CTE Blast
March 25, 2026
CTE ESSENTIAL LINKS
STEM Saturday Academy-MIddle School
The spring break camp will take place at the Coastal Region Building 35 Lee Street, Charleston, SC 29403.
When: April 6th -9th (8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with early drop-off available at 7:30 a.m).
Who: Students aged 8-12
What: Students will engage in activities such as team building, arts and crafts, nutrition fun, coding, and drones.
The registration fee is $10 (non-refundable), and the deadline to register is Monday, March 31, 2026.
Jarad Heyward, 4-H youth development agent
Phone: 854.205.7147 Email: jheywar2@scsu.edu
STEM + Agriculture =Career Pathways(Ages 5-18)
Students will engage in hands-on STEM and agriculture activities.
Saturday, April 11th, April 25th, May 9th and Mary 23rd
10 AM - 1 PM
Coastal Research & Education Center
35 Lee Street, Charleston, SC 29403
Complete the registration form(click here) for more information, contact: Dr. Sabrina Edwards-sedwar18@scsu
The Citadel STEM Center of Excellence
- STEAM Camp (rising 5th-8th graders)
- Cyber Quest Camp (rising 7th-12th graders)
- SNaCK_Chat AI Camp (rising 8th-10th graders)
- Other STEM Opportunities
- Coming Soon - Department of Physics Event
- Palmetto Cybersecurity and STEM Camp
- Learning Blade Corner
Micro-Grant Opportunities
Apply Today!
The Bright Ideas Microgrant program will award individual grants ranging from $500 to $1,000 to CCSD educators at all grade levels K-12, supporting innovative, student-centered projects across STEM, the arts, literacy, and social-emotional learning.
Please click on this link for information/details on how to apply! The easy-to-complete application window runs now through April 3.
Technical Advisory Committes Nomination
The South Carolina Department of Education Office of Career Readiness is seeking qualified and committed Career and Technical Education (CTE) educators, leaders, and partners from higher education, business, and industry to serve on Technical Advisory Committees (TAC) as we begin the revision of state CTE course standards.
Technical Advisory Committees will spend approximately 6 hours collaboratively reviewing standards. Meetings may occur in-person, virtually, or a combination of both- depending on the TAC.
Committee members will receive a stipend for their time and expertise.
You may submit a self-nomination form here: https://scde.formstack.com/forms/cte_standards_revision_tac_nomination_form Nomination forms are due April 1.
FREE Career Clusters Posters Kit
Give students a simple, engaging way to explore career options, discover how interests and values fit with career choices, and see how real jobs fit within each Career Cluster.
How can a student be identified as Career Ready?
How can a student be identified as Career Ready?
- The student is a CTE completer and earns a national industry credential or a state industry credential in their cluster area of study
- Earns a Level 3 Credential or above on the WIN SC Career Ready Test (SCRT).
- Earns a scale score of 31 or higher on the ASVAB.
- Successfully completes a 40+ hour Work-based Learning experience with a signed Training Agreement and a Supervisor Evaluation, which is aligned with their IGP and one of their high school courses.
- Is a student with a disability who successfully completes the South Carolina High School Employability Credential
Sourced from 25/26 Accountability Manual
📆 Professional Development Opportunities
Need to attend a training or conference?
STEP 1: Complete the Request to Attend form(updated link) and submit the request to the CTE Professional Development Request link.
STEP 2: Attach documentation
Step 3: Once the RTA and funding has been APPROVED-You will receive an email.
If you have questions, please email: tralice_crawford@charleston.k12.sc.us or terri_lockerby@charleston.k12.sc.us
Event Information
The Palmetto Education Summit is South Carolina’s premier education event, uniting educators, leaders, community partners, and industry representatives to shape statewide learning. The five tracks will focus on: Career Readiness, Character & Resiliency Education, Civics, Numeracy, and Literacy.
THE CITADEL STEM CENTER 💥
STEM CENTER Events
- Summer Teacher PD
- UnboxingCT (PK-5 classroom teachers)
- CSPDWeek (K-12 classroom teachers)
- Stipends available!
CSPD Week June 22-26, 2026
The STEM Center at The Citadel has partnered with the national Computer Science Teachers' Association (CSTA), SC CSTA, and South Carolina Department of Education to provide computer science training to K-12 teachers in South Carolina.
STIPENDS AVAILABLE
You can learn and register here: https://citadeljalbert.iad1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0c8FcqC5wliPtQy
Online Training-June 22-26, 2026
An intensive five-day Training Institute to prepare the next generation of CTE researchers. The training is designed to build the capacity of researchers to plan and conduct high-quality studies of CTE programs, practices, and policies.
Applications for the 2026 Training Institute will be due March 26, 2026.
DIRECT Teacher Training Information
What is DIRECT?
Developing Instructional Readiness for Educators of Career and Technical Education, also known as DIRECT, addresses the needs of a new Career and Technical Education (CTE) teacher and is coordinated by the South Carolina Department of Education, Office of Career and Technical Education.
- Don't forget to submit your RTA to attend DIRECT Training- Request to Attend form(updated link) and submit the request to the CTE Professional Development Request link.
- DIRECT Training Dates-Cohort-Link
- Don't forget to register for the DIRECT Cohort-Link
For any questions regarding the DIRECT training, please reach out to ctecertification@ed.sc.gov.
WIN Ready to Work Testing -Required
Reminder: All teachers in the DIRECT program should arrange to take the WIN Ready to Work Assessment by June 30 of the first year of certification.
The CCSD Office of Adult Education can help you schedule the WIN Assessment by completing the APPOINTMENT REQUEST FORM.
🗣 Instructional Resources✍🏽
G-W CTE Instructional Resources
If you would like any complimentary instructional resources (digital or print) to preview for your programs, just click the link below:
Review: CTE Catalog & Career Pathways Navigator document that aligns all our CTE titles to your current career pathways and academies, which helps students discover their interests for college and/or future careers.
All our Health Science:https://www.g-w.com/health-sciences
We have over 100 CTE titles that support industry- based certs, CTSO's and a wealth of teacher resources w/ lesson plans, PPTs, activities, and more!
Realityworks
2026 CATE Program Catalogs for easy reference.
- Agriculture
- Construction
- Education
- Healthcare and Human Services
- Hospitality and Tourism
- Advanced Manufacturing
- Energy & Natural Resources
If you have questions, please contact Karen McDowell-karen.mcdowell@realityworks.com
Next Gen Personal Finance 🆕
Help your students safely practice banking in the digital age with NGPF’s Online Bank Simulator.
The primary Online Bank Sim interactive activity lives within the Personal Finance Banking Unit and Financial Algebra Checking & Linear Equations Unit.
Everfi
EVERFI’s no‑cost digital resources can help strengthen your programs with engaging, standards‑aligned learning experiences.
Supports career readiness initiatives across multiple pathways in the National (and State) Career Clusters
The Department of Teaching & Learning
Here you will find the curriculum guides and resources, professional learning information, professional resources, and websites for teachers, and contact information for the Department of Teaching & Learning.