Student Showcase
What’s happening in CTE this month?
Check out what our students are up to in Career and Technical Education! From job shadows to field trips to state and national competitions, our students and teachers do it all!
Have a question or want to submit work of your own? Email careerconnected@seattleschools.org.
September 2026
With help from a Seattle Education Foundation grant, scholars at Orca Middle School have been building their own electronics this month!
So far, scholars have learned how to safely use a soldering iron, practiced soldering by creating figurines out of electronic components, and started making electronics using soldering kits. The excitement around electrical engineering is growing!
In the coming months, scholars will learn fundamental EE principles like voltage, current, and resistance; circuitry; using a digital multimeter; and reading electronic schematics. Our classroom is also home to 9 pinball machines and students will apply what they learn to these complex electronic marvels.
Pre-apprentices at Ingraham HS and Interagency HS are off to a strong start. All have finished safety training and are moving on to building skills towards careers in the union trades. This year Seattle Public Schools added an additional section to pre-apprenticeship at Interagency. Great to see this program grow and students dig in to work-based learning opportunities!
Lincoln Culinary teacher Chef Smith geared up for the start of school by going on the Tom Douglas podcast, Host Stove Society, to talk all things career and technical education this month. Listen to her interview here!
It is wonderful to be able to connect industry professionals who are passionate about passing along their knowledge and experience to students through CTE!
130 CTE teachers convened at North Seattle College’s World Community Hall to plan and train for the 2025-2026 school year! The day started with group training and team-building activities followed by breakout groups by CTE pathway and school. We are excited for another wonderful year of career and technical education!
Archives
Lincoln Envirothon Team Places 16th in Nationals
An update from the Lincoln HS environmental studies students in Envirothon competition. The team placed 16th in the nation! It was very competitive and a lot of work in the serious Mississippi heat to place that high.
Thanks to advisor Ms. Fox and everyone who made this trip happen. Most importantly, congratulations to these students on this achievement after a year of hard work (including AP tests!).
Allen Institute Celebration of Learning
CTE and Skills Center wrapped up a three month instructional internship last wee! 20 students from 10 high schools all over the district completed a three week internship at the Allen Institute during which they dived deep into Neuroscience, Immunology, and Cell Biology.
Their internship ended in a celebration of learning ceremony attended by families, friends, and Allen Institute scientists. Students created posters and shared some of their favorite topics during the internship with their families and earned their certificates. This program is the combined effort of the Allen Institute Education Team, Seattle Skills Center and Career and Technical Education.
Education Quest Students Support Elementary School Summer Learning
Over 50 high school students completed EdQuest, providing support to elementary school teachers and instructional assistants while learning about educational careers. Students were stationed at Kimball, Highland Park, John Hay, James Baldwin and Olympic Hills.
CTE and Seattle Skills Center are so grateful to all of the teachers that made this program possible as site-based coaches and to the students for their dedication, warmth, and engagement!
Over 100 Students Complete Internships in Partnership with Amazon
This summer Seattle Public Schools partnered with Amazon and Coaction Collective to offer instructional internship courses to 90 students in Computer Science, Engineering and Finance and Global Business.
- Amazon Periscope – Thirty 10th graders went to Amazon for two weeks of exploring business careers and creating presentations on case studies. Interns from last year returned for a one-week business case study intensive.
- Tech Quest – Forty 9th grade students participated in a two-week intensive at Franklin HS, facilitated by CoCo and powered by Amazon, students spent the first week learning basic coding and principles of design. The second week, they formed teams to use technology to somehow improve the lives and wellbeing of elders. Ten students from last year’s cohort mentored them through this process. Students shared their project with Amazon leaders and their families at the Day One building on the last day of programming.
We are so grateful for this partnership and continuing to offer opportunities to our students to explore and dive deep into careers in information technology and business and marketing.
Year 2 of Open Science Quest at Allen Institute Begins!
20 students from all over the district started Open Science Quest internships at the Allen Institute this week! In this three week intensive instructional internship, students will explore cell biology, immunology, and neuroscience. Week 1 is neuroscience week and today students are at the Harborview Brain Bank!
Career Quest Interns on the Job!
