2026 WV ACTE Summer Conference

You will be able to validate your attendance (Check-In to sessions) using your personal schedule.

10:00am EDT

From Classroom to Company: Building a Simulated Workplace That Develops Real-World Skills

Monday August 3, 2026 10:00am - 10:45am EDT

Shawkey Room @ Marshall University Student Memorial Center

Limited Capacity seats available

Simulated Workplace (SWP) transforms Career and Technical Education classrooms into authentic business environments where students develop both technical and professional skills aligned with industry expectations. This session will provide educators with practical strategies for implementing SWP structures that strengthen student engagement, accountability, and career readiness.
Participants will explore key components of a high-functioning simulated workplace including company structures, student leadership roles, workplace expectations, safety systems, and continuous improvement practices. Through hands-on activities and demonstrations of ready-to-use tools, participants will walk through the process of building a classroom workplace culture that mirrors industry standards.
Attendees will leave with practical templates, implementation strategies, and classroom structures that can be immediately adapted for their programs.

Speakers

James Coble

Coordinator, West Virginia Department of Education

James Coble is a Coordinator with the West Virginia Department of Education’s Office of Career and Technical Education, supporting statewide programs in STEM, Manufacturing, Architecture & Construction, Transportation, Government & Public Administration, and Law & Public Safety. A former teacher... Read More →

Monday August 3, 2026 10:00am - 10:45am EDT
Shawkey Room Marshall University Student Memorial Center

Workshop

Area Best Practices
global Y

11:00am EDT

From Ideas to Action: Sparking Student Innovation

LIMITED

Monday August 3, 2026 11:00am - 11:45am EDT

Shawkey Room @ Marshall University Student Memorial Center

Limited Capacity seats available

This session highlights how student-centered innovation, structured business partnerships, and authentic work-based learning experiences can strengthen student problem-solving, creativity, and career readiness. Participants will explore how Student Innovators and SparkWV integrate project-based learning, employability skills, CTSO alignment, and industry engagement into a cohesive pathway experience. Through real examples from West Virginia students and educators, participants will learn how students move from ideation to community-supported implementation.

This session will provide practical tools and replicable strategies that align with key elements of the ACTE High-Quality CTE Framework, including:
Engaging instruction and project-based learning
Business and community
Work-based learning
Student career development

Attendees will leave with implementation strategies to strengthen any programs of study while expanding student access, career-connected learning, and skill development.

Speakers

Kim Zirk

Program Manager, The EdVenture Group

Kim Zirk earned a Master’s in Secondary Education and a Bachelor’s in English from West Virginia University. With over a decade of experience spanning the K-16 continuum, she has worked extensively with youth, designing and implementing research-driven, differentiated curriculum... Read More →

Monday August 3, 2026 11:00am - 11:45am EDT
Shawkey Room Marshall University Student Memorial Center

Workshop

Area Management & Entrepreneurship, Best Practices
global Y

2:15pm EDT

Seeing Your Program Through Student Eyes: Building Ownership in the Simulated Workplace

LIMITED

Monday August 3, 2026 2:15pm - 3:00pm EDT

Shawkey Room @ Marshall University Student Memorial Center

Limited Capacity seats available

Simulated workplaces create powerful opportunities for students to build real-world skills, but how students experience those environments can vary in ways we don’t always see.
In this interactive session, participants will learn a design thinking approach for exploring their program from the student perspective. Through guided examples and practical tools, educators will learn how to uncover how students experience their program, surface insights about voice and ownership, and better understand how learning environments are perceived by students.
Participants will leave with a clear, adaptable process they can use to elevate student voice, strengthen buy-in, and deepen ownership of learning within simulated workplace settings and beyond.
This approach is applicable across grade levels and roles, offering teachers, counselors, and administrators a practical way to gather meaningful student insight and use it to inform program design and improvement.
This session focuses on seeing more clearly first, so that changes are developed with students and grounded in their experiences.

Speakers

Elizabeth Crawford

Outreach Programs Specialist, June Harless Center at Marshall University

Elizabeth Crawford serves as Outreach Programs Specialist at the June Harless Center for Rural Educational Research and Development. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education with a specialization in Early Childhood, and a Master of Arts in School Counseling, both from... Read More →

Jason Gibbs

STEAM & Innovation Specialist, June Harless Center at Marshall University

As STEAM & Innovation Specialist at Marshall University’s June Harless Center for Rural Educational Research and Development, Jason Gibbs designs and delivers professional learning that strengthens STEAM capacity and cultivates cultures of inquiry, innovation, and problem-solving... Read More →

Monday August 3, 2026 2:15pm - 3:00pm EDT
Shawkey Room Marshall University Student Memorial Center

