The California Association of Work Experience Educators (CAWEE) was formed to establish and maintain guidelines for professional conduct; to provide inservice training opportunities; and to ensure that Work Experience Educators understand labor laws and regulations regarding youth employment.

Activities for members include:

• Attending chapter meetings and workshops

• Participating in regional conferences

• Accessing a central location for work experience information

• Having a "voice" on issues relating to youth training and employment

• Networking for school-to-work implementation

• Acquiring up-to-date legislation on work-related issues.

Today, CAWEE represents 500 of the 1,300 secondary schools in California that have Work Experience Education Programs as well as 85 of the 106 community colleges that have Cooperative Work Experience Programs.

Additional History from Archives of CAWEE

The California Association of Work Experience Educators, CAWEE, is a professional organization for, and run by, educators and career specialists who are involved in providing students with real world experience within the workplace.  This organization is dedicated to the education of not only Work Experience educators, but of School-to-Career specialists and others involved in this process.

CAWEE represents the many schools, educators, businesses, community groups and individuals who work together as partners to help students achieve educational excellence.

Work Experience Education Programs are designed to link the academic core curriculum with the world of work and have gained recognition as a vital component of modern education in the rapidly changing and technological society of today.

Work Experience Education Programs utilize the community’s business and industrial complex as a career training laboratory. Students can learn or polish skills, assess capabilities while employed, or perform career exploration by observing task performance and working conditions in actual work settings. The accredited Work Experience Education Programs are:

• General Work Experience Education: Combines related class-room instruction with paid employment providing general and specific occupational skills. Employment is not necessarily related to career interest.

• Vocational Work Experience Education: Combines related classroom instruction with supervised paid employment directly related to the student’s occupational goal.

• Exploratory Work Experience Education: Combines non-paid job observations and related classroom instruction in Work Experience Education for the purpose of vocational guidance. Worker’s Compensation Insurance is provided by the school district.

PAST PRESIDENTS OF CAWEE
1965-1966              Duane Brubaker
1966-1967              Milan Wright
1967-1968              Homer Schilling
1968-1969              Vern Gillmore
1969-1970              George Barich
1970-1971              Gordon Ray
197 1-1972             Donald Averill
1972-1973              Norvin Spence
1973-1974              William Cook
1974-1975              Elbert Garcia
1975-1976              Homer Sweeney
1977-1978              Bobbie Stenton-Edgin
1978-1979              Walt Anderson
1979-1980              Anthony Roe
1980-198 1             Ken Thomas
1981-1982              Pat Kress
1982-1983              Ned Davis
1983-1984              Genevie Brown
1984-1985              Carla Kane
1985-1986              William Mathiasen
1986-1987              J. Richard Koon
1987-1988              Russ Lindgren
1988-1989              Anji Clemens
1989-1990              Margaret McCarthy
1990-1991              Joel Haber
199 1-1992             John Todd  
1992-1993              Cartha Tennille
1993-1994              William Lipschultz
1994-1995              Allan R. Kumlin
1995-1996              Lula Calkins
1996-1998              Gloria McGill
1998-1999              Jan Vach
1999-2000              Sylvia Drucker
2000-2001              Bev Giampietro
2001-2002              John Pierson
2002-2003              Peggy Bullock
2003-2004              Greg Heguiagaray
2004-2005              Dennis Jones
2005-2006              Thomas Anderson
2006-2007              Nellie Mendenhall
2007-2008              Thomas Anderson
2009-2009              Carol Rask
2009-2010               Robin Whetzel
2010-2011               Lori Jepson
2011-2012               Gail Sims