Student Leaders Advocate in Washington for CTE During SkillsUSA Week
Published: February 14, 2022
SkillsUSA national officers gathered in Washington, D.C. for SkillsUSA Week Feb. 7-11 to advocate for career and technical education (CTE) and SkillsUSA. The elected student leaders visited the U.S. Department of Education on Feb. 10 to meet with Chief of Staff Jennifer Mishory and select OCTAE staff to discuss how SkillsUSA programming aligns with federal education priorities.
National Officers L to R: Caroline Daley, Lyndsey Lanman, Noe Garcia and Ambuja Sharma with Nick Pennington, Legislative Assistant for Rep. Jim Langevin (D-R.I.)
Next, the group went on legislative visits, meeting with three of the six chairs of the House and Senate CTE Caucuses at the U.S. Capitol, including the staffs of Rep. G.T. Thompson (R-Pa. 15th District), Rep. Jim Langevin (D-R.I. 2nd District) and Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.), to advocate for CTE and SkillsUSA. The group concluded their advocacy efforts with a virtual meeting with Angela Hanks, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary and Acting Assistant Secretary of the Employment and Training Administration at the U.S. Department of Labor and Special Assistant Conor Freeley. Wrapping up the day, they celebrated with a SkillsUSA-themed cake. Joining students Ambuja Sharma (Ga.), Carolina Daley (Fla.), Lyndsey Lanman (Texas) and Noe Garcia (Ariz.) was executive director Chelle Travis and staff.
On Feb. 11, national officer Christopher Anderson (Mo.) joined the group, and the national officers filmed a video to promote national conference and hosted a virtual breakfast for the SkillsUSA staff followed by a lunch outing at Top Golf for staff who are local to the Washington, D.C. area. Wrapping up their week, the officers attended leadership training with team leaders.
Other SkillsUSA members in chapters nationwide celebrated SkillsUSA Week by hosting their own local activities:
On Monday, Feb. 7, Recognition Day, members honored advisors, administrators, business partners, community leaders and supporters who have an impact on their chapter.
On Tuesday, Feb. 8, Give Back Day, students rallied around their schools and communities.
On Wednesday, Feb. 9, Partner Day, chapters connected with local business and industry leaders to highlight the importance of career-readiness skills.
On Thursday, Feb. 10, Advocacy Day, members amplified CTE in their communities by holding open houses and making presentations to community leaders.
On Friday, Feb. 11, SkillsUSA Day, chapters celebrated by wearing their favorite SkillsUSA shirts and hosting a fun member activity to conclude the week.
Members can still share SkillsUSA Week stories on social media using the hashtag #SkillsUSAWeek or submit stories and photos to the SkillsUSA staff: Share your news stories.
To see photos from SkillsUSA Week, go to our Flickr album here: tinyurl.com/2p8p785r.
SkillsUSA instructors are among 25 outstanding teachers from 19 states who are winners for the 2024 Harbor Freight Tools for Schools Prize for Teaching Excellence. In total, $1.5 million in cash prizes were awarded to the teachers and their programs.
