Southwest Technology Center was honored to welcome teachers and administrators from our valued partner schools — Blair, Duke, Granite, Navajo, and Olustee-Eldorado — for a powerful day of professional development designed to inspire, equip, and connect educators as they begin the 2025–2026 school year.
The day began with a warm welcome from SWTC Superintendent Dale Latham and an impactful presentation, Talk Saves Lives, from Christie Rogers, SWTC Director of Student Services. The agenda featured an exceptional lineup of breakout sessions, covering timely and relevant topics to help educators succeed in today’s classrooms:
Carrie Miller, Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education – A.I. and Instructional Practices
Katlyn Hudgins, ODCTE – Special Populations
Ginger Tinney, Professional Oklahoma Educators – Professional Oklahoma Educators (First Session)
Jamie Jones, Canadian Valley Technology Center – The Anxious Generation (Second Session)
Stephanie Phillips, Cameron University – Becoming a Person of Influence
Melissa Evon, 2025 Oklahoma Teacher of the Year – Just Get Out of the Boat
Mike Williams, SWTC – Cloud-Based Productivity & Its Advantages
In addition to breakout sessions, specialized training opportunities were offered, including bus driving certification, CPR/CPR recertification, and GCN compliance courses.
Southwest Tech extends a huge thank you to Christie Rogers and the Student Services team for their exceptional coordination and to all our partner schools for their commitment to excellence. “When our educators are empowered, our students thrive,” said Latham. “We are excited to see how this year’s training will impact classrooms across our region.”
As we welcome back teachers for an exciting new school year, Southwest Tech is proud to support professional growth and collaboration that strengthens the future of education in Southwest Oklahoma.