2026 KACTE Summer Program: Full Schedule

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8:30am EDT

CSI Day 2 - Supporting Students from Exploration to Action: Pathways, ILPs, and Postsecondary Advising (RSVP Required)

Wednesday July 22, 2026 8:30am - 12:00pm EDT

Explore how the Kentucky Postsecondary Advising Scope and Sequence can strengthen Individual Learning Plan (ILP) implementation and support meaningful college and career readiness. Participants will learn about new ILP training resources and how to leverage the Kentucky Postsecondary Advising Scope and Sequence alongside Futuriti, Kentucky's career exploration platform, to help students make informed postsecondary decisions. Discover strategies for integrating these free resources into various advising structures while building strong school and community partnerships to support robust, student-centered advising systems.

Speakers

Mitzi Holland

Director, Kentucky Advising Academy, Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE)

Mitzi Holland is an education leader with more than 25 years of experience in Career and Technical Education (CTE) and postsecondary readiness. She began her career as a business educator, spending 15 years developing students’ practical and career-focused skills. She later served... Read More →

Michelle Sircy

Program Coordinator for Comprehensive School Counseling, Kentucky Department of Education

Program Coordinator for Comprehensive School Counseling

Susie Burkhardt

Senior Fellow, Kentucky Advising Academy, Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE)

Susie Burkhardt is a lifelong educator with a 35-year career of fostering student-centered learning and academic excellence. Currently serving as a Senior Fellow for the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education, Susie is supporting the development of the Kentucky Advising Scope... Read More →

Wednesday July 22, 2026 8:30am - 12:00pm EDT
Daisy - West - 2nd Floor

School Counselors

Audience School Counselors

1:00pm EDT

Designing Industry Partnerships that Build Authentic Career and Transition Readiness for Every Student, with Intentional Access for Students with Disabilities (SWD)

Wednesday July 22, 2026 1:00pm - 2:30pm EDT

Daisy - West - 2nd Floor

This session focuses on how CTE instructors can collaborate with local business and industry to establish, design, and sustain inclusive employer-engagement partnerships that create authentic, real-world career readiness for all students, including those with disabilities. Participants will learn intentional partnership design strategies to co-create vibrant learning experiences, equip employers with the tools, resources, and supports they need to participate confidently, and reduce employer uncertainty.

Speakers

Dr. Tracy Parks

Coaching Coordinator, Transition Education Unit, Kentucky Department of Education - Office of Special Education and Early Learning

Tracy Parks is a Coaching Coordinator for the Office of Special Education and Early Learning’s (OSEEL) Transition Education Unit. She has 20 years of experience in public education, including roles as a CTE principal, MTSS coordinator, data visualization specialist, and dual-certified... Read More →

Wednesday July 22, 2026 1:00pm - 2:30pm EDT
Daisy - West - 2nd Floor

School Counselors

Audience School Counselors

3:00pm EDT

Pathways to Possibility: Bringing Career Exploration and Financial Literacy to Life in Middle School

Wednesday July 22, 2026 3:00pm - 3:50pm EDT

Daisy - West - 2nd Floor

This session introduces Kentucky’s newly adopted Middle School Career Studies and Financial Literacy Standards and highlights a set of ready-to-use lesson plans designed to support their implementation. Participants will explore how early career awareness and financial literacy help students recognize their strengths, set meaningful goals, and make informed decisions about their futures. Through discussion, practical examples, and implementation strategies, school counselors and educators will gain tools to create engaging, real-world learning experiences that prepare all students for success in high school, postsecondary pathways, and beyond.

Speakers

Sharon Collins

Middle School Career Studies, Kentucky Department of Education - Office of Career & Technical Education

Middle School Career Studies

Wednesday July 22, 2026 3:00pm - 3:50pm EDT
Daisy - West - 2nd Floor

School Counselors

Audience School Counselors

2026 KACTE Summer Program

8:30am EDT

Mitzi Holland

Michelle Sircy

Susie Burkhardt

1:00pm EDT

Dr. Tracy Parks

3:00pm EDT

Sharon Collins

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