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students as Advocates

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By Stephen DeWitt ;

HEARING A CAREER A N D TECHNICAL EDUCATION (CTE) student provide a passionate account of his or her education can be a compelling advocacy experience. In February, staff from the Association for Career and Tech- nical Education (ACTE) visited Chantilly Academy, in Virginia, as part of our CTE Month® celebration (see full story on page 10). During the school tour, we heard from a panel of students who told their stories of how the academy had helped them with academic performance, skill- building and identification and pursuit of their career choices. The student I found most memorable discussed her desire to work with and help others understand animals. She was enrolled in the acade- my's veterinary and health programs, and was well-spoken and passionate. Her story helped the audience connect with her experience through an informative and

emotional story—ultimately providing a clear message about Chantilly Academy's relevance and support in helping her reach career goals. Wow, I thought, this is the kind of story that helps change minds!

Student advocacy can be a central part of CTE advocacy efforts when blended with the good use of data, explanation about the impact of programs and direct requests to a policymaker concerning the actions you would like him or her to take. In the CTE community, we continue to battle the perception problem. Policymak- ers, students and parents fail to consider CTE as a viable option because they have misconceptions about what CTE is and is not. Student advocacy can help improve and sometimes shatter perceptions through education about the power and potential of CTE.

Advocacy always requires responsibil- ity and students should not be coerced

into making statements they do not agree with, but advocacy also does not need to be overly structured and "high stakes." The crux of student advocacy is com- municating about educational experienee and outcomes to help policymakers under- stand the value of CTE. The following are several recommendations you can use and share with others as you think about student advocacy.

Recommendations for Student Advocacy Always seek permission from school administrators and parents first before using students as advocates. Whether inviting policymakers or media to your school, or visiting the state legislature, make sure to identify and adhere to any school/institution rules.

Encourage students to speak with their own voice. There is nothing worse

12 T e c h n i q u e s A P R I L 2 0 1 2 w w w . a c t e o n l i n e . o r g

"STUDENT ADVOCACY CAN BE A CENTRAL PART OF CTE ADVOCACY EFFORTS WHEN BLENDED WITH THE GOOD USE OF DATA, EXPLANATION ABOUT THE IMPACT OF PROGRAMS AND DIRECT REQUESTS TO A POLICYMAKER CONCERNING THE ACTIONS YOU WOULD LIKE HIM OR HER TO TAKE."

than hearing someone read a printed statement. Encourage your students to speak "from the heart" to connect how CTE has impacted their personal lives.

Capitalize on students' strengths. As with all advocacy, you want students to make a compelling case. If a student is a good public speaker, have him or her lead the discussion. If the student is better at writing, have him or her write a letter to his or her Member of Congress, or a letter to the editor of the local newspaper.

Teach citizenship. Arguably, a cen- tral purpose of education is to help mold responsible citizens. Use advocacy as a teachable moment to empower students to participate in our democratic system.

Endorse ideas, not candidates. As with all advocates in an educational setting, students should discuss the ideas they support and not voice support for any particular elected official or individual running for public office. D

Stephen DeWitt

is senior director of public policy at ACTE. He can be contacted

at [email protected].

A i ^ T p i j J You can read more a b o u t ACTE's

T ^ _ _ x ^ policy activities a n d the latest

happenings in W o s h i n g t o n , D . C , on ACTE's CTE

Policy W a t c h b l o g . Check it out t o d a y at w w w .

acteonline.org/ctepolicywatchblog.aspx.

w w w . a c t e o n l i n e . o r g

To better serve Association members and the entire CTE community, ACTE is going to expand its offerings of unique, ACTE-produced publications and other materials. We are clearing out our resell inventory to make room, so the time has never been better to pick up materials for your school, your classroom or your own professional development. Get these great titles before they're gone! Visit www.acteonline. org/shop.aspx for a listing of our clearance inventory and to see full product descriptions.

Visit www.acteonline.org/shop.aspx for a full view of ACTE's products and to search for your favorites. ACTE members receive

special discounts on most products and resources.

APRIL 2 0 1 2 T e c h n i q u e s 13

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