Santa Rosa, California (February 6, 2019) – The Career Technical Education (CTE) Foundation has approved $343,652 in grant funding for 22 technical education programs among 11 Sonoma County schools.

Now in its sixth funding cycle, the CTE Foundation has invested over $3 million since its founding in 2013, creating new programs that connect students to employers for career exploration and skill-building and spurring over 100 new classes in local schools that focus on career and technical education in industries including engineering, manufacturing, agriculture, health, and the construction trades. 

The 2019-2020 funding adds two new schools to the organization’s portfolio and new classes with topics from robotics to welding technology that will expand opportunities for at least 400 students throughout the county, including more than 50 girls who will enroll in a Women in Engineering pathway at Rancho Cotati High School. The funding also aims to enhance the students’ classroom experience through supply grants that help teachers provide engaging, hands-on learning. Two planning grants were also awarded at Credo High School and Technology High School to create blueprints for pathways in regenerative agriculture and building math confidence, respectively. 

“Our organization’s momentum continues, and we are thrilled with the innovative learning opportunities presented by all of our awardees that align with the county’s workforce demands,” said CTE Foundation Board Chair Bob McGee, who is also President and Chief Operating Officer at Straus Family Creamery. “We are seeing more students better prepared for in-demand careers that are both high-skilled and high-wage.”

In addition to grants for schools, the CTE Foundation invests in programs that increase relevance for student learning from the classroom to real life, and students enrolled in these programs are engaged, active learners who graduate at higher rates and are better prepared for the rigors of both college and career than their non-CTE counterparts.  

To learn more about the CTE Foundation, programs, funding or donor opportunities, contact Kathy Goodacre at (707) 708-7081 [email protected]. To tour a CTE classroom, contact Leslie Simmons at (707) 755-5722 or [email protected].