WA-ACTE 2026 Summer Conference has ended

Create Your Own Event

WA-ACTE 2026 Summer Conference

8:00am PDT

WA-ACTE Executive Board Meeting Birch BallroomMichelle Spenser CTE Director Program Cedar BallroomShani Watkins

1:00pm PDT

WACTA Executive Board Meeting Maple BallroomMark Madison WE-BAM Board Meeting Meeting Room # 1Emily Wray WITEA Board Meeting Meeting Room # 2

3:30pm PDT

WACTA Business Meeting Maple BallroomMark Madison HSCTE Board Meeting Meeting Room # 7Taelar Shelton

5:30pm PDT

WA-ACTE President Board Dinner Birch Ballroom

7:00am PDT

WA-FACSE Board Meeting Skybridge Boardroom

8:00am PDT

Breakfast Grand Ballroom A,B,C Registration Open WA-ACTE Office Section Tables Daveport Grand Lobby

9:00am PDT

WA-ACTE Summer Conference Welcome! Grand Ballroom A,B,CMichelle Spenser Adult CPR/AED/First Aid Meeting Room # 7Stefanie Brophy • Taelar Shelton

10:00am PDT

Prescribing Success with iCEV Health Science Terrace EastLisa Fish-Hendrickson • Maggie Mcgill AI Empowered Presentations That Don’t Suck Meeting Room #12Scott Le Duc Vocabulary in Action Meeting Room #10Robin Palmer WA ACTE New Member Meet & Greet Cedar BallroomJodi Jacobs How Do WE Manage the Classroom Meeting Room # 5Kimberly Coleman Amplify Student Success Using MBA Research Resources and AI Tools for FBLA Competitive Events Terrace WestHolli Ryan-Kalaleh • Tami Perez Bringing Business, Personal Finance, and Career Readiness Together Meeting Room # 4Mikael Taylor “You Can’t Be What You Can’t See”: Expanding Career Awareness in Rural Communities Meeting Room # 2Jessica Gerdes • Ken Roberts Building Professional Communication Skills for Students Meeting Room # 3Aaron Tomyn CTE Dual Credit Transformation & Alignment Initiatives Maple BallroomWilliam Belden • Kimberly Ingram • Tim McClain • Sinead Fitzpatrick Plagge Keeping It Simple Stupid: K.I.S.S. strategies for success in CTE programs. Birch BallroomSteven Braun CANCELLED - Building Career-Connected Classrooms: Integrating Washington's Creative Economy into Your Curriculum Northwest PackageNicole Hendrix • Darlene Edouard

11:00am PDT

Bring Career Pathways to life: Hands-On Learning for Tomorrow’s Workforce Terrace EastMaggie Mcgill • Lisa Fish-Hendrickson Burnout Is Not a Badge of Honor: Protecting Decision Quality and Ethical Practice in Professional Settings Cedar BallroomRenee Sunday Get Kids Hooked on The Right Drugs Meeting Room #12Scott Le Duc Leveraging SchooLinks Potential to Support CTE Programs & Industry Connections Meeting Room # 5Melissa Dilling LIFESMARTS - Curriculum, State and National Competition and the GAME Meeting Room # 1Suzanne Klenk Money Decisions Start Early: Engaging Activities for Middle School CTE Meeting Room #10Robin Palmer Ideas for a Student Ran Enterprise Meeting Room # 4Andrew Hill Level Up to Win: AI + MBA Research for DECA Success Terrace WestTami Perez • Holli Ryan-Kalaleh

12:00pm PDT

Lunch Grand Ballroom A,B,C Exhibitor Show Open Grand Ballroom A,B,C

1:00pm PDT

Building Future-Ready STEM Pathways with Sphero Birch BallroomShane Yorton What happened to the 3rd R (Rigor)??? Meeting Room #12Jim Flatmo Voices in Policy: WA-ACTE Legislative Review & Priority Setting Meeting Room #10Jesse Taylor Ignite Learning with Laser Precision: Empowering Classrooms with xTool P2S Meeting Room # 3Faith Taylor Body Tissue Types Dissection Lab Meeting Room # 2Kirsten D. Harvey MEd, LAT, ATC Professionalizing AI Use in the Classroom: From Prompts to Workflows Meeting Room # 4Eric Ogden Why Good People Burn Out: What Great Teams Do Differently Meeting Room #11Ton Nguyen EGMS Perkins Grants & CLNA Working Session Terrace WestClarisse Leong From Basic Circuits to Industrial Automation: Building Student Skills Through Hands-On Learning Terrace EastBen Hamlett CTE Bootcamp: A Crash Course for the New-to-CTE Family Cedar BallroomCourtney Peart • Holli Ryan-Kalaleh • Megan Benzing • Tracy Powell • Kari Morgan • Krista Fox Punch Positive : The Missing Link Between Engagement, Resilience, and Real-World Performance Maple BallroomLita Mae Button

