In this episode, we tackle a critical yet often overlooked topic: how educators can identify and assist homeless students to thrive in Career and Technical Education (CTE) classrooms. Our special guests Jordan Yaw, Interim Director of Residential RHY Services and Mikayla Koudela, Director of Residential Placement Services for the Centre County Youth Service Bureau—bring their expertise in education, social work, and student advocacy to the conversation.

Together, we explore:
✅ Signs and strategies for identifying students experiencing homelessness.
✅ The unique challenges these students face and how CTE programs can be a lifeline.
✅ Practical tools and resources educators can use to create inclusive and supportive learning environments.
✅ Inspiring success stories of students who overcame barriers to achieve their career goals.

Whether you're a teacher, administrator, or advocate, this episode will equip you with actionable insights to empower every student to succeed.

📢 Don’t miss this important conversation—because every student deserves a path to a brighter future.


Resources:
Mckinney-Vento Act Quick Reference

Homelessness Contacts by region in Pennsylvania

Office of Children, Youth, and Families

Pennsylvania Council of Children, Youth, and Family Services
 
Homeless Education

In this episode, four instructors share their thoughts about helping students become more aware about the world outside the local community and region. Instructors share their teaching strategies that assist students to have a globally connected mindset.

Resources and Links:

CTE Without Borders Policy Playbook

Global Models of Career Pathways

Generation Global 

The Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange Scholarship 

Artificial Intelligence is here to stay! In this episode Beate Brunow and Larkin Hood from Penn State's Schreyer Institute for Excellence, share practical information and insight to assist educators to begin exploring the use of artificial intelligence in the classroom. 

This episode includes:

• artificial intelligence explained 
• common artificial intelligence platforms 
• prompt engineering basics
• common uses for artificial intelligence
• challenges for using artificial intelligence
• advice for getting started with artificial intelligence platforms

Episode Resources and Links:

Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence

ChatGPT

Perplexity

Microsoft Bing/Copilot

Google Bard/Gemini

AI Prompt Library (AI for Education)

In this episode we interview Mrs. Dodie Amigh to learn about best practices for infusing CTE Curriculum and Daily lessons with leadership and hands on competencies from SkillsUSA and other CTSO's

Dodie is the Executive Director of Pennsylvania SkillsUSA, and she shares her wisdom and strategies to help teachers integrate SkillsUSA into their every day lessons to help students overcome challenges and create life-changing opportunities. She also shares her advice for preparing students to be successful in competition and offers insight about the many ways a student may be involved in SkillsUSA. 

Click HERE to access the Pa SkillsUSA site

Click HERE to access the Advantage Report

Click HERE to access the SkillsUSA Facebook Page

Click HERE to access the SkillsUSA Instagram Page 

THANKS FOR DRIVING WITH US!

In this episode we interview Lisa Lundy to learn about her emotional processing model and workbook. Lisa describes how teachers may use the emotional processing model and workbook as a tool to help students manage their emotions and promote student engagement and well being in the classroom.   

Lisa A. Lundy has been a member of the Newsweek Expert Forum since 2022, an invitation-only community for pioneering thinkers and industry leaders. She was hand-selected to join the Newsweek Expert Forum based on her proven expertise in the health and wellness field and is part of a curated network of thought leaders from various industries and professions. As a Newsweek Expert Forum member, she has published many articles on the Newsweek.com website. She is the author of Love.Life.™ A Handbook for Being Well Loved, Happy & Healthy, and Love.Life. ™ Allergy & Gluten Free Cookbook, a dynamic public speaker, podcaster, blogger and YouTuber whose content is about helping people, businesses and organizations be empowered, happy and productive even when life is hard.

To access Lisa Lundy's resources and podcasts click - HERE

To access the Emotional Processing Model and Workbook click HERE

To learn more about how to use emotional vocabulary, click HERE

In this episode, we examine how schools and school districts can help students from military families achieve and thrive in the classroom, and we speak with Retd. Col. Eugene L. McFeely about strategies educators can use to ease transition to a new school for students from military families.

Additional resources –

Military Cultural Competency Training (only for Penn State users) - please send email to [email protected]
Psych/Armor - https://psycharmor.org/
Military One Source - https://www.militaryonesource.mil/family-relationships/
Employer Support to Guard and Reserve - https://www.esgr.mil/
Local National Guard Unit or Military Base Outreach
Military & Family Readiness Center/Military & Family Support Center

Guest Speaker Profile –

Retd. Col. Eugene L. McFeely is the Senior Director for Veterans Affairs and Services at Penn State University. He previously was a Penn State professor of aerospace studies and commander of Air Force ROTC Detachment 720. Before joining Penn State, he was director of operations at Air Force Central Command at Shaw Air Force Base.

To cite the podcast –
M. Border & J. Matu (Hosts). (2022). Students from Military Families and the Classroom Support CTE Programs Can Offer Them (No. 09) [Audio podcast episode]. In Drive CTE with Penn State.

In this episode,  we explore how CTE programs can thrive in a multi-generational workplace, and we speak with Phyllis Weiss Haserot about how to organize cross-generational conversations to avoid conflict and create possibilities in a multigenerational workplace.