Seattle Public Schools CTE and Skills Center partners with local businesses and internal departments to host interns for the summer. From architecture firms to culinary arts and media production, these students are doing it all! Pictured below are a student at Bassetti architecture firm learning how to read a blueprint and a student learning about camera balancing with SPSTV!
Pictured below are students at construction companies learning about construction project management, electrical and civil engineering. We are grateful to all of our internship hosts and so happy that students will have these rich CTE learning experiences this summer.
Lincoln Envirothon Teacher and Student Interviewed in Seattle Times
Ms. Fox and a student were interviewed in May about their work around climate change and the article came out in July! Below is a synopsis and linked underneath is the article
Gus, a junior at Lincoln High School, grew up visiting his family’s cabin by Bumping Lake near Mount Rainier every summer, only to observe the surrounding forest slowly dying out from invasive beetles that thrive from warming temperatures.
He said that for high-schoolers, “there’s this kind of underlying tone of, ‘It’s corny to care especially about the topic of the environment.’ ”
Now, as a member of Sustainability Ambassadors, a Seattle-area development program for high school students, college students and teachers to learn about advancing sustainability measures, he believes schools can support students with climate resilience by helping build community.
“If the mindset is that ‘We’re already too far gone, so what’s the point in trying,’ I think that’s probably one of the most dangerous mindsets that can be cultivated,” he added.
Read the full article “How schools can better prepare students for a changing climate!”
Education Quest Internship Training at John Stanford Center
Over 50 students completed training at the John Stanford Center for CTE and Seattle Skills Center’s inaugural Education Quest Program. “EdQuest” is an instructional internship that pairs high school students with elementary summer school locations, where they work as interns supporting and supervising younger students in a safe, positive learning environment. Interns should have an interest in social-emotional learning, community building, and collaboration with teachers and instructional assistants.
Responsibilities include assisting with basic academic skills, explaining concepts in an age-appropriate way, helping in classroom, and modeling respectful behavior. Breakfast will be provided daily and students have the option to stay for lunch or take lunch to go each day.
Roosevelt HOSA Students Place 18th in the World
Congratulations to the amazon HOSA students who placed top 18 in the world for their Parliamentary Procedure event at HOSA’s International Leadership Conference in Indianapolis.
These students worked incredibly hard all year and are the first Roosevelt team to make it to a round 2 skills showcase at ILC after placing first in Public Health for a regional competition. Congratulations to these students and to their advisor, Ms. Coulthardt, on this remarkable achievement!
Lincoln Takes First Place in Envirothon, Heads to Nationals in Mississippi
The Lincoln HS won first place at the State Envirothon Competition on May 22, 2026. Students competed in areas of wildlife, forestry, soil, aquatics and prepared a comprehensive presentation on sustainable agriculture. The team also took first place in the wildlife category. One of the wildlife pelts identified was a lynx so it was very fitting for the Lincoln Lynx!
They are heading off to Mississippi State University July 19-25 to compete at the national level. Attached is a photo. Congratulations to Ms. Fox and all of the students on this wonderful accomplishment!
Chief Sealth UW Cardiology Job Shadow Program Continues!
Chief Sealth International High School was the only high school to be chosen for the American College of Cardiology Washington Chapter High School Scholars with University of Washington.
13 Sealth students were selected to job shadow Cardiologists for multiple days this year, and learn firsthand what it’s like to be a doctor, clinician, surgeon and more! Thanks to Ms. Filley-Bentler, Career Connected Learning Coordinator, for facilitating this opportunity for students!
Roosevelt DECA Alumnus Talks
A Class of 2024 Roosevelt graduate spoke at a gala for Solid Ground, a housing program in Seattle. He gives a big shout out to how DECA and the summer Accounting at University of Washington (ACAP), which he learned about from his CTE classes. It was great to hear from this student and we look forward to seeing all that he accomplishes in the future!
Watch “Roosevelt DECA Alumnus Talks” full speech!
Ballard Videography Students at Student Emmys
On May 29 the Northwest Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences awarded Student Production Awards (informally known as Student Emmys) to 3 teams from Ballard High School. Ballard had 10 nominations in 9 of the 18 categories this year, and won in the following categories: Best News Report, Best Arts/Entertainment/Cultural Affairs, and Best Writer. This group is led by Mr. Bradford, CTE Videography Teacher!