2:00pm PDT

Empowering the Community: A Student-Centered Approach to IRCs & WBL Meeting Room #10Alex Iund Framing Failure to Facilitate Future Fruition Meeting Room #12Jim Flatmo Dysregulation, Dissociation, and Discombobulation: Understanding Brain Science and Its Impact on Student Learning and Behavior Birch BallroomKeith Orchard Agri-Tech Infrastructure: Engineering Sustainable Workforce Labs with the Garden Caterpillar Meeting Room # 3Michele Madison • Faith Taylor

3:00pm PDT

Boost CTE Enrollment & Build Your Community Talent Pipeline Meeting Room #10Alex Iund Finding Your Flock: Connecting Computer Science Educators Across Washington Meeting Room # 1Michelle Laskowski Future‑Ready STEM Starts Here: Why PLTW Leads the Way Meeting Room # 4Diane Lashinsky Stukent CTE - Courses, Simternships, Certification Prep, & Certifications Meeting Room #12Conner Jones

4:00pm PDT

Vendor Social Grand Ballroom A,B,C

5:30pm PDT

🌟 Celebrating Our Stars: WA-ACTE Awards & Recognition Gala Ballroom 100, Convention CenterDottie Record • Michelle Spenser

6:30pm PDT

WITEA Member Social FlatStick PubCheyenne LaViolette • Marcus Sullivan

7:30am PDT

Registration Open WA-ACTE Office

8:00am PDT

Breakfast Grand Ballroom A,B,C

9:00am PDT

Opening Session: Hope. Opportunity. Tenacity: The Mindset That Shapes Futures Grand Ballroom A,B,CRoss Short • Niki Spears • Michelle Spenser Exhibitor Show Open Grand Ballroom A,B,C

11:00am PDT

OSPI HOT Updates in Mini-Sessions Cedar BallroomHolli Ryan-Kalaleh OSPI HOT Updates in Mini-Sessions Terrace EastKrista Fox OSPI HOT Updates in Mini-Sessions Birch BallroomMegan Benzing OSPI HOT Updates in Mini-Sessions Maple BallroomCourtney Peart OSPI HOT Updates in Mini-Sessions Terrace WestKari Morgan OSPI HOT Updates in Mini-Sessions Meeting Room # 1Tracy Powell WA-ACTE Blood Drive Grand Ballroom A,B,CJodi Jacobs • Dottie Record Section Tables Daveport Grand Lobby

12:00pm PDT

Lunch Grand Ballroom A,B,C

1:00pm PDT

"Finfluencers": Fantastic free financial advice you can take to the bank? Or are you (or your students) getting taken? Meeting Room #11Lyn Peters Building Vision, Hope and Momentum with Future Pathway Alignment - Tips, tricks and tactics for driving student engagement with career pathways. Meeting Room # 2Ryan Chun • Tyler Lafferty CTE Dual Credit Transformation & Alignment Initiatives Meeting Room #12William Belden • Kimberly Ingram • Tim McClain • Sinead Fitzpatrick Plagge CTE Reporting - Equivalencies, Industry Recognized Certifications and Work Based Learning Meeting Room # 3Lisa A Ireland Digital Badges for Career Readiness: Validating Skills & Pathways in the Creative Economy Workforce Meeting Room # 1Nicole Hendrix • Darlene Edouard From Framework to Implementation: Exploring AP Business with Personal Finance (Part 1) Terrace EastDeanna Hattaway-Thomas • Mikael Taylor • Holli Ryan-Kalaleh Robotics! Mechatronics! Meeting Room # 5Faith Taylor Too Hot for Silos: Turning Up the Heat on STEM Integration Birch BallroomMegan Benzing Building Tenacity: A Deeper Dive into The Energy Map Cedar BallroomNiki Spears

