CTE Showcase 2026

Clark College hosts annual event for local high school students to explore career and technical programs

Clark College welcomed 20 high schools from Clark County and beyond, bringing just about 250 students to campus for Entry Service’s annual Career and Technical Education (CTE) Programs Showcase, held this year on Tuesday, April 21.  Some of these 9th–12th graders traveled from as far as Trout Lake School, a nearly two-hour drive away!  

The day was designed to allow students to explore and learn about the various career and technical programs Clark offers, and the careers those programs prepare them for.  

Students selected two workshops to attend from the following areas of study: 

We also held a few student support services workshops covering admissions/running start/CTE dual credit, financial aid/scholarships, and career services. 

Before departing from the Student Center to their workshops, students got a warm welcome from Dr. Don Romesburg, dean of Social Sciences and Fine Arts, who stressed the importance and value of Career and Technical programs in the workforce. He reminded students that Clark’s certificates, up to our four-year degrees, are some of the different pathway options that can get them there.   

During their workshops, students were a part of it all! Students in the automotive workshop got to see current students working firsthand in the shop. In the healthcare workshops, students learned how to use some simple medical tools, and those in the Financial Aid and Scholarships workshop got competitive as they played Jeopardy and tested their knowledge.  

Some highlights and takeaways from the day:

• • One senior, who thought she was going to start with the EMT program at Clark College to one day become a firefighter, attended the Medical Assisting and Early Childhood Education workshops. She has so many interests and passions and attending these different workshops opened her eyes to all options out there. 
  • Brandon Johnson from Automotive shared how one of his current top auto students came to this event a few years back when they were in high school, and that is why he chooses to participate in this event every year! The little sparks of inspiration and moments of connection are what students remember as they decide what they want to do post-high school. 
  • Another senior shared how she already came into the day knowing she wanted to study Dental Hygiene at Clark College. When asked if attending the Healthcare Info Session that covered dental hygiene solidified her decision, she responded with, “Oh yes!” mentioning how the healthcare advisors who hosted the workshop were so helpful, and she was especially delighted when they shared how much she could be making once starting her career. 

After attending their two workshops, students and chaperones came back to the Student Center in Gaiser Hall for lunch and to attend a resource fair. Many of the workshop facilitators also hosted a table during the resource fair, reaching even more students. Students also got to learn about the valuable support resources Clark offers like tutoring, Disability Access Center, and Workforce Education Services, just to name a few. 

Entry Services would like to give a big thank you to all the faculty and staff from the various programs and departments who participated in the CTE Showcase. An event like this is not possible without all the partnerships and support we receive from our Clark College community.

Participating High Schools

Clark County

Battle Ground:  
Battle Ground High School, Prairie High School, Summit View High School, River Home Link 

Camas:  
Camas High School, Discovery High School, Hayes Freedom High School 

Evergreen:  
Evergreen High School, Heritage High School, Legacy High School, Legacy-Open Doors 

Ridgefield:  
Ridgefield High School 

Vancouver:  
Columbia River High School, Fort Vancouver High School, Skyview High School, Vancouver Flex Academy 

Washougal:  
Washougal High School 

Woodland:  
Woodland High School 

Beyond Clark County

Cowlitz County:  
Kalama High School 

Klickitat County:  
Trout Lake School, Columbia High School 

Photo: Clark College/courtesy of Amanda Do

Story by Amanda Do, Admissions Recruiter, Entry Services