The U.S. Department of Education accepting state’s nominees for the 2020 CTE Presidential Scholars Program. This program recognizes excellence among students in career and technical education (CTE).

Pennsylvania is participating in the program and is asking school districts within Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE)-approved career and technical education programs and career and technical centers to nominate students enrolled in CTE programs. Each state can nominate five students in CTE.

The program honors CTE student nominees “on the basis of outstanding scholarship and demonstrated ability and accomplishment in career and technical education fields.”

All high school seniors who are participants of a PDE- approved CTE program, graduating between January and June 2020, who are or will be U.S. citizens or legal permanent U.S. residents, and who attend public, parochial, or independent schools, as well as those who are home-schooled, are eligible. Candidates who are nominated by PDE, and whose applications are complete, will then be reviewed by a national committee of qualified individuals experienced in career and technical education. The national committee will then choose 60 applicants to be named as semifinalists. The 60 CTE semifinalist applications will then be reviewed by the Commission on Presidential Scholars. All 2020 U.S. Presidential Scholars will be selected by the Commission on Presidential Scholars and will receive the Presidential Scholars Medallion at a ceremony held in their honor in Washington, DC.

Pennsylvania schools wishing to nominate CTE students must submit a complete nomination application by October 15, 2019 to PDE. Applications that are incomplete or submitted after October 15 will not be considered.

School districts with PDE-approved CTE programs and career and technical centers should contact Lee Burket lburket@pa.gov for the nomination application package.