2:00pm PDT

Solve the Case: The Healthcare Roles Your Students Are Missing Meeting Room # 4Dawn McReynolds CANCELLED - From Exploration to Certification: Building End-to-End Career Pathways with Pearson Career ReadyMarkale Chadaz CTE Dual Credit Transformation & Alignment Initiatives Meeting Room #12William Belden • Kimberly Ingram • Tim McClain • Sinead Fitzpatrick Plagge Design Thinking for the Workforce Pipeline: From Data to Action Terrace WestRaeshawna Ware • Ryan Beard From Framework to Implementation: Exploring AP Business with Personal Finance (Part 2) Terrace EastDeanna Hattaway-Thomas • Holli Ryan-Kalaleh • Mikael Taylor Getting Students College and Career Ready with Stackable, Industry-Recognized Credentials Meeting Room #10Daniel Bird • Aaron Peasley Sex Trafficking Prevention and Awareness for the Education Community Meeting Room # 3Julie McNamara-Dahl • Bev Miller The value of advisory boards for educator preparation programs Meeting Room # 2KC Hoffman Mendez Too Hot to Horse Around: Turning up the Heat on Agriculture in CTE Birch BallroomTracy Powell Course Launch Lab Maple BallroomCourtney Peart Work Shop Maintenance & Safety Training Meeting Room # 1Morgan J Richards

3:00pm PDT

CANCELLED - Clearing the Path: Policy, Practice, and Youth Access to Healthcare Work Meeting Room # 3Renee Fullerton • Dr. Donald Smith, Jr Expanding Health Science Pathways: Bringing Dentistry to High School Programs Meeting Room # 3Stefanie Brophy CANCELLED - The New Career Bridge: 7,000 Pathways, One Tool for Your Classroom Meeting Room # 2Marina Parr New CTE Director Resources Cedar BallroomKrista Fox • Kari Morgan Preparing CTE Educators: Accessible Certification Pathways Through CWU Meeting Room # 5Jodi Musser • Ashley Hanby • Kaylee Loyd Too Hot for Electives: Turning Up the Heat on Art as CTE Birch BallroomMegan Benzing WA State Registered Apprenticeship Meeting Room #11Christina Chance Beyond the Checkbox: Advisory Boards that Deliver Maple BallroomCourtney Peart CTElink Framework Builder: Create, Review, and Export OSPI-Ready Course Frameworks Meeting Room # 4Taylor Smith Advanced Strategies for Using the MBA Research Learning Center Terrace EastTami Perez

4:00pm PDT

CTE as a Literacy Bridge: Integrating Career and Technical Education to Support Language Acquisition and Academic Success Meeting Room # 1Dr. Sarah Clark OSPI Statewide Update: Policy, Priorities, and What's Ahead Cedar BallroomClarisse Leong • Becky Wallace Too Hot for? : AI-Integrated Frameworks with a HOT Approach Birch BallroomHolli Ryan-Kalaleh Industry 4.0 Credentials for Engineering, Manufacturing, Automation, & Robotics Meeting Room # 3Alex Bechtler Skate4Concrete Certification an Example of Implementation Meeting Room #11Crystal Howard Running a T-Shirt Student Based Enterprise Maple BallroomAdam Smith

6:00pm PDT

WA-FACSE Social Event FlatStick PubMaddy Whitehurst • Holly Unruh

8:00am PDT

Breakfast Grand Ballroom A,B,C

8:15am PDT

National CTE Update: Trends, Advocacy, and Opportunities from National ACTE Grand Ballroom A,B,CMichael Connet

9:00am PDT

Generational Care - Preparing Health Science Students to Work with All Populations Meeting Room # 2Ashley Undag • Ashley Undag AI That Thinks With Students, Not For Them Meeting Room #12Paul Warrick CTE Dual Credit - How Do You Explain That To Kids? Meeting Room #11Proctor Equity in Arts Education: Data-Driven Insights Meeting Room # 4Miranda Leigh Hein, M.Ed., NBCT • Tamar Krames Fueling the People Who Fuel the School Maple BallroomDottie Record Learning Standards Review and Revision Project Updates Cedar BallroomAngela Allen Support Staff: Behind the Scenes of Success -How WBL Support Staff Empower CTE Programs Meeting Room # 5DeAngelo Friends • Hanna Grove • Amie Mitchell Beyond Points: Implementing Competency-Based Grading and Employability Skills Across Career Pathways Birch BallroomDanielle Morton DECA Update Terrace WestMarian Morris FBLA 2027 Kick Start Meeting Room #10Adam Smith Project Management with Scrum Terrace EastJim Flatmo Equity at Sea: Expanding Access to Maritime Career and Technical Education Through Strategic Partnerships Meeting Room # 1Richard Lauridsen CANCELLED due to fires - Spokane Conservation District Site Visit: Urban and Community Forestry (UCF) Career Connected LearningHeather Spalding