Workshop

Area Best Practices
global Y

3:15pm EDT

AI Literacy for All: Student-Led Learning with AI Ready Skills

LIMITED

Monday August 3, 2026 3:15pm - 4:00pm EDT

Shawkey Room @ Marshall University Student Memorial Center

Limited Capacity seats available

In today's world, it is essential for students to understand Artificial Intelligence (AI). AI Ready Skills provides a comprehensive, student-led curriculum and credentialing pathway that educates students on AI through engaging and interactive methods. This session will demonstrate how integrating captivating student activities with the immersive environment of Minecraft Education empowers educators to enhance their students' AI knowledge, regardless of their own expertise in the field. Additionally, AI Ready Skills emphasizes the importance of teaching students to use AI responsibly, ensuring they understand ethical considerations and safe practices in their AI interactions. And it is available to all West Virginia public schools at no cost!

Speakers

Catrina Hunzeker

Product Specialist, Prodigy Learning

Catrina Hunzeker is a Product Specialist for Prodigy Learning and has 20 years’ experience as both an educator and a trainer. She has trained hundreds of teachers on game-based learning through Minecraft Education. As a former computer science and CTE teacher, Catrina is... Read More →

Monday August 3, 2026 3:15pm - 4:00pm EDT
Shawkey Room Marshall University Student Memorial Center

Workshop

Area Digital Technology
global Y

10:00am EDT

From Classroom to Career: Engaging Students Through AP Business with Personal Finance

LIMITED

Tuesday August 4, 2026 10:00am - 10:45am EDT

Shawkey Room @ Marshall University Student Memorial Center

Limited Capacity seats available

What does high-quality, career-connected business education look like in action?
In this interactive session, participants will experience AP Business with Personal Finance firsthand through hands-on, project-based challenges modeled after real classroom experiences. Designed to align with the ACTE High-Quality CTE Framework, this course integrates entrepreneurship, financial literacy, employer-endorsed credentials, and CTSO-aligned learning to prepare students for both college credit and high-demand careers.
Participants will explore how students develop decision-making skills using real-world case studies, apply the PACED model to personal and business financial decisions, and build an entrepreneurial venture through the AP Business Canvas project. Attendees will leave with practical strategies to expand access to rigorous business pathways, strengthen industry connections, and implement engaging, workforce-aligned programs that empower West Virginia students to own their futures.

Speakers

Andrea Holzwarth

Career Strategy and Engagement, College Board

Andrea Holzwarth is the Director of Career Strategy and Engagement at the College Board and brings more than a decade of experience across K–12 education, higher education, and workforce development. She is passionate about strengthening operations, improving the customer experience... Read More →

Zach Riffle

State and District Partnerships, College Board

Zach Riffle works in the State and District Partnerships of College Board. He brings more than a decade of experience in the k12 space. Prior to coming on to College Board in September 2024, Zach was a high school science teacher for ten years, spending four years in Southeast... Read More →

Tuesday August 4, 2026 10:00am - 10:45am EDT
Shawkey Room Marshall University Student Memorial Center

Workshop

Area Investing in the Future, Best Practices, Post-Secondary Credit
global Y

11:00am EDT

Bringing Midcrosoft Certifications To Your Classroom

LIMITED

Tuesday August 4, 2026 11:00am - 11:45am EDT

Shawkey Room @ Marshall University Student Memorial Center

Limited Capacity seats available

Skills have become the currency of the 21st Century and West Virginia teachers have access to the resources needed to teach these skills along with certifications to validate your student's skills. We will discuss what certifications are offered through the West Virginia Statewide Programs, how to deliver certifications to your students, best ways to prepare students for certifications and share ideas on how to get your students motivated and excited about the certification opportunities you are giving them.

Speakers

Diane Malachowski

Certification Deployment Manager, Certiport/Pearson

Diane Malachowski is a Certification Deployment Manager with Certiport. She currently is over the Statewide Microsoft Certification Initiative in West Virginia. She is excited to help teachers achieve their certification goals and find success in the classroom.

Portia Naze

Specialist, Pearson Career Ready

Portia Naze brings a unique blend of classroom, administrative, and industry experience to the world of Career and Technical Education. A former teacher and school administrator, she has dedicated her career to supporting educators and building programs that meet the real needs of both teac... Read More →

Tuesday August 4, 2026 11:00am - 11:45am EDT
Shawkey Room Marshall University Student Memorial Center

Workshop

Area Certifications, Management & Entrepreneurship
global Y

1:00pm EDT

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Visual App Development Pilot Program

LIMITED

Tuesday August 4, 2026 1:00pm - 1:45pm EDT

Shawkey Room @ Marshall University Student Memorial Center

Limited Capacity seats available

The pilot program initiative introduces hands-on, project-based AI education, providing high school students with the tools to build, create, and lead in the world of technology. The Rockefeller Foundation funded the pilot in five West Virginia counties in cooperation with Marshall University.

Speakers