Nebraska Career and Technical Education Conference 2026: Full Schedule

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8:30am CDT

Registration

Monday June 8, 2026 8:30am - 4:00pm CDT

Monday June 8, 2026 8:30am - 4:00pm CDT
Entryway

Cross Career Field Administrators Agriculture Food & Natural Resources Business Marketing & Management Communication & Information Systems Health Sciences Human Sciences & Education School Counselors Skilled & Technical Sciences WBL Coordinators

10:00am CDT

Orientation for Wayne State College CED 650 Curriculum Development in CTE

Monday June 8, 2026 10:00am - 11:15am CDT

Ruby 3

By invitation only. This session is intended for CTE teachers enrolled in CED 650: Curriculum Development in CTE. The session will provide an orientation to the course syllabus and assignments, along with time to meet and connect with other participants.

Speakers

Carol Erwin

Professor, Wayne State College

Dr. Carol Erwin was a classroom FCS teacher for 12 years before moving on to teaching Foods & Nutrition and FCS Education at Wayne State College in northeast Nebraska for the past 14 years. In her professional life she has a passion for providing professional development and lifelong... Read More →

Monday June 8, 2026 10:00am - 11:15am CDT
Ruby 3

10:00am CDT

Association for Career and Technical Education of Nebraska (ACTEN) Board Meeting

Monday June 8, 2026 10:00am - 11:15am CDT

Crystal 1

By invitation only.

Monday June 8, 2026 10:00am - 11:15am CDT
Crystal 1

11:30am CDT

Opening Keynote & Luncheon

Monday June 8, 2026 11:30am - 12:45pm CDT

Crystal 2, 3, & 4

Kick off the 52nd NCE Conference with a welcome from Nebraska's Commissioner of Education, Dr. Brian Maher and a keynote address from Dr. Alyson Freeman. In this session, industry professional Dr. Alyson Freeman from Dell Technologies provides a direct, real-world perspective on the rapidly evolving workforce landscape in the age of Artificial Intelligence. Shifting the conversation from buzzwords to reality, Alyson will discuss how industry is actually deploying these tools today, what skills everyone needs, what it means for the workforce, and why educators are needed now more than ever. She will bridge the gap between high-tech innovation and essential CTE trades, demonstrating how the physical infrastructure of the AI era — from massive data centers to complex server environments — relies on skilled professionals in fields like construction, electrical work, and logistics. Drawing from her own non-linear career journey, she will highlight why durable skills such as teamwork, work ethic, and critical thinking remain the most vital assets for students transitioning from the classroom to a career in an increasingly automated world.

Speakers

Dr. Brian Maher

Commissioner, Nebraska Department of Education

Dr. Alyson Freeman

Dr. Alyson Freeman leads the sustainability and ESG innovation efforts for Dell Technologies, driving the creation of environmentally responsible products and business strategies with a focus on AI and data center energy use. She has 20 years’ experience in engineering and management... Read More →

Monday June 8, 2026 11:30am - 12:45pm CDT
Crystal 2, 3, & 4

11:30am CDT

Vender Expo

Monday June 8, 2026 11:30am - 4:00pm CDT

Diamond 1, 2, & 6

Monday June 8, 2026 11:30am - 4:00pm CDT
Diamond 1, 2, & 6

1:00pm CDT

Planning Without the Panic: A Better Officer Team Planning Day

Monday June 8, 2026 1:00pm - 1:45pm CDT

Ruby 4

Lesson Plans, Sub Plans, Meal plans… SO MANY PLANS!
Educators are planners by nature, but when it comes to officer teams, summer planning days often become overwhelming, unfocused, or rushed. This session takes one major plan off your plate: the plan for your officer team’s summer planning day.

Designed for advisors and educators who work with student leadership teams, this workshop provides a framework for a productive, engaging, and meaningful planning day. Participants will walk through a proven agenda from almost a decade of leading teams through MAPS (our team planning experiences hosted by The Leadership Center) that balances team building, goal setting, leadership development, and actionable planning—without the chaos or burnout.

You’ll leave with practical tools, sample schedules, facilitation tips, and adaptable activities you can use with your officer team. Whether you’re a first-year advisor or a seasoned pro, this session helps you turn planning day into a focused launchpad for the year ahead—saving time, reducing stress, and empowering students to lead with clarity and confidence.

