Each February, students and staff at the Jo Daviess Carrol Career and Technical Academy celebrate a special occasion: CTE Month. At the Jo Daviess Carrol CTE Academy, CTE Month acts as the academy’s homecoming.  The staff works hard to plan a variety of activities not only to create fun experiences for the students but also to raise awareness for career and technical education as a whole.

On February 1, 2024, CTE Month kicked off with a pancake breakfast for all students who entered the building. A colorful and bright photo booth was set up for students to take pictures with and capture these memories with their CTE classmates. Teachers made the lobby of the academy feel like a party for all students entering, which brought smiles to many Galena High School CTE students’ faces.

Student Ambassador and criminal justice student Averi Hewitt, ‘24, said “I love CTE Month because it increases student involvement and is just overall a lot of fun!”

There are many other activities planned throughout the rest of the month including iced coffee bars, scavenger hunts, custom beanie sales, taco bars, and more.

“I am so excited to see what fun, free treats the teachers have planned for the month!” said Maddie Wild, ‘24, a graphic communications student. The teachers sure know how to keep this month exciting by surprising students with different activities all the time.