When Students Lead the Way: How One Appalachian District Reached 100% CTAE Completion

Lumpkin County Schools gives students real power, not a seat at the table as a PR exercise but genuine agency connecting school, family and local industry. Student PR interns report directly to the Director of Community Engagement, documenting partnership stories, gathering family testimonials and extending outreach in ways adult communications cannot. When students are invested in telling the story, they stay invested in the pathway. Lumpkin pairs that engagement with data systems that surface which families haven't responded and which students are drifting. One high school, 48% economically disadvantaged, achieved 100% CTAE completion for the Class of 2025. This workshop unpacks how that system works. Explore a model for structuring student voice as operational infrastructure rather than performative participation, a protocol for using early warning data before intervention becomes crisis, and a structure for digital community advisory boards that keep curriculum aligned with workforce demands. Leave with a research-informed framework to audit and strengthen your own CTE engagement. All workshops are BYOD and require All Access or Session + Registration to attend.