Ballard Wins Stock Market Game!
The Ballard HS Academy of Finance team of Asher Dvorkin, Wesley Manger, Henry Patterson & Solomon Secor (L to R) won the Washington State Stock Market Game for the 2025-26 school year. They placed 1st out of 481 teams statewide.
Using a buy and hold strategy they picked tech stocks deep I to the AI boom, including Micron (MU) that had 300% increase in value as a leading suppliers of infrastructure for the tech industry. Ballard ‘s teams placed 7 teams in the top 50. This is the second time Ballard has won the Stock Market Game.
CTE Synergy at Nathan Hale HS
Nathan Hale Culinary, Business and Marketing, and Agriculture teamed up to lead a plant sale at the school. Combining marketing and pricing. Check out the pictures below of the Hale greenhouse and the culinary classroom in action! Thanks to Ms. Pyles and Mr. Davis for putting this together.
Rainier Beach, Roosevelt and Garfield at Amazon for Global Finance Day
Rainier Beach, Garfield, and Roosevelt HS students showed up at the Amazon Global Finance Day with seniors leaders from Amazon! Students got to learn about what finance teams do in a large multi-national company , ask questions to a panel of Amazon finance executives, compete in a finance-related puzzle, and even speak with Amazon’s Chief Financial Officer. Students were attentive, focused, responsible, and had excellent questions throughout the event! Thanks to Ms. Bremseth, Ms. Laufer, Mr. Bolan, Mr. Ellis, and Mr. Rho for making this happen!
5 Seattle Public Schools Compete at Northwest Regional Envirothon
This year 8 teams from 5 SPS schools competed at the Northwest Regional Envirothon competition at the Brightwater Education Center in Woodinville. Lincoln High School placed 2nd overall (just one point behind the 1st place team!) and 1st in the Aquatics category, and they will be advancing to Washington State Envirothon. The Roosevelt High School were also honored for placing 3rd overall and earned 1st place in the Soils category.
2026 was only the 3rd year of CTE AP Environmental Science teams competing at Envirothon. SPS teams have placed in the top 3 at regionals and sent teams to Washington State Envirothon every year, including placing 1st and 2nd at Washington State Envirothon in 2025 and sending the Roosevelt team to the NCF-Envirothon competition in Calgary as the sole representatives for Washington.
4 Schools Join SAMPE for Materials Engineering Conference
Nova, Lincoln, West Seattle, and Center School students hit the Seattle Convention Center to explore the wide world of materials engineering! Students were guided by university volunteers and industry professionals. They played bingo across different tablers and got a job talk from an engineer. Thank you to our partners at SAMPE and to all of the teachers who made this field trip possible!
Ingraham, Garfield, Lincoln, and Roosevelt Business and Marketing Students at DECA Nationals
Seattle Public Schools DECA students did wonderfully at DECA’s International Career Development Conference and Competition this year! They had one top ten finisher in the Financial Consulting event and a top 20 finisher in the world in the Accounting Applications role play event.
Students competed against about 200 other high performing Business and Marketing students from around the globe to win this recognition!
The whole team showed exceptional maturity and professionalism, wonderful leadership, remarkable collaboration and teamwork, and joy throughout the conference.
BECU Visits Roosevelt HS
On Wednesday May 6, a guest speaker from BECU came to speak with Roosevelt Business and Marketing students at Roosevelt High School about banking.
The session introduced students to the basics of banking, including the differences between banks and credit unions, how to choose the right one, the services they offer and tips for avoiding common banking fees. Thank you to BECU for volunteering their time with us and thank you to Ms. Carter for bringing this opportunity to students!
Cleveland HS Students Earn Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship!
This April Cleveland had three students receive the prestigious Amazon Future Engineer scholarship! Salah, Alex and Bill were surprised in their classroom by a scholarship announcement to applause from their peers.
These three students plan to study computer science in college and after their first year will be offered an internship at Amazon. Congratulations to these three incredible students and their families and to their CS teacher, Mr. Davis!
Summer Amazon Interns Reunite to Visit Kent Fulfillment Center
Amazon Periscope interns from 8 schools met on Amazon’s campus the Friday before break to see their summer coaches, reconnect with their teams, and learn about supply chain management through a guided tour of an Amazon Fulfillment Center in Kent, Washington.