10:00am PDT

Washington HOSA - Future Health Professionals Updates Meeting Room # 2Elizabeth Carnesi-Hudson Building Opportunity: CTE Meets College in the High School in Workforce Training Meeting Room # 3Jason Boatwright • Jessica Dempsey Chatting with Stacy: Build Your Own AI Assistant for Planning, Communication, and Classroom Workflow Meeting Room #12Paul Warrick Free Financial Education Competition with Mentorship and Scholarship Award Meeting Room #11Tony Leahy From Classroom to Crisis: How to Respond When a Student Discloses Substance Use Terrace EastMorgan Davis Shelton Google Forms Tips and Tricks for Efficiency & Engagement. Cedar BallroomDavin Perry The Game Plan: How Games Develop Collaboration, Creativity, and Critical Thinking Maple BallroomJessica Elshire-Kenny • Heather Matsuda Worksite Learning Intro and Updates Birch BallroomKari Morgan Support Staff: Navigating General & Program Advisory Committees A Support Staff Road Map Meeting Room # 5Kelly Wildey Frustrations with communication between Administrators and Instructors. What are they thinking? Meeting Room # 4Brian Ellis AP Business & Personal Finance Integration Strategies for Your Chapter/Classroom Terrace WestMarian Morris STEM Camp/STEM Night Activities Meeting Room #10Adam Smith Canceled: From Blank Framework to Standards-Aligned Framework: Using AI in CTE Meeting Room # 1Scott Sandberg

11:00am PDT

The Future of Nursing Assistant Programs in High Schools and High School Partnerships Meeting Room # 2Sandra Gonzalez Graham Cardboard Arcades: Creativity, Engineering, and Engagement Meeting Room # 1Rena Clark Free Financial Education Guest Speakers for your Classroom Meeting Room #11Tony Leahy QTIP : Connection without Exhaustion Maple BallroomAbigail Higgins SchooLinks for the CTE Classroom Meeting Room # 4Proctor Support Staff Connections: Collaborate, Learn, and Network (Support Staff only) Meeting Room # 5Kelly Wildey Understanding Federal Child Labor Student Learner Laws and Requirements Birch BallroomMarilyn Delgado Using Data to Improve Your District's CTE Course Catalog Meeting Room # 3Lawrence Tanimoto From Light to Image: Build and Use a Digital Pinhole Camera in Your Classroom Meeting Room #12Paul Warrick Teaching Presentation Excellence with a Plug and Play Instructional Suite Terrace WestMarian Morris CANCELLED - Upskilling Your Students and Learning StipendsJill Ranucci, Ph.D.

12:00pm PDT

HSCTE Business Lunch Meeting Room # 2Taelar Shelton Lunch Grand Ballroom A,B,C WA-CCER Board Meeting and Awards Luncheon Meeting Room # 3Nora Zollweg WA-FACSE Awards Luncheon Cedar BallroomCassie Mueller Summer WE-BAM Members Meeting Birch BallroomEmily Wray

2:00pm PDT

WCTSMA: Navigating the CTSO Meeting Room # 2Larry Howe • WCTSMA Executive Director CANCELLED - Synergizing Success: A Deeper Dive Into Academic IntegrationJill Ranucci, Ph.D. Financial Education Learning Standards Update and Input Opportunity Cedar BallroomAngela Allen FREE Industry Certifications...With my Library Card? Meeting Room # 1Joyce Abbott IN-PERSON CANCELLED: VIDEO AVAILABLE: Getting to Know Your Students and Their WHY: With the Help of AIScott Le Duc Teacher-Parent Toolbelt: EdTech Hacks for Life & Learning Meeting Room # 3Rena Clark Targeted by Design: Using SchooLinks to Build Intentional Work-Based Learning Programs Meeting Room # 5Suzanne Gretch Building a Careers in Education Pathway: From Classroom to College Credit Meeting Room # 4Shawn C Gaspaire Beyond the Classroom: The Power of the Simulated Workplace Model Birch BallroomDanielle Morton • Dr. Linda Floyd Adobe Express Luminary Training update Terrace EastSierra Larkin • Rachel Schwartz How WBW builds mentorship and work based learning into the school year, and how you can too Meeting Room #11Nick Quinlan

