CTE and Standards| National High School BBQ Association®

CTE AND STANDARDS

Last Updated: 12-17-2025

Career-Connected Learning, Built for Schools

The National High School BBQ Association® (NHSBBQA®) and the Live Fire Learning Lab are designed first and foremost as education programs—aligned to Career & Technical Education (CTE) priorities, national standards, and district accountability requirements.

Our model integrates career exploration, applied academics, employability skills, and safety-governed instruction into a scalable framework that supports middle school and high school pathways without competing with existing CTE programs or CTSOs.

This page provides an overview of how our programs align to CTE standards and instructional frameworks. For funding-specific guidance, see our Perkins V Alignment page.

CTE-First by Design

CTE is not an add-on to our model—it is the foundation.

Our programs are built to:

• Support career exploration before pathway selection

• Reinforce industry-aligned skills and behaviors

• Strengthen CTE pipelines into high school programs

• Provide hands-on, project-based learning tied to real careers

Instruction is intentionally structured to meet the needs of CTE directors, principals, and grant administrators, with clear documentation, safety protocols, and measurable outcomes.

Middle School CTE: Early Exposure Matters

Middle school is the most critical window for introducing students to careers they may not otherwise see.

Our middle school framework:

• Emphasizes exploration, not job training

• Introduces workplace roles, expectations, and terminology

• Builds confidence and interest before high school CTE decisions

• Expands access for students traditionally underrepresented in CTE

This approach aligns with national guidance encouraging CTE career exploration in grades 5–8, ensuring students enter high school better informed and more engaged.

Career Clusters Alignment

The Live Fire Learning Lab aligns most directly with the Hospitality & Tourism Career Cluster, while intentionally supporting cross-cluster exploration:

• Hospitality & Tourism – food service operations, safety, teamwork

• Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources – food systems, sourcing, protein handling

• Manufacturing & Skilled Trades – equipment use, fabrication concepts, safety culture

• Business & Entrepreneurship – planning, process management, cost awareness

This multi-cluster approach allows districts to serve diverse student interests through a single instructional model.

Academic & Instructional Standards Integration

STEM & NGSS

Applied science and engineering design are embedded throughout instruction, aligning to Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) through:

• Heat transfer and thermal energy concepts

• Data collection and analysis

• Design–test–iterate problem solving

• Systems thinking and constraints

Students experience STEM as relevant, observable, and applied, reinforcing classroom learning through authentic use.

Family & Consumer Sciences (FCS)

The program supports FCS Food Production and Services competencies by emphasizing:

• Safe food handling and sanitation

• Thermometer-based cooking and documentation

• Professional behaviors and teamwork

• Lab safety and procedural compliance

This makes the Live Fire Learning Lab a natural extension of middle school and high school FCS instruction.

Social-Emotional Learning & Employability Skills

Aligned to the CASEL framework, students practice:

• Self-management in high-attention environments

• Responsible decision-making related to safety and quality

• Communication and collaboration in team roles

• Accountability through reflection and documentation

These skills mirror real workplace expectations and are intentionally assessed—not incidental.

Designed for District Approval

All programs are developed with:

• Written safety protocols and supervision structures

• Age-appropriate equipment and instructional methods

• Clear separation between instruction and extracurricular activities

• Documentation suitable for board review, audits, and grant reporting

This ensures districts can adopt and scale programs with confidence.

Funding & Compliance Pathways

Our CTE-aligned design supports multiple funding and implementation models, including federal, state, and local CTE resources.

For detailed funding justification and compliance language, visit:

Perkins V Alignment

“Our programs integrate CTE, Career Clusters, NGSS, FCS, STEM, and SEL into a single, standards-aligned learning framework that prepares students for informed pathway selection and long-term success.”