Lisa-Marie Reinhart

Expanding Access to CTE: A Career/Workforce Readiness Design Incubator Model

Wednesday, July 22 · 9:45 AM – 10:30 AM · Easton B

What happens when CTE leaders, school districts, nonprofits, and industry partners design workforce-ready learning together? This session introduces the Career/Workforce Readiness Design Incubator, a scalable professional learning model that helped nearly 100 educators redesign curriculum and create authentic career-connected learning experiences for more than 6,000 students in grades 5–12. Participants will explore how design thinking, service-learning, and community partnerships transform traditional curriculum into real-world challenges where students develop durable skills, explore careers, and solve meaningful problems for authentic audiences. Learn the core components of this replicable model, discover practical strategies for taking learning beyond the classroom, and leave with ideas for adapting the incubator to your own school or district. If you're looking to modernize curriculum, strengthen workforce readiness, and build powerful community partnerships, this session will provide a practical roadmap.