Additional resources –
PODCAST GENERATIONAL CHALLENGE ACTIVITY- EVENT INSTRUCTIONS

Practice Development Counsel: Cross generational resources –  http://www.pdcounsel.com/about-us/how-I-became-the-cross-generational-voice/

Guest speaker profile –

Phyllis Weiss Haserot promotes intergenerational workplace relationships to boost productivity, customer and employee attractiveness and retention, succession planning, and knowledge transfer. She founded Cross-Generational Conversation Day and Practice Development Counsel 25 years ago. 

Through seminars, conferences, webcasts, blogging, *Cross-Generational Conversation* forums, and monthly newsletters, Phyllis has become a "go-to" expert on workplace intergenerational challenges. She helps firms resolve complex challenges between generations by blending marketing, conflict resolution, and intergenerational workplace success. She's a pioneer in law firm marketing/business development and helps firms with retention, lateral integration, strategic marketing planning, flexibility, and collaboration. 

Phyllis is the author of "You Can't Google it! The Compelling Case for Cross-Generational Conversation at Work" and is a regular blogger on intergenerational issues for Forbes.com, Next Avenue, the Huffington Post, AccountingWEB, and the Thomson Reuters Legal Executive Institute blog.

To cite the podcast –
M. Border & J. Matu (Hosts). (2022). Multi-generational workplace: How CTE programs can thrive in a multi-generation workplace (No. 08) [Audio podcast episode]. In Drive CTE with Penn State. 

In this episode,  we will learn how CTE teachers prepare and organize their classroom for a new school year, we speak with some teachers about what they do over the summer to prepare themselves and their classrooms for another year of teaching and learning. 

Here are the questions that were asked of each teacher about their perspectives on effective ways for CTE teachers to prepare for the upcoming school year.

1. How and what do you do to prepare yourself for the upcoming school year?
2. What are the activities and strategies you use during the first week of school to engage your students and prepare them for a successful school year?
3. How and what things do you do to involve parents at the beginning of the school year
4. How do you involve the upperclassmen or higher levels of students to help your new students assimilate to their new classroom?

Guest Speaker Profile –

Nelleke Beats -Health Instructor, McCaskey East High School
Justin Breen -Electromechanical Technology Instructor, Lebanon County CTC
Nina Eckert  -Dental Assisting Instructor, Lebanon County CTC
Crist Fellman  -Public Health and Safety, Huntingdon County CTC
Mindi Tobias -Dental Assisting Instructor, Central Pennsylvania Institute of Science & Technology (CPI) 

Additional resources –

ACTE – Preparing CTE Teachers for Re-Engaging with Students in the Fall

To cite the podcast –
M. Border & J. Matu (Hosts). (2022). How to CTE teachers prepare and organize their classroom for a new school year (No. 07) [Audio podcast episode]. In Drive CTE with Penn State. 

In this episode, Importance of Student Voices in CTE Programs, we cover student comments shared by teachers in which students discuss how CTCs could improve their learning experience in their schools. Better food in the cafeteria, improved sanitation, administration and community respect, parking permits, and much more are among the comments. How can CTCs use student voices to improve and enrich the educational experience?

Additional resources –

Student-Led School Improvement  - http://www.whatkidscando.org/studentvoicerubric/pdf/Student-Led%20School%20Improvement.pdf

Meaningful Student Involvement: A Guide to Inclusive School Change -https://soundoutorg.files.wordpress.com/2020/08/79dca-msi_guide_to_inclusive_school_change.pdf

Guest speaker profile –

Anonymous CTE student comments

To cite the podcast –

M. Border & J. Matu (Hosts). (2022). Importance of student voices in CTE programs (No. 06) [Audio podcast episode]. In Drive CTE with Penn State.

In this episode, Improving Student Mental Health Support in CTE Programs, we speak with Ms. Monica McCarty about how CTE programs can improve mental health support for students who are experiencing mental health challenges. Ms. McCarty works as a School Outreach Specialist at Blast IU 17 and is primarily responsible for supporting diversity, equity, inclusion, and other IU initiatives.

DISCLAIMER: This episode contains discussion of sensitive and potentially upsetting topics, including mental health disorders and suicide.

Additional resources –

PDE Mental Health Resources - https://www.education.pa.gov/Schools/safeschools/MentalHealth/Pages/Resources.aspx

STAR-Center Postvention Standards Manual: A Guide for a School’s Response in the Aftermath of Sudden Death, Fifth Edition - https://www.starcenter.pitt.edu/manuals/manual-descriptions

QPR Training for Youth Guidelines: Policies and Procedures - https://qprinstitute.com/uploads/instructor/QPR-Training-for-Youth-Guidelines-2019.pdf

Guest speaker profile –

Monica McCarty, MEd, is a school psychologist and counselor who advises schools on diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, as well as wellness. Ms. McCarty also consults with schools on how to support and monitor students' well-being in order to improve student mental health support in CTE programs.

To cite the podcast –

M. Border & J. Matu (Hosts). (2022). Improving student mental health support in CTE programs (No. 05) [Audio podcast episode]. In Drive CTE with Penn State.