HERNDON, Va. — Carthage High School & Technical Center FCCLA, Missouri, was selected to receive the 2026 National 1st Place High School Career Connection Award, sponsored by Goodheart Wilcox Publisher and Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA).
Career Connection is a peer education program created by FCCLA, designed to teach students how to prepare for career success now and in the future. The award recognizes chapters that conduct career development projects to help young people build skills for success in careers, families, and their communities.
As the national 1st Place High School, the Carthage High School & Technical Center FCCLA chapter will receive a $1,000 award and will be recognized at the 2026 FCCLA National Leadership Conference, July 6 – July 10, 2026.
Carthage High School & Technical Center’s FCCLA project “Connecting CTC Seniors to Careers Through Mock Interviews” helped to successfully launch the inaugural “CTC Senior Mock Interview Day” on December 16, 2025, providing 370 seniors with professional interview experience through partnerships with local employers. This event was held at the Tiger Activity Center, the full-day event brought together approximately 25 area employers to conduct 5-10 minute mock interviews with students, reaching 414 total participants including staff and employers.
The program was strategically designed to integrate FCCLA’s Career Connections National Program, specifically the “My Career” unit, to prepare students for success. Twenty FCCLA chapter members coordinated the comprehensive event, which included creating promotional resources sharing interview and resume tips, embedding interview preparation into senior lessons through career counselors, and utilizing FCCLA resources to help students develop elevator pitches and professional communication skills. Through this innovative program, CTC successfully provided seniors with real-world career preparation, helping them build confidence and professional skills essential for workforce entry and adult success.
About FCCLA
Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) is a dynamic and effective national student organization that helps young men and women become leaders and address important personal, family, work, and societal issues through Family and Consumer Sciences education. FCCLA has over 260,000 members active in a network of over 5,300 chapters across the nation.
FCCLA: The Ultimate Leadership Experience is unique among youth organizations because its programs are planned and run by members. It is the only Career and Technical Student Organization with a central focus on careers that support families. Participation in FCCLA National Programs and chapter activities helps members become strong leaders in their families, careers, and communities.
About Goodheart-Willcox Publisher
Experts in Career and Technical Education, Goodheart-Willcox was established in 1921 and has continually published the highest quality content for CTE. Subject areas include Family and Consumer Sciences; Business, Marketing, and Career Education; Health and Health Sciences; Automotive; Technical, Trades, and Engineering; and Agricultural Education. Goodheart-Willcox titles are available in print and digital formats, and include a full portfolio of student and instructor resources. For more information, please visit www.g-w.com. Goodheart-Willcox: We Build Careers