Speakers

Abby Miller

Education Manager, The Leadership Center

Abby Miller is a passionate educator, leadership facilitator, and community builder dedicated to empowering students and educators across Nebraska. As the D4LC and Internship Manager with The Leadership Center, Abby partners with schools and educators to design and deliver dynami... Read More →

Maile Ilac Boeder

Executive Director, The Leadership Center

*See previous submission*

Monday June 8, 2026 1:00pm - 1:45pm CDT
Ruby 4

1:00pm CDT

What Happens When You Let Students Run a Real Business?

Monday June 8, 2026 1:00pm - 1:45pm CDT

Diamond 3

This session highlights the creation and success of the Heart of Schuyler, a fully student-run gift shop located inside CHI Health Schuyler. What began as an empty, underutilized hospital space has been transformed into a thriving retail business through a unique partnership between the hospital and a high school entrepreneurship program.Attendees will learn how students manage all aspects of the business, including inventory, vendor relations, marketing, financial reporting, and daily operations. The session will walk through the process of launching the partnership, structuring student teams, and creating systems that allow the business to function sustainably throughout the school year.In addition, participants will gain practical strategies for building community partnerships, designing authentic learning experiences, and aligning real-world business operations with CTE standards. Challenges, lessons learned, and replicable frameworks will be shared so educators can adapt similar models in their own programs—regardless of school size or resources.

Speakers

Grant Torpin

CTE Teacher, Schuyler Central High School

Grant Torpin is currently a CTE teacher at Schuyler Central High School. He recently completed his 18th year in education, with experience as a classroom teacher, school administrator, and career academy coordinator. No matter the role, his focus has remained on creating authentic... Read More →

Monday June 8, 2026 1:00pm - 1:45pm CDT
Diamond 3

1:00pm CDT

Beyond the Meeting: Creating Maximum Impact from Industry Advisory Boards

Monday June 8, 2026 1:00pm - 1:45pm CDT

Crystal 1

Speakers

Dr. Alyson Freeman

Monday June 8, 2026 1:00pm - 1:45pm CDT
Crystal 1

1:00pm CDT

Expanding Pathways: Leveraging Career Education Permits in Nebraska

Monday June 8, 2026 1:00pm - 1:45pm CDT

Ruby 7

This session will provide a compliance-focused overview of Nebraska's Career Education Permit requirements and district responsibilities when hiring under this pathway.

Speakers

Katelyn Larsen

Director-Educator Certification, NDE

Monday June 8, 2026 1:00pm - 1:45pm CDT
Ruby 7

1:00pm CDT

Robotics

Monday June 8, 2026 1:00pm - 1:45pm CDT

Diamond 7

This is a presentation on the state of Robotics teams in Nebraska. It will include a discussion of what different leagues exist, how to start a team, success stories from around the state and information on what is being done to grow the robotics ecosystem.

Speakers

Wes Wildes

Chris Holtzclaw

Eric Zhou

Angel Bhandari

Lara Blume

Jordan Klute

Vice Chair of Technology, NEMAC

JORDAN KLUTE is the President of Klute, a third generation family owned business specializing in steel fabrication for substations and transmission lines used by electric utilities. Under his leadership, Klute has seen tremendous growth and is now one of the largest substation steel... Read More →

Carrie Rise

Monday June 8, 2026 1:00pm - 1:45pm CDT
Diamond 7

Skilled & Technical Sciences Communication & Information Systems Administrators

1:00pm CDT

PoWeRful Career Preparation Ecosystems: CTE, Meaningful Career Conversations, Career Development and Well-being

Monday June 8, 2026 1:00pm - 5:00pm CDT

Ruby 1

Join a CTE Champion, Postsecondary Workforce Readiness Cheerleader, Equity Ambassador and Meaningful Career Conversationalist School Counselor from Colorado in navigating through the trees, roots and natural ecology of career development in Nebraska. Together, we’ll dive into a multitude of acronyms, initiatives and happenings both at the state and national level. We’ll make connections for creating collaborative career preparation ecosystems for our learners to thrive. We’ll also dabble in wellness for ourselves, our colleagues, our students and our communities. You will leave as Meaningful Career Conversationalists too!

