The South Dakota Association of Career and Technical Education (SDACTE) announced this month that Charlotte Mohling, family and consumer sciences educator and FCCLA advisor at the Wessington Springs School District, has been named SDACTE Lifetime Achievement Award winner. She also teaches career and technical courses for the DIAL Virtual School. This award recognizes CTE professionals for their leadership on behalf of ACTE, their innovations in CTE and their contributions to the field over an extended period of time.
“It humbles me to be recognized by my peers for the work I’ve done over my career,” Mohling shared.
Within a letter of recommendation, Mohling is credited as being highly creative, energetic and always willing to try new ideas whether it be in the classroom, with students planning a service project, presenting a workshop for educators or involvement in the community. She has a passion for CTE in general and has developed curriculum in career exploration, CTE foundation courses and capstone courses.
“I think to further education — and this has always been a belief of mine — we need to be innovative in the programs and strategies we use with students to help them learn and become productive and responsible citizens,” Mohling stated.
When she evaluates her curriculum each year, she always asks questions. One of them is, “how do I continue to enhance and improve educational opportunities for students in my school district?”
Over the summer, she said the main thing she’s been working on is an enrichment center.
“What do you do when students are done with coursework you have planned for the day? What are enrichment activities that would help them learn something new? That’s where the enrichment center comes in,” she explained. “It might be candle making, wood burning or even a deck of cards. Instead of getting on the computer and playing games, students have an opportunity to do something that might spark an interest.”
One of the first initiatives she implemented was a modern-day concept of the one-room school. She developed nine information technology courses and six family and consumer sciences courses that could be offered as self-paced courses via a wireless computer lab. Writing for grants helped to develop the curriculum and purchase equipment. She has also developed a middle school course to help students on their educational journey and to explore their personal interests and the 16 career clusters.
FCCLA is an integral, intracurricular part of the CTE foundation and FCS courses she teaches. Students participate in a number of FCCLA programs and activities and also have the opportunity to experience leadership opportunities. She has had the privilege to advise many members over the years at the local, state and national level.
Over the years she has served in many roles as an officer, committee member, etc., at the SDACTE level, Region 5 ACTE level, and national level of ACTE.
Mohling now qualifies to compete for the Region V ACTE Lifetime Achievement Award. The Region V Conference will be held in Las Vegas, Neveda, on May 1-3, 2025.
Mohling is quick to credit those that made this honor a reality, “None of this would have been possible without the support and belief of this school district, administration and this community.”