Family & Community Students & Families Student Support, Career & Education Services
Connecting Activities

Fiscal Year 2012 Connecting Activities Professional Development Support

The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education working in collaboration with the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development will sponsor the following statewide Connecting Activities professional development opportunities for fiscal year 2011. These opportunities are designed to support educators, employers, Connecting Activities field staff, Workforce Investment Boards, One Stop Career Centers and Local School-to-Career Partnerships in the implementation of quality work-based learning for all students.

Youth Director Leadership Forums:

In order to create a venue for learning about and discussing policy and programming priorities, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education will sponsor one or more Leadership Forums for Youth Directors, Local School to Career Partnership Directors and others responsible for leading Connecting Activities programs.

Statewide Connecting Activities Conferences:

• Winter Conference - Devens Common Center, January 20th, 2012
• Spring (May) Conference - TBD

Regional Data Management Support:

The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education will sponsor webinars and regional trainings through the Skills Library. Topics may include using the online Work-Based Learning Database, implementing the new Work and Learning Program Elements, using the MA Work-Based Learning Plan, or other related topics. The sites and content of these trainings will be determined based on regional requests and needs. Please contact Keith Westrich and/or Jennifer Leonard to arrange to have a workshop or webinar for your region.

Professional Development Materials:

The website http://skillspages.com contains PowerPoint presentations and readings that can be used by individual staff or in local workshops or staff meetings for professional development. This website can also be found through links from the database at http://masswbl.org and from http://skillslibrary.com. A professional development advisory group, with Connecting Activities staff from around the state will work during FY12 to expand and organize these materials.