CTE Leadership Collaborative 2025 Mini-Grant Program Recipients Announced

The program seeks to cultivate innovations, forward-looking strategies and leadership opportunities in postsecondary career and technical education. 

ECMC Foundation announced that it will fund 35 projects, totaling $321,900, through its Career and Technical Education Leadership Collaborative (CTE LC) 2025 Mini-Grant Program. The Mini-Grant Program provides an opportunity for ECMC Foundation Fellows (Fellows) to apply for funding to launch projects related to career and technical education (CTE). A subset of this year’s accepted projects are extensions of previously awarded Mini-Grant Program funding. 

Fellows across all six ECMC Foundation fellowship programs submitted Mini-Grant Program applications: The CTE Research Program at Old Dominion University, The Postsecondary Leadership Success Program at ACTE, Talent of Tomorrow Fellowship at JFF, The Higher Education Media Fellowship at the Institute of Citizens and Scholars, The Strategic Data Project - CTE at Harvard University Fellowship and Postsecondary State CTE Leaders Fellowship Program at Advance CTE. The number of requests, total amount requested and total funds awarded represent the largest year of the Mini-Grant Program since its launch in 2021. 

This year’s projects highlight innovative ideas and practical solutions that improve quality, opportunity and access in postsecondary CTE. Collectively, they strengthen pathways for a variety of learners while equipping educators and institutions with actionable insights that will improve the field long term. 

Congratulations to this year’s Mini-Grant Program Recipients! Read below to learn more. 

Revealing the Hidden Workforce: Unlocking Career Potential in CTE Students 

Karen Lyn Saysay (The Postsecondary Leadership Success Program at ACTE) will develop a practical, strengths-based screening tool to help educators and workforce staff recognize autistic CTE students who are ready for internships, work-based learning or apprenticeship programs but may not stand out in traditional assessments. The goal is to produce a replicable tool to help postsecondary CTE programs better identify and support students in order to bridge the gap between untapped student potential and meaningful employment opportunities.

“CTE Instructor Launch Kit” – A Digital Guide for New CTE Instructors Entering from Industry

Tempestt Adams (Postsecondary CTE State Leaders Fellowship at Advance CTE) will develop the CTE Instructor Launch Kit, a self-paced, digital resource designed to support individuals entering postsecondary CTE classrooms from industry. The goal is to recruit and retain qualified educators by providing early-stage support and addressing challenges new instructors face through development of a comprehensive, accessible and action-oriented toolkit that supports their transition into teaching.

Integration of Artificial Intelligence into Postsecondary Workforce Programs

Nicholas D’Antonio (The CTE Research Program at Old Dominion University) will develop a research manuscript and applied implementation guide to help educators embed AI into workforce education through timely, practitioner-focused tools and insights to enable institutions to act now to ensure that their programs remain relevant, responsive and resilient in the face of AI-driven change. The goal is to advance the integration of AI into workforce education as a core competency that cuts across sectors in a moment when AI is moving faster than industry, placing postsecondary institutions behind the curve. 

Cyber Conversations: Empowering Talent for Cyber Careers

Joy Vann-Hamilton (The Postsecondary Leadership Success Program at ACTE) will develop an innovative, in-house and entrepreneurial work-based learning (WBL) initiative designed to bridge the experience gap for adult learners enrolled in RW2’s 24-week Information Security program. The goal is to expand access to real-world, career-relevant experiences that prepare adult learners for employment in high-demand technical fields such as cybersecurity.

Creating a Sense of Belonging while Broadening Participation in STEM for the Skilled Technical Workforce

Kawana Johnson (The CTE Research Program at Old Dominion University) will broaden participation in STEM by exposing CTE students to skilled technical career paths at a national laboratory and engaging existing technical employees as role models for CTE students. The goal is to help create a sense of belonging in an area of the workforce where Skilled Technical Workers (STW) are crucial but often underappreciated.

At What Cost? A Benefit-Cost Toolkit to Empower Decision-Making for Postsecondary CTE Administrators

Hayley Spencer Rimland (The CTE Research Program at Old Dominion University) will develop a user-friendly, beginner toolkit tailored to postsecondary CTE program administrators that will enhance decision-making capacity at the program level so administrators can incorporate the benefit-cost data into their planning and evaluation efforts. The goal is to address the need for accessible, data-driven tools and resources that empower CTE leaders to conduct proactive benefit-cost analyses in an ever-changing labor market without requiring advanced economic expertise. 

