With poster boards and stickers offered by PALS, remote-controlled cars from robotics and knives on display from culinary, the CTE programs eagerly try out ways to attract the curious eighth graders. This fair is in full swing with flyers flurrying about and music bumping along in the background of the loud conversations echoing across the library.

The Career and Technical Education (CTE) department hosted an all-day CTE Fair at the Cedar Park Middle School library on Nov. 19. Upperclassmen set up booths promoting their programs, allowing all 490 eighth grade students to rotate through and explore the options available to them at the high school level.

“One of our campus goals is student ownership of student learning, and I think this is a perfect example of where our upperclassmen, our practicum students have to take ownership of their programs and to really try to recruit and inspire those students and share their experiences directly,” Anthony Garcia, CTE Department Head and Student Media Adviser, said. “I can sit there and talk to a kid all day long, but it’s never going to be as impactful as them talking to a [fellow] student that’s just a couple steps ahead of them.” 

Plans for the fair were set into motion only a month ago, with Cedar Park Middle School assistant principal Kacey Selken working with Garcia to coordinate the fair for students to help the CTE programs to promote themselves before students have to make course selections.

“I hope that [the eighth graders] are able to leave today with having some idea of something that is giving them encouragement about going on to high school, but also exciting them about, ‘ooh, I really want to be able to take that class’,” Selken said. “When you read it or someone presents it, it’s not the same as when you get to go and see the things and talk to people and ask questions.”

Typically, students do not select their courses for the next year until January. With various financial stressors and challenges with district enrollment numbers, course enrollments have been moved up to December, leaving little opportunity for the CTE programs to encourage new students to join.

“It’s definitely brought up as a concern of being able to talk to those kids that are not sure what they want to do,” Agricultural Mechanics teacher Myles Russell said. “You have some that know where they’re going to go, but how do we snag the ones that are not? Pushing it up this early has made it difficult to do that.” 

According to the Leander ISD CTE website, these courses provide opportunities for career exploration and authentic learning experiences at a higher level. All 19 courses that are offered at Cedar Park High School were present at the fair with student representatives.

“We’re in education and so we’re always used to having to fly by the seat of your pants,” Selken said. “I think that we can avoid any problems if we just continue to have events like this and make sure that we’re communicating with the kids and their parents especially.”

The assistant principals worked with their librarian Julie Robledo to set up the space and plan effective rotations for the eighth graders to come during their social studies classes.

“[The fair] really gives them an eye opening view of the great course elections that are available for them at high school,” Robledo said. “Also, it’s great because they get to talk to and meet high schoolers, get some real world conversations and see what it’s like at high school. I feel like students and parents are a little stressed and they just need a little bit of time to process all the information, so this event’s been pretty helpful so that they can get a good idea of what’s available to them.”

Junior Adalyn Ables, one of the upperclassmen present at the fair, represented the Fashion Design course and FCCLA club with junior Anjali Carl. Without enough enrollment in a CTE course, it will get removed from course selection due to budget concerns.

“I’m happy that I am able to present fashion because it’s fun to talk about what I’ve done in this class, explain what’s fun about it, encourage other people and make them feel like they want to join it,” Ables said. “It’s also nice that every single CTE class is here together because it shows all the different routes you can take.” 

According to the Texas Education Agency, schools receive more funding when students are enrolled in CTE courses, more so when students are considered CTE Completers, meaning those who have passed three or more courses within a Program of Study.

“You’re not coming into a CTE class and just sitting there while your teacher lectures the whole period,” Garcia said. “You’re coming in and you’re creating, making, cooking and like the practicum kids are doing here, engaging younger kids and recruiting. I don’t think there’s any other department that prepares students for real world scenarios and careers like CTE courses do.”