Career Ready Connections

Thank you, Career Ready PA—liaisons, partners, schools, and students! I will be retiring this summer! I am grateful for the opportunity to serve as the Career Readiness Advisor. We welcome Jennie Batz, who will be joining us soon!

Please seek out new opportunities for learners and educators on the Career Ready PA Coalition webpage. Students and families will find career awareness opportunities to experience with one of our many stakeholders!

Don't forget that our Career Ready PA regional liaisons are here to support you with training and resources. If you don't know your region, you can use the regions map located on the Career Ready PA page.

And, for upcoming events, join the Career Readiness Learning Community on SAS. The Career Ready Liaisons are constantly adding statewide events. Also, there are NEW updates on the SAS Career Readiness page.

• Resources are available at SAS for Career Readiness.
• Join our Career Readiness Learning Community. (PDE SAS login is required.)
• Career Ready PA is PDE’s source for guidance and resources

Our June session celebrated Career Ready PA accomplishments, as well as the success of Remake Learning Days and the Career Ready PA Backpack Challenge. The mega school hosts shared snapshots of their events, and Nicole Singer, Acting Director of College and Career Readiness, at Allentown School District shared how she motivated the schools to participate in the Backpack Challenge and earn over 40 percent of the artifacts in the state! What an accomplishment! Saturday Light Brigade (SLB Radio) shared how they will support the Middle School Innovation Grant pilots with the Youth Engagement project for Catasauqua Middle School, Windber Area Middle School, and Freeport Area Middle School. North East Middle School (Scranton School District) will partner with the PA Department of Agriculture for a Farm City event in 2027. Our Career Ready PA liaisons continue to support each of the 10 regions as a point of contact and support for career and workforce readiness opportunities across the state. Their connections are invaluable to create awareness statewide to build career pathways for all learners. To view more information about the Career Ready PA Coalition, resources, and contacts, please view the Coalition website here.

Pennsylvania educators showed up in force for Skills That Matter: Employability and the New CEW Standards, the professional learning webinar hosted by PDE's Career Readiness Advisor. The session highlighted the newly revised Career Education and Work (CEW) standards, offering best practices, resources, and instructional strategies to help schools transition ahead of the timeline and strengthen career portfolios in the Future Ready PA Index.

A total of 339 of Pennsylvania's 500 public school districts attended — a 67.8 percent statewide engagement rate. Participation extended well beyond traditional districts, too: 40 charter schools, 12 Career & Technology Centers, and 11 private schools also joined the session, reflecting broad, cross-sector interest in the updated standards.

With 339 districts already on board, attention now turns to the 161 districts not yet reached. The good news: there will be another opportunity. The webinar will be offered again during the 2026–2027 school year, extending an open invitation to every district, charter school, CTC, and private school that wasn't able to join this time. As Pennsylvania schools prepare for the revised CEW standards, this session remains a valuable, practical resource for getting ahead of the transition.

The Middle School Innovation grant pilots will prioritize hands-on, immersive learning experiences, community partnerships, and employability skills with a focus on youth engagement. Catasauqua Area Middle School, Freeport Area Middle School, and Windber Area Middle School will be supported by SLB Radio in Pittsburgh, PA, to provide professional development opportunities and an audio documentary produced by the students, with a focus on career exploration. North East Middle School (Scranton School District) will partner with the PA Department or Agriculture for a Farm City event in Spring 2027. Stay tuned as the “stories” unfold!

The 2026 Career Ready PA Backpack Challenge marked our sixth consecutive year partnering with Remake Learning. Held May 1–23 alongside Remake Learning Days, the Challenge engaged approximately 13,000 students from 194 schools across 135 local education agencies, reaching all 10 Career Ready PA regions and students in 45 of Pennsylvania's 67 counties. Together, students submitted 9,633 career-readiness artifacts for their personal portfolios — a remarkable 79 percent jump over last year's total. Choosing from more than 400 unique events spanning the arts, maker activities, science, outdoor learning, technology, and youth voice, participants earned digital badges and real career-exploration evidence, and 42 schools submitted 100 or more artifacts to earn a commemorative Career Ready PA banner.

Beyond the headline numbers, the data shows deeper and broader engagement than ever before. Our 14 large-scale Mega Events were a standout success, generating 4,263 artifacts — 44 percent of all submissions — with 12 events earning banner recognition for their host schools. We also saw encouraging growth among older students, who have traditionally been harder to reach: middle and high schoolers accounted for 24 percent of submissions, double last year's share, and grades 3–8 submitted 150 percent more artifacts than the year prior. Most meaningful of all were the students' own reflections: young learners pointed to teamwork and problem-solving as key skills, older students most often cited new career awareness and hands-on exposure to STEAM topics, and an overwhelming majority across every grade level said they loved the experience. The 2026 Challenge gave thousands of Pennsylvania students the chance to build real-world skills and imagine their futures with confidence.

The Pennsylvania Department of Education's 2026 SAS Institute is scheduled for December 6-9, 2026, at the Hershey Lodge and Convention Center.

The SAS Institute convenes educational leaders from across the Commonwealth for four days of professional learning focused on strengthening systems, advancing instructional leadership, and improving organizational health.

Proposed sessions should offer clear learning outcomes, align to the Institute theme, and present evidence-informed practices that support high-quality, human-centered systems.

Proposal Submission closes on August 19, 2026.

To submit a proposal, go to 2026 SAS Institute Request for Proposals.

The Pennsylvania Department of Education's "Career Opportunities" page offers resources for individuals interested in educational careers within the state. It provides information on current job openings, recruitment initiatives, and recognition programs aimed at attracting and retaining qualified educators. The page serves as a central hub for those seeking to contribute to Pennsylvania's educational system.

For the most up-to-date listings and detailed information, please visit the official page.

Website: www.aiu3.net/CareerReadyPA