2nd Annual Florida Inclusive CTE Signing Day

Christian Zimmerman (The Postsecondary Leadership Success Program at ACTE) will expand on a previous Mini-Grant Program project, the inclusive CTE Signing Day, by adding access to Broward County, another large school district in the area. The goal is to celebrate the acceptance of students with intellectual disabilities into inclusive postsecondary CTE programs through three Signing Day ceremonies that recognize students, engage families and promote inclusive education across three of Florida’s largest school districts.

The Impact of Online Training Certificates in Texas

Natalie Millar (The CTE Research Program at Old Dominion University) will also evaluate the effectiveness of short-term, industry-recognized credentials that can be earned quickly and at low cost, using Google Career Certificates, offered online through Coursera, as an example, which requires 3–6 months to complete and costs a fraction of a traditional degree. By linking Google Career Certificate data with Texas’s statewide education and earnings records, the goal is to deliver the first robust evidence on labor market impacts, educational outcomes and returns to short-term, low-cost, non-traditional credentials, which will have direct implications for program design, credit-transfer policy, financial aid eligibility and employer hiring practices.

Cultivating Research Excellence in Advanced Teacher Education (CREATE) Research Fellows Program

Katherine Kandalec Holm (The Postsecondary Leadership Success Program at ACTE) will develop an innovative program that embeds structured research experiences throughout students’ academic journeys within a traditional, non-thesis degree format, rather than treating research as an optional or peripheral component to coursework. The goal is to give CTE students a foundation in research that equips them to enter the workforce with the research competencies essential for evidence-based practice and program improvement.

Beyond Human Capital: Reimagining Career Technical Education

ECMC Foundation Fellow Lead Ryan Lundell (The CTE Research Program at Old Dominion University), along with Felix Quayson (The CTE Research Program at Old Dominion University) and Jonathan Montoya (The CTE Research Program at Old Dominion University), will pilot the Critical Career and Technical Education Framework, a postsecondary-level dual enrollment construction technology course. The goal is to prepare graduates to think critically about the industries they enter, merging constructivism (students building knowledge through authentic, hands-on projects) with critical pedagogy (students interrogating the social, political and economic contexts of their industry) to reframe career preparation as both technical mastery and civic responsibility.

“The Soft Skills Compass” — A Cross-Disciplinary Assessment Developed Through Postdoctoral Research at Old Dominion University

Anthony Gray (The CTE Research Program at Old Dominion University), along with Gary Brandon Hensley (The CTE Research program at Old Dominion University), will develop a performance-based assessment instrument to measure critical employable skill domains in postsecondary CTE and workforce training contexts: communication, leadership, problem-solving, critical thinking and learnability—a meta-skill reflecting the capacity and motivation to acquire new skills and adapt in changing environments. The goal is to develop a publicly available, adaptable toolkit for nationwide and international use in CTE and workforce systems to enable educators, trainers and employers to reliably assess, communicate about and strengthen the soft skills that drive career success.

Responsive Postsecondary CTE: Leveraging Student Assets for Postsecondary CTE Completion

Cynthia Thomas (The Postsecondary Leadership Success Program at ACTE) will build on the outcomes of a prior Mini-Grant which supported qualitative dissertation data collection on responsive instruction in postsecondary CTE. This project will translate new research findings into a comprehensive, research-based Postsecondary CTE framework that integrates responsive strategies with academic and career readiness competencies designed to support postsecondary success and completion for students across the country. The goal is to pilot an immersive postsecondary success bootcamp, delivering training sessions that are filtered through the responsive framework to postsecondary CTE students.

Rethinking the Route: The Role of Community College Baccalaureate Programs in Advancing CTE Pathways to STEM Bachelor’s Degree Completion

Cocoa Dixon (The CTE Research Program at Old Dominion University) will address institutional barriers for students who begin their academic careers at community colleges and attempt to transfer to senior institutions to complete bachelor’s degrees, particularly CTE students pursuing Associates in Applied Science (AAS) and majors in science, technology, engineering, math, medical or health sciences (STEMM). The goal is to engage with CTE professionals through the dissemination of the findings of her completed doctoral research that answers the question: To what extent has community college baccalaureate (CCB) adoption affected state-level production of STEMM bachelor’s degrees, with a focus on applied STEM Career and Technical Education (AS-CTE) students?

