Arizona News  Awards & Recognition  CTE News


U.S. Presidential Scholars Program Application
Submitted by Kathy Bowersock, Arizona Dept. of Education


The U.S. Presidential Scholars Program in Career and Technical Education will recognize 20 outstanding Career and Technical Education students in 2018. Each state can nominate 5 candidates for recognition for excellence in Career and Technical Education through the Chief State School Officer (CSSO-Superintendent of Public Instruction office). According to the guidance sent from the US Department of Education, “all high school seniors who are participants of a CTE program or have completed a CTE program graduating between January and June of 2018 who are US citizens or legal permanent residents and who attend public, parochial, or independent schools as well as those who are home-schooled, are eligible”.   

Arizona CTE students who have completed a full sequence of a CTE program or are enrolled in the last course of the sequence of a CTE program and meet the other requirements are eligible to apply.  You can find the information online here.

The signed application and Part Three-Evidence of Criteria (essays) should be scanned and emailed to:

[email protected]

or mailed to:

Cathie Raymond, State Director
Career and Technical Education
1535 W Jefferson Street, Bin #42
Phoenix, AZ 85007

Applications must be submitted by the CTE Director and must be received by mail or email by close of business on Friday, September 29th.  Students and/or parents may not submit the applications.

A review team of CTE Stakeholders (representatives from ACOVA, ACTEAZ, JTED, Counselors, Postsecondary, business and industry and ADE/CTE) will review the applications and supporting documentation on the specific standards and select the top 5 nominations to submit to the Superintendent/Communications office by 11/1/17. The Superintendent’s office will review and submit the nominations by the due date 11/22/17.

Last year we had an outstanding group of applicants and 5 well-deserving nominees for Arizona. We plan to recognize the 2018 Arizona US Presidential Scholars in CTE nominees in a similar manner this year. We know there are many exceptional students across the state so please ensure applications are submitted per the guidelines to avoid any unnecessary disqualifications. 

If you have specific questions, please contact me at 602-364-2211 or [email protected].