Why It Works

The CTE Science Teach-In is a powerful way to spark lasting interest in science-rich Career & Technical Education (CTE) pathways among younger students while elevating the role of CTE in the broader conversation about science and opportunity.​

By positioning CTE classrooms, shops, and labs as places where serious science lives, the initiative helps parents, policymakers, and the public see CTE as central to the nation’s science and talent pipeline—not separate from it.​

The power of peer teaching

During CTE Science Teach-Ins, CTE high school and postsecondary students design and deliver applied science lessons that draw directly from their programs—showing how concepts like forces, energy, biology, data, and materials science show up in real work.​

These students deepen their own understanding through the “teach to learn” effect, while elementary and middle school students experience science from relatable near-peer role models who look and sound like them.​

A bigger public conversation

Each Teach-In can be amplified through local storytelling, social media, and press coverage that highlight CTE students and educators as science leaders in their communities.​

Those stories spark broader conversations with school leaders and policymakers about investing in CTE as a primary place where young people practice experimentation, problem-solving, and technical innovation.​

How different audiences benefit

• CTE students solidify their grasp of key scientific concepts and gain confidence as communicators and ambassadors for their fields.​

• Younger students receive an engaging, early introduction to the science behind real careers, expanding their sense of what they can do—and who science is for.​

• Families get clear, accessible take-home and online materials that explain what their children are learning, connect those lessons to local CTE options, and invite deeper dinner-table conversations.​

• Elementary and middle school teachers gain ready-to-use lessons, activities, and resources that make it easier to integrate applied science and CTE connections into their own instruction, along with well-deserved recognition.​

• Sponsors and partners benefit from positive coverage and brand alignment with a hopeful, solutions-oriented narrative about science, opportunity, and the future workforce.​

• Communities benefit as Teach-Ins help shift local narratives about CTE—from a “backup plan” to a rigorous, science-centered path to high-demand careers.​