PDT

FBLA 2027 Kick Start

Tuesday August 4, 2026 9:00am - 9:45am PDT

Meeting Room #10

This session is for people exploring starting FBLA to veteran FBLA advisors. I will cover important dates, updates, and timelines for setting up a great 2026-27 FBLA year. I will also incorporate an Officer Training guideline that I use with my chapter officers as well as an event/activities schedule to help advisers make FBLA about more than competing, but a true leadership experience. Come to get some ideas as well as hopefully share ideas that will grow our FBLA team.

Speakers

Adam Smith

Teacher, Spokane Valley Tech/Central Valley School District

Tuesday August 4, 2026 9:00am - 9:45am PDT
Meeting Room #10 Second Floor Davenport Grand

WE-BAM

9:00am PDT

Project Management with Scrum

Tuesday August 4, 2026 9:00am - 9:45am PDT

Meeting Room # 5

Scrum is a subset of Agile and a powerful way to help students gain fundamental skills in managing projects - and it's useful for departmental teams too! Come check out the basics here!

Speakers

Jim Flatmo

Teacher, AMES / Everett SD

Jim is a veteran game development teacher who also runs a development studio and the Advanced Media Entertainment Society: A nonprofit dedicated to increasing educational opportunities for media creator students. He believes that it's possible to engage students more by bringing the... Read More →

Tuesday August 4, 2026 9:00am - 9:45am PDT
Meeting Room # 5

WE-BAM

10:00am PDT

AP Business & Personal Finance Integration Strategies for Your Chapter/Classroom

Tuesday August 4, 2026 10:00am - 10:45am PDT

Terrace West

Is your program ready for the new AP Business course? Join us for a briefing on the essential takeaways from the national Summer Institute. This session focuses on practical curriculum integration, providing teachers with the tools to align their course load with the new standards while maximizing student recruitment and success in this groundbreaking co-curricular partnership.

Speakers

Marian Morris

Advisor and Chapter Support, Washington DECA

Tuesday August 4, 2026 10:00am - 10:45am PDT
Terrace West Second Floor Davenport Grand

WE-BAM

10:00am PDT

STEM Camp/STEM Night Activities

Tuesday August 4, 2026 10:00am - 10:45am PDT

Meeting Room #10

A powerful way to boost program recruitment and club involvement is by hosting STEM events and camps for middle and elementary students. This interactive session is designed as a “get one, share one” experience. I will share 10+ engaging, ready-to-use STEM activities for CS, IT, Cyber Security, and Robotics. Participants will be encouraged to contribute their own ideas. Expect a hands-on session—bring a computer, your creativity, and any STEM tools or activities you’re willing to share. Leave with practical ideas you can implement right away.

Speakers

Adam Smith

Teacher, Spokane Valley Tech/Central Valley School District

Tuesday August 4, 2026 10:00am - 10:45am PDT
Meeting Room #10 Second Floor Davenport Grand

WE-BAM, STEM

11:00am PDT

Adobe Express Luminary Training update

Tuesday August 4, 2026 11:00am - 11:45am PDT

Terrace East

Fresh off a training provided by DECA, Inc we will share the information presented by the Adobe/DECA partnership.

Speakers

Sierra Larkin

Wenatchee High School

Rachel Schwartz

CTE Teacher, Eastlake High School

Tuesday August 4, 2026 11:00am - 11:45am PDT
Terrace East Second Floor Davenport Grand

WE-BAM

11:00am PDT

From Light to Image: Build and Use a Digital Pinhole Camera in Your Classroom

Tuesday August 4, 2026 11:00am - 11:45am PDT

Meeting Room #12

Engage in a hands-on session where you build a working pinhole camera designed for use with a smartphone to capture images. Learn how to guide students through light, exposure, and image creation using simple materials. Participants will leave with a completed camera, a ready-to-use lesson plan, and strategies to implement this project across multiple subject areas.

Speakers

Paul Warrick

CTE Instructor, Clover Park School District

Paul J. Warrick is a CTE educator, media arts instructor, and department lead at Lakes High School in Washington State. With a background spanning education, manufacturing, software, and instructional technology, he specializes in helping educators use AI as a thinking partner to... Read More →

Tuesday August 4, 2026 11:00am - 11:45am PDT
Meeting Room #12 Second Floor Davenport Grand

WE-BAM, STEM

11:00am PDT

Teaching Presentation Excellence with a Plug and Play Instructional Suite

Tuesday August 4, 2026 11:00am - 11:45am PDT

Terrace West

Whether a student is heading into a job interview, a boardroom, or a CTSO competition, their ability to present professionally is a critical career-readiness skill. This session breaks down the "how-to" of teaching effective public speaking using high-impact examples and clear benchmarks for student success. We will share a versatile instructional suite designed to be plug-and-play for any communication unit. Come prepared to interact with the materials and leave with a turnkey presentation deck ready to use or personalized for your specific student needs.

Speakers

Marian Morris

Advisor and Chapter Support, Washington DECA

Tuesday August 4, 2026 11:00am - 11:45am PDT
Terrace West Second Floor Davenport Grand

WE-BAM

12:00pm PDT

Summer WE-BAM Members Meeting

Tuesday August 4, 2026 12:00pm - 2:00pm PDT

Birch Ballroom

Educators of Business and Marketing! Join us for a Luncheon meeting to talk about the 2025-26 year and plan for the 2026-27 school year. New officer positions available!

