Animal science students at Mitchell High School in North Carolina gain hands-on experience in animal husbandry caring for baby goats, pigs and chicks in the school's barn. Students feed and water the animals, while also monitoring them for illness and treating them like food rather than pets, says teacher Chad Huggins.

Middle-schoolers at St. James Catholic School in Louisville, Ky., are learning personal finance lessons about credit, debt and savings in a class led by teacher Michael Meredith. The class helps prepare students to manage their finances as adults, says Meredith, who adds that such lessons are uncommon in middle school.

A school in San Diego Unified School District is using the SchoolAI platform to create personal chatbots for elementary-schoolers to help boost curiosity and critical-thinking skills among students, says principal Laurie Brady Francis. One way students are using the chatbots is to glean information needed to write a topic paragraph, then having the bot review the writing by the student.

Some Girl Scouts in Maine recently explored the intersection of trade careers and STEM during an event that included linework demonstrations and the chance to ride up in a line truck. The event, hosted by Central Maine Power, introduced the students to careers they may have been unaware of or might think are for men, says Mara Robinov-Moorhead, CEO of Girl Scouts of Maine.

London edged past Geneva as the world's most expensive city to build in, according to the Arcadis 2024 International Construction Costs report. In its evaluation of 100 cities, New York City, San Francisco and Philadelphia were among the top 10 most expensive for builders.

UK-based indoor farming startup LettUs Grow has teamed with US-based Innovative Growers Equipment to expand its aeroponic growing technology to the US and Canada. Under the deal, Innovative Growers will manufacture LettUs Grow's patented ultrasonic irrigation technology.

How do you feel when you reflect on your educational journey? And what of your students, colleagues and peers: How do they feel about their own experiences? For this issue of Techniques, some valued contributors submitted personal narratives. While others offered case studies and actionable guidance for effective leadership in CTE. But what they all have in common is an understanding that human connection is vital. We must acknowledge others' lived experiences. Read more.

Scheduling and placement challenges are a systems problem, a disconnect between CTE program awareness and the mechanics of course scheduling. Here we'll look at two examples -- from Oregon and Kansas -- of successful, systematic approaches to helping students discover their interests and aptitudes and learn about related career pathways. "This is my 16th year in education," said Adam Randall, an educator at Henley High School. "And by far the best time spent has been in CTE." Read more.