ACTE Postsecondary CTE Summit 2026 has ended

ACTE Postsecondary CTE Summit 2026

4:00pm EDT

Exhibitor Set Up & Registration Independence A

8:00am EDT

Registration Independence A Exhibitor Hours Independence A

9:00am EDT

Workshop (additional fee): Leading Postsecondary CTE in an Era of Workforce Transformation: A Systems Approach for Senior Leaders Regency EF

10:30am EDT

Tour (additional fee): Data Centers and the In-demand Career Path That Awaits Your Students Offsite

11:15am EDT

Beyond Internships: A Proven Model for Scaling Work-Based Learning Washington B

12:15pm EDT

Workshop (additional fee): From Industry to Instructor: Create Your Own Playbook to Empower Your Team of Industry-Experienced Teachers Washington B

1:15pm EDT

Behind the Certification: From Job Task Analysis to Career-Ready Credentials Regency EF

3:30pm EDT

Opening General Session: Powering Possibility Regency EF

5:00pm EDT

Powering Connections: Welcome Reception Sponsored by Lumina Foundation Independence A

6:30pm EDT

Dinner & a Movie: Multiple Choice (A special screening event — advance registration required) Alamo Drafthouse Cinema Crystal City

7:00am EDT

Registration Independence A

7:30am EDT

Breakfast & Welcome Remarks Independence A Exhibitor Hours Independence A

8:15am EDT

Panel I: Building the Postsecondary CTE Workforce: Faculty, Staff, and Systems That Power Student Success Regency EF

9:30am EDT

Bridging the Skills Gap: A Model Partnership Between USIC and Meridian Technology Center Regency EF Considerations for Implementing and Researching Student Work-Based Learning in Postsecondary Contexts Washington B CTE Leadership Systems You Can Implement Monday Morning Jefferson Stacked Credentials, Scalable Impact: Aligning Allied Health Pathways with Policy, Funding, and Workforce Demand Lincoln The Silicon & Steel Pivot Washington A What if College Courses Could Be Purposefully Placed into Every High School CTE Program? Roosevelt Beyond the Buzz: Practical AI Skills for Manufacturing Careers Conference Theater

10:30am EDT

AI in Action - Transforming Teaching and Learning in Community Colleges Washington B Business Engagement Strategies: What works? What doesn't? Jefferson Ohio's Career Pathway Support Network--A regional model for developing high-quality career pathways and career-connected learning opportunities for all students Regency EF Psychological Safety as Infrastructure for Postsecondary CTE Success Roosevelt The Business Of… Creating a successful Freelancing Hustle Washington A The School-to-Employment Pipeline is no longer working as originally designed. The Fix is easier (and a lot more fun) that you might imagine Lincoln Bridging the Exposure Gap: Aligning Aptitudes, Industry Credentials, and Postsecondary Pathways Conference Theater

11:15am EDT

Lunch + Exhibitor Time Independence A

12:15pm EDT

Panel II: How Emerging Technologies Are Transforming Postsecondary CTE Regency EF

1:15pm EDT

AI in Action: A Framework for Translating Industry Technologies into CTE Instruction Washington A Building a Teacher Pipeline That Engages Underserved Youth Washington B Meeting Students Where They Are: Outreach Strategies That Strengthen Rural Cybersecurity Pathways Lincoln Rethinking Literacy and Numeracy for Today’s CTE Workforce Regency EF Small Steps, Big Impact: Advancing Career Development Through Micro-Learning and Feedback Roosevelt Understanding & Meeting the Professional Development Needs of Post-secondary CTE Educators Jefferson More Than One Way Through: Designing Credential Pathways for Multiple Learner Journeys Conference Theater

2:15pm EDT

Bridging K–12, Community College, and Industry for Workforce Success Roosevelt From 14 Credits to College Access: How One CTE Pathway Sent Students to College With a Semester Already Done Washington B From Fellowship to Systems Change: Scaling Leadership Impact in Postsecondary CTE Regency EF Future-Proofing CTE: Using DACUM to Translate Tech Trends into Program Design Washington A Selling the Strategy: How to Position CTE Initiatives for Executive and Donor Support Lincoln What Are We Missing? Adult Education's Place in the Postsecondary CTE Pipeline Jefferson The Execution Gap: Using 4DX to Turn CTE Priorities into Results Conference Theater

3:00pm EDT

ACTE Birthday Break with Exhibitors Independence A

3:30pm EDT

Beyond Instruction: Building Staff Capacity and Scaling Cybersecurity Work-Based Learning Jefferson Creating Meaningful Health Career Pathways: A Perkins-Aligned Framework Regency EF Designing High-Impact CTE for People and Performance Washington B Exploring the Essential Elements of Industry-Recognized Credentials to Ensure Validity and Workplace Relevance Washington A From Isolation to Collaboration: Launching Utah’s First Postsecondary CTE Summit Roosevelt Starting Earlier in the Trades, Early Results and Best Practices from North Carolina’s 9th–10th Grade CTE Dual Enrollment Pilot Lincoln Accounting Futures: Building Tomorrow’s Business Advisors Conference Theater