These students will return for another week of learning and presenting a business case study on Amazon’s campus this summer alongside 30 new interns.
SPSTV Highlights Pre-Apprenticeship Alumnus for SCWA Hiring
Mark S-P, an SPS Skilled Trades Pre-Apprenticeship alumnus from the Class of 2025 came back to Ingraham HS to demonstrate some of the skills that he has learned working on the Memorial Stadium project. After being part of the last cohort of students to walk across the stage for graduation in spring 2025, he returned to the site for a full-time Laborer’s apprenticeship job at Sellen, rebuilding the stadium.
Watch full Mark S-P, SPS Skilled Trades interview to learn more about pre-apprenticeship and the Student Community Workforce Agreement!
Rainier Beach HS Students Explore Future Opportunities!
Hundreds of students from Rainier Beach HS went out to explore post-secondary pathways this week in industry and Seattle Colleges. Career Connected Learning Coordinator Ms. Patterson worked with Washington Alliance for Better Schools to send students to the Allen Institute, Bassetti Architecture, Seattle Center, Coffman Engineers, Bain & Company, Seattle Children’s and more.
Younger students went to Seattle Central College to explore apparel design programs, technical theater, maritime, culinary arts and health and wellness opportunities at the colleges!
Over 200 Students Explore Health and Medical Careers at SCIH
Over 200 Seattle Public School students health and medical students attended the University of Washington Sound Careers in Health fair this week.
SCIH is a free, half-day career fair during which high school students rotate between interactive stations managed by UW Doctor for a Day volunteers, across several healthcare fields. Healthcare companies and postsecondary institutions also table at SCIH, providing students with information about educational pathways and employment opportunities in healthcare. Early exposure paired with preparatory coursework in health and medical help prepare our students for careers of the future.
Nathan Hale Agriculture Students Explore the Arboretum at South Seattle College
Students and teachers from Nathan Hale high school took a long bus ride down to South Seattle College to explore the horticulture program, arboretum, and professional- technical programs available to them through Seattle Promise. Led by Ms. Hester and Mr. Davis, this field trip was designed for agricultural students who earn plant identification credit at South Seattle College to see the arboretum and participate in a college-level plant identification exercise.
We love to see teachers connecting high school pathways to college and career pathways at Seattle Colleges!
SPS Future Health Care Workers Head to Spokane!
Seattle Public Schools Health and Medical teachers brought hundreds of students to HOSA competition in Spokane where they explored pathways to careers in medicine, nursing, behavioral health, research, and more.
Pictured above, Nathan Hale students will advance to the national finals in Indianapolis! Learn more about Nathan Hale’s HOSA chapter and their Unity in the Community event.
Pictured below, Roosevelt HS had over 20 students place 3rd, 4th, and 5th in areas including Parliamentary procedure and Public Health!
Lincoln HS Walks to College
Lincoln High School Career and Technical Education teamed up with Seattle Colleges for a “Walk to College” event.
Hundreds of students had the opportunity to explore professional-technical pathways at North, Seattle Central, and South Seattle Colleges and learn how Seattle Promise supports access to these programs. Representatives from programs ranging from computer science and business to pharmacy technology and maritime met with students to share opportunities and connect college with career! Congratulations to Lincoln HS and to CCLC Ms. Pottinger-Levy on this event!
Franklin HS IGNITE Students Explore the Trades at McKinstry
A group of 20 Franklinites toured McKinstry to learn more about the intersection of STEM and the trades as part of the IGNITE program. Students started with a tour of the shop floor, learning about sheet metal and pipe-fitting. They enjoyed a lunch with women working in construction management and as electricians, then completed hands-on activities– including watching a demonstration of wiring and learning to read electrical maps. Thank you to our partners for hosting this field trip and to Ms. Gatti for organizing!
ORCA K8 Engineers Build Bridges
Mr. Chernicoff’s Engineering students at ORCA MS presented and tested their popsicle stick bridges. Over the last 12 days, students have taken on the roles of Project Manager, Engineer, Accountant, and Construction Specialist.