Speakers

Lauren Jones

Program Director for Special Populations, Counseling & Career Development, Colorado Community College System

Lauren ‘LJ’ Jones (Austin) NCC, LPCc, CSCDA, MCC*, is a past expeditionary learning instructor, teen adventure guide and Adjunct Lecturer for School Counseling Graduate Programs. She's a Colorado Trail thru-hiker, published author and currently is in her 16th year as the Career... Read More →

Monday June 8, 2026 1:00pm - 5:00pm CDT
Ruby 1

School Counselors Cross Career Field Administrators Agriculture Food & Natural Resources Business Marketing & Management Communication & Information Systems Health Sciences Human Sciences & Education Skilled & Technical Sciences WBL Coordinators

2:00pm CDT

Building Foundations: Creating Data Ready Schools in CTE

Monday June 8, 2026 2:00pm - 2:45pm CDT

Ruby 7

Data provides the foundation for transforming guesswork into guidance enabling policymakers to better, more informed decisions. Data-driven systems can serve several functions, such as clarifying priorities, identifying where to focus resources, driving the continuous improvement process, building trust and transparency, and aligning education with workforce needs. This presentation provides an overview of five data categories that can be used to determine CTE success: Perkins data, labor market information, CTE program data, student data, and system data.

Speakers

Kevin Dahlman

Monday June 8, 2026 2:00pm - 2:45pm CDT
Ruby 7

2:00pm CDT

From Burnt out to Balanced

Monday June 8, 2026 2:00pm - 2:45pm CDT

Ruby 4

As built for the 2025 Nebraska Afterschool Conference, Maile and Abby will share their toolkit from hours of research for how to avoid burnout and what to do when it does, inevitably, hit you.

Burnout doesn’t usually happen all at once—it creeps in through overcommitment, blurred boundaries, and the constant pressure to say “yes.” This session helps educators recognize burnout not as failure, but as a signal to realign habits, priorities, and expectations.

Grounded in neuroscience, behavior change, and real-world educator experience, From Burnt Out to Balanced introduces a practical framework using our Matchbox (burnout recovery) and Fuel Station (burnout prevention) models. Participants will identify common burnout signals, understand why motivation feels impossible when dopamine is depleted, and learn simple, realistic tools to regain momentum—without adding more to their daily plate.

Attendees will leave with a concrete burnout recovery toolbox and a proactive checklist to protect their energy during demanding seasons of the school year. This session is honest, relatable, and action-oriented—designed to help educators move out of survival mode.

Takeaway: Practical tools to recover from burnout now—and prevent it long-term.

Speakers

Abby Miller

Education Manager, The Leadership Center

Maile Ilac Boeder

Executive Director, The Leadership Center

*See previous submission*

Monday June 8, 2026 2:00pm - 2:45pm CDT
Ruby 4

2:00pm CDT

Wait, what? 14-Clusters and 72-Sub Clusters…No Problem At All!

Monday June 8, 2026 2:00pm - 2:45pm CDT

Diamond 3

Speakers

Shelly Mowinkel

Monday June 8, 2026 2:00pm - 2:45pm CDT
Diamond 3

2:00pm CDT

Planning With the End in Mind: The Semester Project Model

Monday June 8, 2026 2:00pm - 2:45pm CDT

Ruby 6

In this practical, strategy-filled session, teachers will learn how to design a course around a meaningful semester project that requires students to apply the knowledge and skills gained throughout the term. Participants will explore how to use backward design to align standards, daily instruction, and assessments so learning naturally builds toward a culminating application experience. Attendees will leave with a clear framework, planning tools, and examples they can immediately adapt to their own content area to create deeper learning and stronger student engagement.