3:00pm PDT

CTE Office Hours Meeting Room # 3Holli Ryan-Kalaleh • Megan Benzing • Tracy Powell • Krista Fox • Courtney Peart • Kari Morgan Honoring Every Pathway: How Data Reshaped College and Career Center Programming Meeting Room # 5Lisa Neighbours The Coaching Academy: Building a Careers in Education Course for Coaches Meeting Room # 4Shawn C Gaspaire Unlocking Safety Cedar BallroomRandi Krieg • Joshua Krieg Financial Literacy FUNdamentals: Free Resources to Engage Students Meeting Room #10Lesley Mace Not Another AI Demo: The Skills Your Students Actually Need in an AI World Meeting Room #11Nick Quinlan Why Your Program Needs Data, Not Just Instinct Terrace EastHolli Ryan-Kalaleh

8:00am PDT

Breakfast Grand Ballroom A,B,C CANCELED - WA-FACSE Business Meeting Maple Ballroom WE-BAM Networking Breakfast Birch Ballroom

9:00am PDT

Beyond the Club: Embedding HOSA into Everyday Instruction Meeting Room # 1Whitney Champlin Longitudinal Career Exposure: Supporting Students from Middle School to Graduation Meeting Room # 5Rachel KW Larson Become a Superhero with Canva Maple BallroomRena Clark From Classroom to Company: Weaving Entrepreneurship Into Every CTE Program Meeting Room #11Taryn Veloni From Data to Decisions: Teacher-Driven AI Workflows That Save Time and Improve Results Meeting Room # 2Rick Hamilton From SuperShy to SuperStar Birch BallroomJim Flatmo Redesigning Career Connected Learning: Moving from Programs to Systems Cedar BallroomJim Kindle Reflect, Redirect, and Respond: The importance of student voice and how to take and use feedback in the classroom. Meeting Room # 3Ciara Ashworth

10:00am PDT

Aligning Industry, CTE, and Academics: A Replicable Model for Multi‑Credit Courses Meeting Room # 4Hanna Jaramillo CTE Office Hours Meeting Room # 2Megan Benzing • Krista Fox • Kari Morgan • Courtney Peart • Tracy Powell • Holli Ryan-Kalaleh Expanding Opportunity: Ensuring All Students Access Career-Connected Learning Cedar BallroomJim Kindle Responsible AI in Action: Interdisciplinary AI Toolkit Meeting Room # 5Denise Thompson The Benefits of Authoritative Instruction Maple BallroomPatrick Zuniga, Ed.D. The Safe-to-Fail Lab: Resilience over Perfection Birch BallroomMeloni Courtway Stronger Together: Building a Statewide Network to Empower Student Success Meeting Room # 3Nora Zollweg From Classroom to Credential: Designing CTE Programs With Tangible Outcomes Meeting Room #11Taryn Veloni From BACE to Beyond: Industry-Aligned Biotech Credentials to Strengthen Career Pathways Meeting Room # 1Tamara Mandell

11:00am PDT

AI Integration in the Classroom (NOT another class on prompting). Meeting Room # 3Matt Mason How to Speak "Business" : An Insider's View to Connect to Employers Meeting Room # 2Dr. Wade Larson Students as Managers: Building Leadership Systems in School-Based Enterprises and Classrooms Meeting Room #11Taryn Veloni What Got Me Here: Using Career Stories to Strengthen Mentorship Cedar BallroomJim Kindle Effect of vocational retraining alignment on injured workers’ motivation and well-being, and its application to Career and Technical Education in Washington State Meeting Room # 1Dr. Jantz Garza REVIT: Preparing Students for the Clean‑Energy Workforce Meeting Room # 4Hanna Jaramillo

12:00pm PDT

Closing Session and Wrap up! Grand Ballroom A,B,C