The Midwest Regional Network has held several virtual professional development sessions for FCS educators. 

The resources for those sessions are provided below.  

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Session 1: 

Building a Strong Network:  14 Years of Summer Support for Family & Consumer Sciences Teachers

Presented by:  Delaine Stendahl and Amy Stewart

This presentation highlights the 14-year history, purpose, and measurable impact of an annual summer workshop that brings together Family & Consumer Sciences teachers from across the United States, and offers practical strategies for educators—especially those struggling in their programs—to support colleagues, create peer‐mentoring relationships, and build sustainable professional networks that improve retention, classroom outcomes, and program viability; attendees will leave with concrete next steps for outreach, peer observation, shared resources, and low‐cost virtual and in‐person collaboration models can implement immediately to strengthen local and national FCS communities.

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Session 2: 

Teach Tomorrow:  OER Lessons Today

Presented by:  Dorann Avey

Discover how Open Educational Resources (OER) can strengthen your classroom instruction without increasing your workload or budget. In this session, you’ll learn what OER is, where to locate high-quality resources, and the types of ready-to-use lessons available across grade levels and subjects. We’ll also explore how OER materials align to standards, how you can legally adapt them to fit your students’ needs, and the practical benefits—flexibility, relevance, and cost savings—that make OER a powerful addition to everyday teaching.his presentation highlights the 14-year history, purpose, and measurable impact of an annual summer workshop that brings together Family & Consumer Sciences teachers from across the United States, and offers practical strategies for educators—especially those struggling in their programs—to support colleagues, create peer‐mentoring relationships, and build sustainable professional networks that improve retention, classroom outcomes, and program viability; attendees will leave with concrete next steps for outreach, peer observation, shared resources, and low‐cost virtual and in‐person collaboration models can implement immediately to strengthen local and national FCS communities.

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Session 3: 

Retaining FCS Teachers:  A Proven Model in Minnesota

Presented by:  Lavyne Rada

Participants of this workshop will leave understanding the multiple efforts and lessons learned to successfully launch this  program, which on average, results in 97% of teachers who participate in our program returning to teach the following year and more than 90% of participants still teaching two years later. CTE TIP functions as a professional learning community where participants meet throughout the year through monthly virtual meetings and in the fall and spring with two face-to-face meetings. The program provides free access to curriculum and resources and participants form cohorts based on their licensure content area to develop new resources and support one another.

The Career and Technical Education Teacher Induction Program (CTE TIPTM) is the statewide CTE mentoring program, combining in-person support with curriculum and professional development to support early-career teachers during their first years in the profession. Lakes Country Service Cooperative and the Minnesota Association of Career and Technical Educators (MnACTE) administer CTE TIP, which is primarily funded by two state CTE and mentorship grants, with additional support from Perkins leadership funds.