ACTE Postsecondary CTE Summit 2026

This session details the development of YETI (Youth Early Teaching Initiative), a CTE-funded program designed to introduce secondary students across Alaska to the teaching profession through free, college-level coursework. Recognizing that many high school students, particularly those in rural and remote communities, homeschool settings, and private schools, have no access to education-related CTE pathways, YETI was built to extend that opportunity statewide. In our first semester, we anticipated 16 students and received over 100 applications, indicating high interest. The courses students take through YETI are not standalone electives; they are the first credits in a fully articulated stackable credential sequence. Secondary coursework applies directly toward the Occupational Endorsement Certificate (OEC) in Infant and Toddler Development, a workforce-recognized credential. All OEC credits then count toward an associate's degree, which articulates into a bachelor's degree program leading to a teaching license. Registered teacher apprenticeship opportunities are available at multiple points along the way, allowing students to enter paid, supported work in education while continuing to build their credentials. This session walks through how that pathway was designed, the institutional partnerships required to make it work, and what student demand revealed about the unmet need this program is addressing.