This post is written by Oracle Academy, a Platinum Level sponsor of the 2019 Advance CTE Spring Meeting.
As the North America Oracle Academy Regional Director, I have the opportunity to talk with education leaders at the national, state, K12 district, school site, and post-secondary level―learning, sharing ideas, celebrating successes, and understanding the challenges these leaders face each day. In February, a campaign initiative to support Career Technical Education asked individuals from all over the nation to take and post a selfie with a sign saying  “#ISupportCTE because,” on it. While I personally try to avoid selfies at all costs, I never miss an opportunity to highlight why believing in CTE is so important! For instance:
#ISupportCTE because: CTE ignites the imagination of learners through learning pathways. CTE Learning Pathways have the opportunity to lead our students to college and then on to career success. Many of these pathways include applicable industry certifications and apprenticeship/internships, but all of them start with helping the student understand the career opportunities available within that pathway. Students have the opportunity to think about whether a pathway is of interest, essentially igniting their imagination about the future. Oracle Academy partners with secondary and post-secondary schools to create computing education pathways, train teachers, cultivate critical thinking and bring creative, academic computing technology curriculum into classrooms. Oracle’s leadership in emerging technologies and next-generation cloud developments spur Oracle Academy’s innovation-focused curriculum, resources, and events so that students have a holistic view of careers associated with computing technology pathways.
#ISupportCTE because: CTE is for ALL learners, not just a select few. As we all know, the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act is critical to ensuring that sustainable, high-quality CTE programs meet the changing needs of learners and employers. This act works to improve the academic and technical achievement of ALL students who wish to engage in career technical education pathways, while strengthening the bridge between secondary and post-secondary, and balancing student needs with that of a new economy.  As parents, educators, and leaders, it’s our duty to encourage ALL students to engage in CTE as a unique opportunity for career discovery and skill development aligned to an industry-relevant learning pathway. Oracle Academy supports diversity in technology and actively works to increase the participation of all students in computing, including girls, women and other under-represented groups, by creating materials and programs that make computing accessible and engaging for everyone. With Oracle Academy, students receive hands-on experience with the latest technologies, helping make them college and career ready in the era of cloud computing, artificial intelligence, machine learning, data science, the Internet of Things, and beyond.
Oracle Academy is Oracle’s global, philanthropic, award-winning educational program, with the goal of advancing computing education around the world to increase knowledge, innovation, skills development, and diversity in technology fields. Oracle Academy offers educators and their students FREE resources to teach and learn computing technology. This includes student-facing curriculum, learning and certification resources.
Oracle Academy understands and values educators as partners who are empowered to facilitate innovative student learning in and out of the classroom.