4:30pm EDT

Andragogy in Action: Supporting Transition to Postsecondary Education and the Workforce Lincoln Beyond the Career Closet: Building equitable, scalable career readiness systems in Postsecondary CTE Jefferson Closing the Postsecondary Gap in Title I Schools: A Four-Pillar CTE Framework Built From the Inside Out Washington B Invited In: A Scalable Model for Connecting High School CTE Students with Postsecondary Education Conference Theater Redesigning the Role of Industry Credentials in Postsecondary CTE Washington A Reskill/Upskill: A Blueprint for Innovative Workforce Development Through Strategic Partnerships Regency EF Zero Budget Security Roosevelt

5:30pm EDT

Exhibitor Breakdown Independence A

5:45pm EDT

Powering Possibility: A Poster Reception & Networking Experience Surreal Global Kitchen

6:00pm EDT

Poster 01: AI tutoring that moves the needle on certification pass rates Surreal Global Kitchen Poster 02: Separate and Unequal: Noncredit Student Experiences at Santa Fe Community College Surreal Global Kitchen Poster 03: Instructionally Sound and Built to Scale, Early Evidence from a 9th–10th Grade CTE Dual Enrollment Cohort Surreal Global Kitchen Poster 04: CTE for Florida State Prisoners Requirement Surreal Global Kitchen

7:30pm EDT

Tour (additional fee): Monument Twilight Tour Offsite

7:30am EDT

Breakfast & Welcome Remarks Independence A

8:15am EDT

Roundtable 01: From Learning to Language: Closing the Gap Between Skills Students Build and Skills Employers Hear Regency E Roundtable 02: NextLevel Fellow - Make-it-Better Plan : Re-Envisioning - The process of transforming a program from low performing to exceptional Regency E Roundtable 03: The Federal Landscape of Workforce Development Grants Regency E Roundtable 04: Different Thinkers, Stronger Workforce: Supporting Neurodiverse Learners in CTE Regency E Roundtable 05: Aligning Faculty and Operations for Industry Credibility Regency E Roundtable 06: Career Readiness in Transition: How Higher Ed Must Adapt to AI, Accountability, and Employer Demand Regency E Roundtable 07: Why Faith-Based CTE Now? Regency E Roundtable 08: Building the Semiconductor Workforce of the Future: A Scalable Model for Technician Training Regency E Roundtable 09: From Proposal to Award: Navigating the Grants Process Regency E Roundtable 10: Understanding Some of the Anticipated Effects and Outcomes of Micro credentialing and Short-Term Pell in CTE Programs Regency E Roundtable 11: Make it Better Roundtable Plan Regency E Roundtable 12: Federal Policy Impacting Postsecondary CTE Regency E Roundtable 13: Building Bridges with University CTE Teacher, WBL Coordinator, and Career Counselor Preparation Programs Regency E Roundtable 14: Bridging the Gap: Building CTE Dual Credit Pathways Regency E Roundtable 15: Building a Microcredential Playbook for High-Value Workforce Pathways Regency E Roundtable 16: From Industry Expert to Exceptional Educator: Transforming CTE Faculty Development Regency E Roundtable 17: NEW! ACTE Masterclass Series Regency E Roundtable 18: From Classroom to Career-ReadY: Build the Bridge the Industry Won’t Regency E Roundtable 19: Powering Possibility for All: How the HIRE Program is Bridging the Gap for Students with Unique Abilities Regency E Roundtable 20: Building CTE Teams into Workforce Learning Architects Regency E Roundtable 21: From Compliance to Collaboration: Transforming Advisory Committees into Strategic Workforce Partnerships Regency E Roundtable 22: From Manners to Market Readiness: Teaching the Hidden Curriculum of Professional Success Regency E Roundtable 23: Advocating For the Trades in an Era of Deregulation Regency E Roundtable 24: From Training Provider to Workforce Partner: Building Industry-Aligned Adult Education Regency E Roundtable 25: Reimagining ways to Design and Strengthen CTE Pathways  Regency E Roundtable 26: Bridging the Gap: Implementing AI-Driven Guidance for Student Success Regency E

9:45am EDT

Grant Writing Strategies for National Science Foundation ATE Proposals Regency E Unblooming CTE: How to Foster AI Savvy and Resilience in Postsecondary Career-Technical Settings Regency F

11:00am EDT

Dig Deeper: Reflecting on the Future of Postsecondary CTE Regency E

11:50am EDT

Closing General Session Regency E