Please arrive on time because a plated breakfast will be served from 7:45 a.m. to 8 a.m. Breakfast service will end at 8 a.m.
Virginia Family, Career and Community Leaders of America and Educators Rising CTSO Updates will begin at 8 a.m. All Institute attendees should attend this session for regulatory updates pertaining to the 2025-2026 school year.
Family and Consumer Sciences and Related Clusters Specialist, Virginia Department of Education
Heather joined the Virginia Department of Education Office of Career and Technical Education in February 2022. She earned a Master’s of Education in Educational Leadership from George Mason University, a Master’s of Education in Youth and Family Education from Penn State University... Read More →
Empowering FCS Educators: Tools for Helping Students Connect Passion to Purpose This keynote gives FCS educators practical tools to reignite student enthusiasm while meeting curriculum competencies and standards. Participants will learn to integrate students' strengths, interests, and values into their education, fostering success and fulfillment. It emphasizes the importance of instilling purpose in the curriculum and helping students develop essential life skills. It also covers building rapport with students in challenging situations and introduces a simple project-based learning framework for defining student learning experiences. Note: This Keynote reinforces the principles of Building Relationships With Students on Positive Words and High Expectations and Project-Based Learning Plus. Participant Outcomes include:
Learn to create meaningful learning partnerships by building strong connections.
Discover skills to guide students in connecting their passions and interests to purpose.
Explore how PBL empowers students to align their passions with FCS learning.
Jorge Valenzuela is a respected performance and education coach, author, and speaker at Lifelong Learning Defined. His mission is to empower educators to lead confidently and teach with greater effectiveness. Specializing in instructional innovation and action research, Jorge provides... Read More →
