"CTE in a Virtual World" with Milton Hershey School CTE Director, Dave Curry

When the world turned upside down a little over a year ago, many things had to stop and pivot with it. The in-person learning and hands-on experiences that were the norm for teaching trade and vocational skills had to be reimagined factoring in physical distancing and virtual instruction. Educators had to be creative, and students had to be open to these new models, knowing that it would be worth it–and that’s exactly what happened at Milton Hershey School. As a result of the pandemic, career and technical education has become more important than ever. There is a higher demand for skilled jobs and unforeseen disruption in other career paths. The higher education landscape also shifted. It is the role of career and technical education to change with the times, teaching courses like carpentry, agriculture, design, and technology, while also providing practical skills that are marketable, adaptable, and essential. At Milton Hershey School, a pre-K through 12th-grade residential school for children from low-income backgrounds, vocational training has been a core part of the curriculum throughout the school’s 110-year history. The Career and Technical Education (CTE) program, and its 12 career pathways, prepare students for college or career by introducing a wide range of disciplines. Beginning in elementary school, students are exposed to careers and progress through real-life experiences in and out of the classroom as part of the CTE curriculum. While the school never closed as a result of the pandemic, the typical methods of instruction adjusted but also created opportunities for innovative lessons that address the real need for CTE. Here are some examples of how CTE teachers have tapped into different instructional methods to create unique learning opportunities for students: (Click here to continue reading: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PQSfs91juG4oMMKl2atiDxk-1DPuRsBf/view?usp=sharing) Dave Curry is the director of career and technical education (CTE) at the Milton Hershey School in Hershey, Pa. He leads a program that offers 12 CTE pathways, each combining tailor-made instruction and hands-on learning with the ability to gain industry-recognized certifications and real-life experience through internships, co-ops, and pre-apprenticeships.