Students purchased materials using checks, tracked their costs, made sketches, and built models of their bridge design before presenting their final bids for their bridges to a panel of guest judges. Both groups’ bridges held the maximum of 50 pounds!
Chief Sealth Visits Electrician Apprenticeship
Career Connected Learning Coordinator Ms. Filley-Bentler took a group out to learn about the PSE JATC Electrician apprenticeship program. Students got the chance to learn hands-on, wiring light switches during a workshop. They also stopped by ANEW for an orientation on their pre-apprenticeship programs.
Over 400 Seattle Public Schools Students at DECA Area Competition
On Jan 8, ten SPS High Schools sent delegates to compete at the DECA Area 2 competition at the Lynnwood Convention Center. Students competed in a wide range of events showing off their skills in Marketing, Financial Planning, Entrepreneurship, and more.
Over 450 SPS students attended and 330 of those student qualified to move on to the state-level competition to be held next month. A Chief Sealth International High School student was elected 26-27 Area 2 president! Congrats to all these amazing DECA student and their proud CTE teacher advisors.
Military Pilot/STEM Guest Speaker at Ballard HS
Last week Captain Riebe visited Ballard HS to speak about growing up in Snohomish County and enlisting in the Navy after high school, combining skilled trades with STEM to build a career through the nuclear power program and flight school.
Students learned about college pathways through military, STEM careers, and more– lingering for a long time after the presentation ended to ask questions. Thanks very much to Career Connected Learning Coordinator Mr. Martin for organizing this opportunity for several classes of students.
SPS Students Dig into STEM at First Lego League Robotics Competition
Seattle Public Schools is building a future where STEM learning starts early and the excitement is contagious. What began as a small initiative by the Career and Technical Education (CTE) department to introduce elementary students to robotics has now grown into a districtwide movement.
In just two years, the number of schools with robotics programs has doubled, giving hundreds of young learners the chance to explore engineering, programming, and teamwork through the First LEGO League Robotics competition. In December, students gathered at Robert Eagle Staff Middle School for the first round of FLL competitions. 10 SPS teams are advancing to the semifinals at Lincoln HS on January 24! Contact k8robotics@seattleschools.org to learn more about how to get a robotics team started at your school!
2025 Spotlight on Medical Careers
At the end of 2025, Medical Assisting students had the opportunity to showcase everything that they have learned! Students invited their SPS friends, counselors and parents.
LHS School Nurse Castro talked with and observed 2nd year students Henry and Zoe practicing phlebotomy skills. Nurse Castro was very impressed with both students and their phlebotomy skills. Zoe will participate in the 2026 Phlebotomy Competition at HOSA in Spokane, WA.
Henry completed a clinical rotation last year and will do more hours this year. On Henry’s 1st day, his preceptor at a Swedish Clinic was so impressed that he asked for ten more students like Henry. Both Henry and Zoe hope to become physicians.
Addie from the Class of 2025 completed a clinical rotation while in the MA program. She is now enrolled at Seattle Central completing the last of her MA credits, and will sit for certification exam and apply and receive her WA State licensure. Her ultimate goal is to become an RN.
All MA students are participating in Skills USA this year for the first time– looking forward to seeing what all this talented group will achieve in 2026 and beyond!
2024 in Review
Career and Technical Education teachers did so much to make 2025 a wonderful year of learning for SPS students! Below are a few key highlights from teachers all over the district. Looking forward to a bright 2026 full of career connected learning opportunities!
- Technical Theater at Franklin HS – Ms. Call’s class invited an alumnus who graduated from Franklin in the 1960s back to guest speak. He shared stories about working in technical theater in Seattle helping students envision a path from high school to work in the arts, sharing how technical theater has evolved over time as technologies have advanced.
- STEAM Program at Eckstein MS – Ms. Amato’s IGNITE Chapter, encouraging girls and non-binary students in STEAM careers, went on a field trip to Oracle with 30 students where they learned all about cloud applications, cybersecurity and more!
- Culinary Arts and Friends at Nathan Hale HS – Business, Marketing, Horticulture and Culinary Arts classes came together incredible spread to go along with our fall plant sale. Students picked the menus, did the ingredient requisitions, costed goods, created work plans and made every item for the bake sale. Nathan Hale with the vertical monopoly!