MOS to POS: Decoding Military Experience for College Credit

ECMC Foundation Fellow Lead Quentin Kelly (The Postsecondary State CTE Leaders Fellowship Program at Advance CTE), along with Brittney Baptiste Williams (The Postsecondary State CTE Leaders Fellowship Program at Advance CTE), will create streamlined pathways for veterans to transition from military service to college and career success. By recognizing military training as college credit, the initiative reduces time to credential completion, lowers educational costs and supports workforce advancement. The goal is to build sustainable infrastructure and empower veterans to make informed decisions about their educational journey through curriculum alignment, credit for prior learning (CPL) facilitation and institutional integration.

Bridging Barriers: Supporting Communities in Postsecondary CTE Programs

Tasmiha Khan (The Higher Education Media Fellowship at Program from the Institute for Citizens & Scholars) will support learners in postsecondary CTE programs who are concentrated in high-demand fields such as healthcare, skilled trades and information technology and who are a hidden engine of workforce potential yet remain one of the least studied and supported student groups. The goal is to tackle a critical gap in CTE efforts while directly contributing to national workforce needs through a combination of in-depth interviews, analysis of completion and placement data, a national tweetchat and a virtual panel featuring learners, CTE program leaders and industry partners from the profiled institutions. 

Global Insights, Local Impact: Leadership Tools for Postsecondary CTE

Michael K. Woods (The Postsecondary State CTE Leaders Fellowship Program at Advance CTE) will translate and disseminate findings from his Postsecondary State CTE Leaders Fellowship Real-World Project on leadership into a practitioner guide and two New York Postsecondary, Adult & Career Education Division (PACE NY) learning touchpoints strengthened by international learning at HERDSA 2026 in Singapore, with EDEN 2026 in Porto as a contingency. The goal is to produce an accessible practitioner guide, as well as flagship workshops, that help leaders embed learner voices into institutional decisions and track early signals of adoption over a 90-day period after training.

Pathways to Possibility: Summer Boot Camp 2026 for Eligible High School Graduates 

Karen Lyn Saysay (The Postsecondary Leadership Success Program at ACTE) will launch a project to develop a two-day immersive experience designed to prepare students in need of learning services for a successful transition to community college through tailored workshops on financial aid, academic counseling and support services, paired with career exploration in high-demand fields. The goal is to help students gain both the knowledge and the confidence to take their first steps toward college success through hands-on career assessments, meetings with faculty and industry professionals and a personalized CTE pathway plan.

Ensuring the Impact of the Workforce Pell Grants on Short-term and Non-degree Workforce Training Programs

David Tobenkin (The Higher Education Media Fellowship at Program from the Institute for Citizens & Scholars), along with Felix Quayson (The CTE Research Program at Old Dominion University), will execute a journalism reporting project looking at how higher education institutions plan to implement the expansion of the Pell Grant for short-term and non-degree workforce training programs, known as Workforce Pell, and how it will affect those institutions’ current higher education structure and academic offerings. The project will also include academic research investigating the impact that some existing state short-term education grant programs, similar to Workforce Pell, have had on similar short-term types of education. The goal is to lay the groundwork for a subsequent establishment of a watchdog entity for Workforce Pell.

Voices & Vouchers: Empowering Adult Learners to Persist in CTE

Brittney Williams (The Postsecondary Leadership Success Program at ACTE) will pilot a dual intervention to improve retention and success for adult learners enrolled in high-demand post-secondary CTE programs. The initiative combines microgrants with a student voice engagement model that invites adult learners to co-design solutions for institutional improvement. By directly supporting learners and elevating their perspectives, the goal is to create a replicable model that improves outcomes and informs broader CTE program design by reducing financial barriers to persistence through targeted microgrants; elevating adult learner perspectives to inform institutional retention strategies; generating actionable insights and tools that can be shared across institutions and fellowships; and demonstrating a scalable model for integrating financial support with student engagement.