Speakers

Emily Wray

Operations Director WE-BAM, WE-BAM

Tuesday August 4, 2026 12:00pm - 2:00pm PDT
Birch Ballroom

WE-BAM

2:00pm PDT

How WBW builds mentorship and work based learning into the school year, and how you can too

Tuesday August 4, 2026 2:00pm - 2:45pm PDT

Meeting Room #11

Career connected experiential learning sounds great in theory, but it gets complicated quickly: How do you recruit busy professionals? How do you structure the experience so students stay engaged and hit your learning objectives? And how do you make sure your business professionals leave feeling like it was worth their time?For 50 years, Washington Business Week (WBW), founded through a partnership between CWU, the Superintendent of Public Instruction, and the Association of Washington Business, has been answering exactly these questions. Today, WBW helps schools and districts bring 21st century skills to the classroom during the school year through its project based curriculum.In this presentation, you'll learn some of the techniques WBW has used to attract professionals to mentor students, workshop and activity ideas, and learn how you can implement WBW at your school or district, or provide supplemental learning options for students.

Speakers

Nick Quinlan

Executive Director, Washington Business Week

Nick Quinlan is the Executive Director of Washington Business Week, a non-profit teaching high school students the career skills they need to succeed in the 21st century.
A graduate of Western Washington University’s College of Business and Economics. Previously, he served as Chief Operating Officer of the Certified B-Corp Major League Hacking, a company working with 10% of all US engineers and trusted by Google Gemini and other leading AI compan... Read More →

Tuesday August 4, 2026 2:00pm - 2:45pm PDT
Meeting Room #11 Second Floor Davenport Grand

WE-BAM

3:00pm PDT

Financial Literacy FUNdamentals: Free Resources to Engage Students

Tuesday August 4, 2026 3:00pm - 3:45pm PDT

Meeting Room #10

Financial literacy lessons don’t have to be dry and boring—discover the Fed’s free interactive resources for personal finance, including hands-on lessons, videos and online modules, podcasts, infographics and more. Participate in two hands-on lessons on entrepreneurship and saving and investing and learn where to access free curricula for teaching financial literacy topics. All attendees will receive a set of ten personal finance infographic posters.

Speakers

Lesley Mace

Senior Outreach Advisor, Federal Reserve Education

Lesley Mace is a Senior Outreach Advisor at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta’s Birmingham Branch. Prior to joining the Fed in 2010, she was an Instructor of Economics and Director of the Center for Economic Education at Auburn University Montgomery and a high school economics... Read More →

Tuesday August 4, 2026 3:00pm - 3:45pm PDT
Meeting Room #10 Second Floor Davenport Grand

WE-BAM

3:00pm PDT

Not Another AI Demo: The Skills Your Students Actually Need in an AI World

Tuesday August 4, 2026 3:00pm - 3:45pm PDT

Meeting Room #11

It's 2026. You've been to workshops filled with AI demos, you've used a Claude to revise a lesson plan or given your students an assignment to build AI skills. It still doesn't feel like we're preparing our students for the world of AI that they're graduating into, even if ChatGPT keeps telling you your is plans are "absolutely right!"In this workshop you'll move past the 101 level skills and into the 200 level AI skills that you can use and teach your students:A working understanding of prompt engineering - how to get AI to actually do what you wantPractical knowledge of context windows - why AI "forgets" things and how to work around itExperience using artifacts and structured outputs to make AI tools genuinely useful in your classroomA clear-eyed look at the "future skills" experts keep citing and why CTE teachers are already better positioned to teach them than anyone else

Speakers

Nick Quinlan

Executive Director, Washington Business Week

Tuesday August 4, 2026 3:00pm - 3:45pm PDT
Meeting Room #11 Second Floor Davenport Grand

WE-BAM

3:00pm PDT

Why Your Program Needs Data, Not Just Instinct

Tuesday August 4, 2026 3:00pm - 3:45pm PDT

Terrace East

You know your community. You know your students. But does the data support your hunch?

This session breaks down how to ground CTE program decisions in real labor market data — not hallway hunches. We'll cover building a GAC that actually informs decisions, navigating Washington's ESD labor market tools, and spotting the difference between genuine demand and a shiny distraction.

Come ready to check your favorite program idea or trend. We might talk you out of it — or give you the data to prove you were right. We'll also talk how to document your data to support approval and implementation.

You'll leave with: a practical process for data-driven program decisions, direct links to key LMD tools, and a framework for building a GAC that works.

Speakers

Holli Ryan-Kalaleh

Program Supervisor, Career Technical Education, Washington OSPI

Tuesday August 4, 2026 3:00pm - 3:45pm PDT
Terrace East Second Floor Davenport Grand

WE-BAM

8:00am PDT

WE-BAM Breakfast Round Table Discussion

Wednesday August 5, 2026 8:00am - 9:00am PDT

Birch Ballroom

Join us for the WE-BAM Breakfast Roundtable! Come connect over breakfast to discuss open positions, ask questions, share ideas or simply enjoy a friendly face and great conversation. We'd love to see you there!

Speakers