2025 ISBE Career Connections Conference

Rural areas around Illinois struggle to grow and sustain strong CTE programs. However, rural schools and communities live in the intersection of key sectors that are critical to the future success of Illinois and the world: energy and the environment. Rural communities are at the frontlines of clean energy production, and are also disproportionately impacted by the changing climate. In this panel discussion, The Association of Illinois Rural and Small Schools & The Rural IL CTE Project will host Trane, Inc., rural education leaders, and rural CTE educators to discuss how rural schools can utilize energy and the climate to build innovative and robust CTE opportunities for all students.

In this presentation, we will provide an overview of the Illinois State Seal of Biliteracy, a valuable credential recognizing students’ bilingual skills. We will explore how school districts can integrate students’ bilingual abilities and world language studies into CTE programs. By aligning CTE with bilingualism, districts can create unique opportunities that promote bilingual career pathways, helping students stand out in an increasingly diverse, global, and competitive workforce. This session will highlight the benefits of bilingualism in CTE, offering strategies for administrators to enhance their programs and prepare students for successful, bilingual careers.

This session will share findings and future directions from a state-wide analysis of high school computer science (CS) coursework. We will highlight CTE’s pervasive influence on CS education in Illinois. We first outline the prevalence of CTE in the most enrolled CS courses, identify the CS CTE sequences, and compare enrollment patterns across student groups to CS non-CTE courses. Further, our work identifies potential “gateway” courses that can diversify CS CTE sequences, highlighting their role in shaping equitable student access. Lastly, we discuss who teaches CS CTE, including a student’s likelihood of having a qualified teacher. Our research underscores that CTE serves as an important and viable pathway to engage students in CS that broadens access to high quality education.

Join the Learning Technology Center (LTC) as we introduce you to free and low-cost services and support available to all K-12 educators and districts. Partially funded by the Illinois State Board of Education, the LTC helps districts, schools, and educators harness the power of technology to empower student learning. This session will provide resources to address specific technical needs in a variety of CTE areas and will also address implementing CTE across the content areas. The LTC provides a wide range of services, including custom professional learning for staff, consulting, and district planning on topics like technology integration, computer science, and makerspaces and manages EdTech cooperative purchasing to save districts money. Whether your classroom focus is in a particular CTE area or you are a district leader, this session will equip you with the knowledge to enhance technology-enhanced teaching and learning for your whole organization.

In this dynamic 50-minute presentation, participants will explore cutting-edge advancements in urban farming that are revolutionizing food production in metropolitan areas. We will delve into innovative techniques, such as vertical farming, hydroponics, rooftop gardening, and aquaponics, and examine their impact on sustainability, food security, and community well-being. Through practical examples, attendees will gain insights into the latest technologies and best practices driving the next generation of urban agriculture. Whether you're just getting started, a seasoned urban farmer, an advocate or simply passionate about sustainable living, this presentation will equip you with the knowledge and inspiration to contribute to the growth of urban farming in your community.

Tired of the cumbersome traditional bid process for technology procurement? Join us for an informative session on the Illinois Learning Technology Purchase Program (ILTPP), a service of the Learning Technology Center (LTC)! This session is perfect for anyone in a purchasing role at their building. Witness firsthand how ILTPP simplifies your district's technology acquisition, empowers you to leverage the strength of collective agreements, and ultimately optimizes your technology landscape. This session will reveal the easy-to-navigate path to membership and unlock a world of technology solutions. Get hands-on guidance through the user-friendly joining process and explore the vast partner directory. Say goodbye to time-consuming bidding processes and embrace the efficiency and convenience of cooperative purchasing with the NEW ILTPP Marketplace, streamlining procurement and taking the manual work out of using a purchasing cooperative.

The proposed session will discuss the experiences of various community colleges that received the Dual Credit Access and Equity Grant. Panelists will focus on how the grant benefited students and share their experiences with the grant funding.