Culinary Nutrition Bridge: Advancing Career and Technical Education Pathways from High School to Postsecondary Nutrition Careers

LaTonya Dixon (The Postsecondary State CTE Leaders Fellowship Program at Advance CTE) will develop a sequence of four interactive culinary nutrition workshops held at Oakwood University’s teaching kitchen and facilitated by university faculty, registered dietitians and guest chefs. The goal is to create a structured, short-term partnership between Oakwood University’s Department of Nutrition and Dietetics and local high school culinary arts programs to prepare secondary students for advanced postsecondary CTE pathways in nutrition, dietetics and health-forward culinary arts and promote public awareness of healthy, culturally relevant cooking through a high-profile community Healthy Menu Challenge event.

Utah’s Inaugural Postsecondary CTE Professional Development Conference

Kari Lamoreaux (The Postsecondary Leadership Success Program at ACTE) will launch the state’s first conference designed exclusively for postsecondary CTE educators. The goal is to bring educators together across disciplines to participate in guided discussions through the creation of a statewide venue for sharing best practices, strengthening collaboration, promoting postsecondary and Adult Continuing Education (PACE) and cultivating leadership opportunities.

My Work Speaks: Skills-Based Resume & Portfolio Lab

Davil Jackson (The Postsecondary State CTE Leaders Fellowship Program at Advance CTE) will develop a six-week career readiness experience designed to help postsecondary CTE learners, including opportunity youth and individuals reentering the workforce after incarceration, showcase their skills and experiences in ways that align with today’s labor market. The goal is to empower individuals with the knowledge, resources and confidence to independently seek out, approach and communicate with employers through coaching, instruction and a series of mock interviews, peer reviews and employer feedback sessions that reinforce their competence and belief in their ability to succeed.

Soaring to Greater Heights 2.0: Peer-Supported Career Discovery Circles

Mia Kennedy (The CTE Research Program at Old Dominion University) will develop a structured space where students can reflect, share experiences and build confidence in their career decisions. The goal is to build on a previous Mini-Grant Program project, Soaring to Greater Heights: A Peer-Supported Career Coaching Group to Enhance Career Readiness by introducing small, peer-supported groups co-facilitated by trained career coaches and CTE student ambassadors and a campus-wide career exploration expo that showcases pathways and connects students with resources.

TE Spotlight: Exploring Postsecondary Pathways Through Expert Voices

ECMC Foundation Fellow Lead Willie Thompson (The Postsecondary State CTE Leaders Fellowship Program at Advance CTE), along with Quentin Kelly (The Postsecondary State CTE Leaders Fellowship Program at Advance CTE), will develop a digital talk show series designed to elevate awareness of postsecondary CTE opportunities by featuring interviews with CTE professionals, educators and industry leaders and including practical advice on how to pursue related credentials or degrees. The goal is to address the visibility gap by creating a free, online resource that demystifies CTE careers and connects students to actionable information.

The Impact of Prisoner Education on Recidivism, Labor Market Outcomes, and Public Assistance Utilization

Natalie Millar (The CTE Research Program at Old Dominion University) will study the causal evidence of prison-based CTE programs on recidivism, labor market outcomes and public assistance to address a critical gap in CTE research and policy: while most prison education focuses on adult basic education (ABE) and GED preparation—programs with limited labor market value—Tennessee operates 16 CTE programs aligned with high-demand, high-wage occupations designed to equip incarcerated learners with industry-relevant skills and credentials that can directly translate to employment after release. The goal is to enable a comprehensive view of incarcerated individuals’ transitions from prison to the workforce and prevent policymakers from investing in programs that do not meaningfully improve post-release employment, earnings or public safety. 

Advanced Manufacturing Career Awareness Event(s)

Kyle Fulton (The Postsecondary Leadership Success Program at ACTE) will facilitate the development of manufacturing workforce programs and career pathways for individuals “K to Grey” seeking employment and training in STEM and advanced manufacturing. The goal is to develop career and educational awareness events across a 12-county region in Central Ohio that will showcase programs from industry and educational partners, strengthen the pipeline of future manufacturing technicians and connect event participants with opportunities for cost-free training.

Postsecondary CTE in Nevada: Impact on Student College and Workforce Outcomes

Xue Xing (The Postsecondary Leadership Success Program at ACTE) will build upon research findings from a previous Mini-Grant Program report that found the financial return on education of Nevada postsecondary CTE students varies by demographic characteristics and education degree levels. The goal is to conduct a research study using Nevada longitudinal data to explore postsecondary CTE participation and impact across demographic groups, distribute research findings in the form of academic manuscript and presentations to state and national/international CTE research community and illustrate the use of data to the national ACTE community in identifying success gaps and intervention strategies.

