(Back to the index) (Back to the beginning of this issue) © 2009 CORD	In this issue of Connections we continue to highlight some of the almost 200 presentations that will be given at the NCPN conference in Atlanta this fall. As you will see, the newsletter contains articles from Missouri, Tennessee, North Carolina, and Georgia (two articles from the conference host state). An international flavor is added with an article about an outstanding pre engineering program in Brazil. I never cease to be amazed at the level of creativity and leadership revealed in how programs come into being. But it has been shown over time that certain needs and motivations are always present. Secondary schools have a need to motivate students to stay in school and continue learning. Postsecondary institutions seek students who are ready to enter technical programs. Businesses need trained workers. Communities need to attract new industries. State governments and the nation need economic and workforce development to advance. When all these elements work together, there is the potential for a win-win-win-win-win situation. In these articles, look for how students were motivated, how secondary and postsecondary worked together to create seamless transitions, how business and industry partners participated, and how states paved the way for new courses and channeled funding (including federal Perkins funds) to make it happen. I hope you will find your way to Atlanta to discover the many creative ways that Career Pathways and Tech Prep have been working all across the country—and what they all have in common. See you there! Back to the index     © 2009 CORD	David Bond is Director of the National Career Pathways Network and a CORD Senior Vice President. For more information, contact David at dbond@cord.org.