Speakers

Kris Spath

Agriculture Teacher/FFA Advisor, Waverly High School

Kris is an agricultural educator with a passion for connecting classroom instruction to authentic, hands-on learning. She teaches a wide range of courses including animal science, veterinary science, large animal management, companion animals, plant science, floriculture, landscape... Read More →

Monday June 8, 2026 2:00pm - 2:45pm CDT
Ruby 6

3:00pm CDT

Engaging Teaching Strategies for CTE Teachers

Monday June 8, 2026 3:00pm - 3:45pm CDT

Diamond 3

Speakers

Shelly Mowinkel

Monday June 8, 2026 3:00pm - 3:45pm CDT
Diamond 3

3:00pm CDT

Interview Prep 101: How To Help Your Students Prepare For Interviews

Monday June 8, 2026 3:00pm - 3:45pm CDT

Ruby 4

Many students walk into interviews underprepared; not because they lack potential, but because they’ve never been taught how to prepare, and neither have their coaches! This workshop equips educators with simple, repeatable tools to help students approach interviews with confidence, clarity, and professionalism. Our team has developed an expansive library of exercises with almost two decades of helping students interview for scholarships, state officer positions, and Dairy Princess titles more confidently (just to name a few!).

This session breaks down interview preparation into teachable components: understanding what employers are really asking, structuring strong responses, practicing clear communication, and managing nerves. We don't just tell you to "Smile and don't say "Um!". Participants will learn how to coach students through both traditional and behavioral interview questions using story telling frameworks, calm their nerves and discover their experiences—even when they think they “don’t have any.”

Educators will leave with practical strategies, sample prompts, and classroom-ready activities they can immediately implement with high school or college-aged students (or even yourself!) and be of the first to hear about new curriculum being developed for this topic. Whether preparing students for jobs, internships, scholarships, or leadership opportunities, this session provides a clear roadmap to help students show up prepared and confident.

Speakers

Abby Miller

Education Manager, The Leadership Center

Maile Ilac Boeder

Executive Director, The Leadership Center

*See previous submission*

Monday June 8, 2026 3:00pm - 3:45pm CDT
Ruby 4

3:00pm CDT

Remixing an Alternative CTE Program (The Story of Bay High)

Monday June 8, 2026 3:00pm - 3:45pm CDT

Diamond 7

Our foundational goal for this session is to tell the story of Bay High: where it began, where it is now, and where it is going. Bay High was created to be a different approach to education, and there have been incredible moments of impact. Teachers will share highlights and lowlights from the past four years with the goal of inspiring attendees to celebrate and rethink the learning experiences in their classrooms. We hope it is a collaborative and engaging session!

Speakers

Brent Jarosz

Business Teacher, Bay High Focus Program

Brent Jarosz is a business teacher at Bay High Focus Program in Lincoln, NE. Bay High is a private-public partnership between The Bay (nonprofit community center) and Lincoln Public Schools, founded with the mission to provide creative, entrepreneurial-minded students with the tools... Read More →

Ethan Carlson

Business Teacher, Bay High Focus Program

Ethan is a business teacher at Bay High Focus Program in Lincoln, NE. Bay High is a private-public partnership between The Bay (nonprofit community center) and Lincoln Public Schools. Founded with the mission to provide creative, entrepreneurial-minded students with the tools, access... Read More →

Monday June 8, 2026 3:00pm - 3:45pm CDT
Diamond 7

5:00pm CDT

Welcome Reception

Monday June 8, 2026 5:00pm - 7:00pm CDT

Crystal 2, 3, & 4

Kick off your evening with great food, fun games, and new connections!

Monday June 8, 2026 5:00pm - 7:00pm CDT
Crystal 2, 3, & 4

6:30pm CDT

Trolley Shuttle

Monday June 8, 2026 6:30pm - 10:00pm CDT

Off-Site

Monday June 8, 2026 6:30pm - 10:00pm CDT
Off-Site

8:00pm CDT

CTE Trivia Night with Nebraska Agriculture Education Association (NAEA)

Monday June 8, 2026 8:00pm - 10:30pm CDT

Off-Site

Trivia Night, open to all CTE educators, begins at 8:00pm following the Poker Run at Fanatics Sports Bar (2021 Central Ave, Kearney, NE 68847).

Monday June 8, 2026 8:00pm - 10:30pm CDT
Off-Site

Agriculture Food & Natural Resources Cross Career Field Administrators Business Marketing & Management Communication & Information Systems Health Sciences Human Sciences & Education School Counselors Skilled & Technical Sciences WBL Coordinators

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8:00pm CDT

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