Unlocking Potential

Jessica Griffin (The CTE Research Program at Old Dominion University) will transform research and narratives into compelling video coverage that shifts public perception of correctional CTE from a cost to transformative investment in workforce readiness, self-control and community integration while, simultaneously, the findings will equip aspiring state leaders to translate this awareness into high-quality, equitable CTE policies and programs that embed value development alongside technical skills. The goal is to create a continuous feedback loop of media coverage that builds public and political will for reform, while state-led policy innovations generate measurable outcomes that reinforce the media narrative, driving systemic change and expanding opportunities for justice-involved learners.

The Futureproof Formula

Katina Lindsay (The Postsecondary State CTE Leaders Fellowship Program at Advance CTE) will develop a micro-credentialing solution to fill critical workforce pipeline gaps in the Retail/Hospitality sector through an approach guided by Career-Starter Competencies, a social-impact oriented Career Technical Student Organizations (CTSO) framework that is intended to give each student critical business soft skills and digital fluency combined with real-world readiness. The goal is to disrupt the current model of schooling to prepare all students for the demands of a 21st-century workforce.

CTE MentorMap: Defining an Effective Mentorship Model to Retain Industry-Experienced Instructors

Brian Rick (The Postsecondary State CTE Leaders Fellowship Program at Advance CTE), along with JoAnna Collins (The Postsecondary Leadership Success Program at ACTE), NinaFe Giron-Awong (The Postsecondary State CTE Leaders Fellowship Program at Advance CTE) and Andrea Golden-Pogue (The Postsecondary State CTE Leaders Fellowship Program at Advance CTE), will develop a needs assessment to co-design an evidence-informed mentorship framework tailored to CTE contexts. The goal is to leverage the ECMC Foundation Fellowship network to pilot a scalable mentorship program that improves job satisfaction, instructional self-efficacy and increased retention for new CTE faculty coming directly from industry.

Empowering Educators: Creating Leadership and Mentorship Education Modules for New Instructors Transitioning from Industry to the Classroom

Andrea Golden-Pogue (The Postsecondary Leadership Success Program at ACTE), along with Brian Rick (The Postsecondary State CTE Leaders Fellowship Program at Advance CTE) and JoAnna Collins (The Postsecondary Leadership Success Program at ACTE), will develop and implement a series of leadership and mentor/mentee training modules designed to support subject matter experts transitioning from industry into postsecondary Career and Technical Education (CTE) classrooms. The goal is for the modules to combine practical teaching strategies, leadership development and peer mentorship frameworks to assist and support new instructors as they bridge the gap between professional expertise and effective classroom instruction. The training will be accessible, flexible and tailored to the realities of CTE environments, ensuring that participants are equipped with the tools, resources and skills needed to both share their subject matter expertise and cultivate positive learning and workplace cultures.

The Returns to Customized Job Training

Natalie Millar (The CTE Research Program at Old Dominion University) will also develop the first rigorous evidence on how employer-designed Customized Job Training (CJT) programs integrate with and complement traditional postsecondary CTE pathways. The goal is to apply findings to actionable insights for Tennessee’s CTE system and serve as a model for other states seeking to align employer-led training with postsecondary CTE to improve workforce outcomes.

Inside Voices, Outside Impact: Student Stories to Transform Postsecondary CTE

NiñaFe Awong (The Postsecondary State CTE Leaders Fellowship Program at Advance CTE) will produce a professionally edited 8-10–minute video created from student-generated footage and one-on-one interviews paired with a Student Voice Impact Report that offers key themes and actionable recommendations to improve CTE instruction, supports and employer partnerships. The goal is to elevate learner voices, challenge stigma and drive improvements in postsecondary CTE.

How Does the Current Landscape of Postsecondary CTE Affect Workforce-Oriented Programs and All Stakeholders? 

Renata Birkenbuel (The Higher Education Media Fellowship at the Institute for Citizens & Scholars) will gather data and anecdotal evidence with the goal of detailing how higher education’s outlook in 2026—including workforce development programs—will specifically affect CTE programs, staff, students, prospective students, collaborative workforce entities, workforce partnerships and other stakeholders.