Make A Splash – learn how CTE Students Turned Water & Wellness into a W.I.S.H. full of Civic Action

Room: 214
Time: 10:30am – 11:30am

Step into a fast-paced, student-led session where Yosemite High School CTE learners show how CTE and sustainability become real when it’s woven into curriculum and culture. In rotating hands-on centers, students demo replicable labs on water quality, conservation, and local watersheds, then connect those findings to hydration and mental health—linking science, PE/health, and ELA standards through data stories and reflection prompts. Students will also showcase voice and civic engagement: how curiosity turns into action through STEAM projects, battery recycling campaigns, and art for social/environmental justice. Students will interview CTE/STEM leaders about industry expectations, opportunities, and future needs. and model how classrooms can build partnerships, integrate the SkillsUSA Framework (Personal, Workplace, Technical Skills). Walk away with classroom-ready activities, a shortlist of nonprofits and community partners for collaboration, and a contact list of mentors who will support you through each growth phase.

In the first half, CTE Green Technology students operate learning centers where attendees conduct quick water tests, analyze watershed maps, and explore “hydrate-to-regulate” strategies that link wellness to classroom performance. Each center includes standard alignments, one 5–15 minute activity, and a take-home template (lesson outline, materials list, assessment rubric). Students will also demonstrate how CTE classrooms cultivate civic engagement as they present evidence of success in creating movements of change. Then interview CTE/STEM leaders about workplace expectations, creativity, and engagement. The format models how teachers can use place-based learning to connect college-and-career readiness with environmental literacy. Throughout, we make explicit connections to the California Career Technical Education Model Curriculum Standards (AME pathway) and the Blueprint for Environmental Literacy—showing how real projects meet both.

Learning Objectives:

By the end of this session, attendees will be able to:

• Know the designs of an interdisciplinary mini-unit that ties water testing to hydration & mental health, aligning NGSS/Health/ELA with CTE AME standards and the Environmental Literacy Blueprint.
• Activate the 4Cs (communication, collaboration, creativity, critical thinking) using student-run newsroom workflows, interview protocols, and community-facing deliverables.
• Map the SkillsUSA Framework to daily routines (call sheets, deadlines, peer feedback) so learners practice Personal, Workplace, and Technical Skills that lead to employability.
• Launch a civic action pathway (e.g., battery recycling, art-for-impact, school hydration campaign) with partners, a timeline, risk checks, and metrics for student reflection and program improvement.

Speakers:

Jeff Rivero, Teacher UN 17 SDG Ambassador, Merced Union High School District
Kahri Boykin, CTE Teacher, Merced Union High School District
Student presenters to be announced

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