Dear Colleagues —

We are excited to announce that the selection process is underway for the 2016 U.S. Presidential Scholars Program that will include the "inaugural class" of 20 U.S. Presidential Scholars in Career and Technical Education, pursuant to the June 22, 2015, Presidential Executive Order!

On July 22, 2015, Dr. Marina C. McCarthy, Chair of the Commission of Presidential Scholars and Ms. Simone Olson, Executive Director of the Presidential Scholar Program issued a letter to Chief State School Officers announcing the nomination process for the 2016 U.S. Presidential Scholars and requesting nomination from each jurisdiction to include five (5) students who demonstrate excellence in career and technical education (CTE). Download the letter (PDF, 108 KB).

To facilitate your involvement in the process of nominating outstanding CTE students, we will be holding a Webinar over the next week or so to walk you through the nomination process and answer any questions you may have. Meanwhile, we encourage you to reach out to your Chief State School Officer, if haven't already made contact, to begin the process of identifying students in your State. See suggested criteria for use in the nomination process (PDF, 430 KB)

Best —
Sharon Lee Miller
Director, Division of Academic and Technical Education