In many small rural communities, career and technical education is not just a nice addition to school. It is one of the most important ways schools can help students build a future.
That is exactly what is happening in Odessa, Washington.
In Episode 2 of the Career Tech Leaders Show, David Young sat down with Steve Fisk, Superintendent of Odessa School District, to talk about what it looks like to run career and technical programs in a rural setting. Their conversation explored everything from agriculture education and work-based learning to drone technology, precision agriculture, funding, and the future of career preparation for students in small-town America.
What stood out most is this: rural schools may have fewer students and fewer resources, but they also have a unique opportunity to create career programs that are deeply connected to the local economy and the real needs of their communities.
Why Rural CTE Matters So Much
In Odessa, the school district serves a little over 200 students from kindergarten through 12th grade. It is a small, deeply rooted farming community made up of multi-generational families and agricultural traditions. Like many rural areas, it offers students a close-knit environment, but it also faces a common challenge: how do you prepare students for successful careers without forcing them to leave the kind of life they value?
That question has shaped the district’s thinking around CTE.
For Steve Fisk, career education is not just about helping students get jobs. It is about helping them see what is possible. In a small community, students may only see a limited number of local jobs unless schools intentionally expose them to new pathways. That is why innovative CTE programs matter. They help students connect their education to real opportunities, both locally and beyond.
Looking Beyond Traditional Agriculture
Odessa already had strong roots in traditional agricultural education. Students were learning through familiar pathways like horticulture, soil science, small engines, shop projects, and FFA. Those programs still matter, and they continue to give students practical, valuable skills.
But the school also recognized something important: agriculture is changing.
Modern agriculture is not only about tractors, crops, and equipment repair. It is also about software, mapping, sensors, automation, data, and precision tools. Across the industry, technology is becoming a bigger and bigger part of how farms operate efficiently and competitively.
That shift created an opening.
Rather than seeing agriculture as an old-fashioned field, Odessa began to see it as a place where students could engage with cutting-edge technology while still staying connected to rural life and their local community.
How Precision Agriculture Sparked a New Idea
The inspiration for Odessa’s drone and ag tech program came from a simple but powerful realization.
Steve described visiting a local farm operation and seeing large screens tracking tractors in real time. Those screens were showing fuel use, productivity, field operations, and crop-related information. It was a completely different picture of agriculture than many people imagine. Instead of only manual labor and machinery, this was digital, data-driven, and highly technical.
That moment raised an important question: if this is what modern agriculture looks like, why are students not learning about it in school?
That question led to a bigger vision. If students in rural communities are going to thrive in the future, they need exposure to the technologies that are already changing the industries around them. Precision agriculture, drone applications, automated equipment systems, and mapping tools are not distant ideas. They are part of the real working world now.
Why Drones Make Sense in Rural CTE
Drone technology became a natural part of Odessa’s CTE vision because it sits at the intersection of so many career fields.
In agriculture, drones can be used for mapping, crop monitoring, field analysis, and spraying applications. In construction, they support site mapping, earthwork planning, and progress tracking. In natural resources, they can assist with habitat restoration, land monitoring, and environmental observation. In public safety, they can support inspections, scene documentation, and emergency response.
For students, that means learning drones is not just about flying. It is about gaining a skill set that can move into many different industries.
That flexibility is especially valuable in rural communities. Not every student will follow the same path. Some may stay close to home. Others may move to a larger city. Some may work in agriculture. Others may move into construction, engineering, real estate, or public service. A drone education pathway gives students an entry point into all of those possibilities.
Creating New Opportunities for Students Who Might Otherwise Be Overlooked
One of the most meaningful parts of Odessa’s program is its focus on students who may not already have a direct path into the local agricultural economy.
In many rural communities, agriculture remains central, but access to that world is not always equal. Students from farming families may already have a clear connection to the industry. Others may not. Young women, in particular, may not always see themselves reflected in traditional agricultural roles, even though they have every reason to belong in that space.
This is where technology can open doors.
By introducing drones, mapping, data, and precision ag tools, schools can create a version of agriculture education that feels more accessible to a wider range of students. It helps students see that agriculture is not only one thing. It includes innovation, analysis, problem solving, and tech-enabled careers that are growing fast.
For Odessa, that has been part of the why behind the program from the start.
Starting Small Without Waiting for Perfect Conditions
One of the best lessons from this conversation is that schools do not have to start big in order to start well.
Odessa did not launch a massive, fully built-out program overnight. Instead, the district started with a clear idea, strong local relevance, and a willingness to experiment. That included applying for grants, partnering with neighboring districts, working with industry partners, and introducing students to drone learning in manageable steps.
Students started with smaller practice drones they could safely use and learn from. The district also invested in more advanced drones to support real training. Students are moving through coursework, building skills gradually, and preparing for future certification opportunities like the Part 107 drone license.
This approach matters because it makes innovation more realistic for other schools. You do not need to wait until everything is perfect. You need a strong reason, community support, and a willingness to take the first step.
The Role of Grants and Community Partnerships
Funding is one of the biggest concerns schools have when launching new CTE programs, especially in smaller districts. Odessa’s experience shows that while funding may take work, it is possible when the vision is clear.
The district secured early support through grant funding and continued building from there. Just as importantly, it worked with local partners who could see the value of preparing students for the future of agriculture and technology.
That combination of grants and business partnerships helped Odessa create learning opportunities that go beyond the classroom. Students are not only hearing about industry trends. They are seeing equipment, interacting with professionals, and engaging with tools that are actually used in the field.
That kind of exposure can make career learning feel real in a way that textbooks alone never could.
Work-Based Learning Brings It All Together
Strong CTE programs do more than teach skills in isolation. They connect students to actual workplaces, local employers, and real-world applications.
That is another area where Odessa’s model stands out.
By partnering with local agricultural and industry organizations, the district is creating work-based learning opportunities that let students see how their classroom learning connects to jobs and business operations. That kind of experience helps students develop confidence, understand expectations, and start imagining themselves in professional roles.
In rural communities, these local connections are especially powerful. They allow students to build skills while also investing in the places they come from.
Technology Skills Are Career Skills
Another major takeaway from the episode is that technology should not be treated as something separate from career education. It is career education.
Whether students enter agriculture, construction, logistics, engineering, mapping, or another field entirely, they will need to be comfortable learning new tools, interpreting information, and solving problems in tech-enabled environments.
The value of drone education is not limited to one device or one certification. It teaches students how to think in a modern workplace. They learn how technology supports decision-making. They see how data becomes action. They understand how digital tools can solve practical problems.
Those are the kinds of skills that carry across industries and remain useful even as technology continues to change.
A Vision for the Future of Rural CTE
Perhaps the most exciting part of the conversation was Steve Fisk’s long-term vision.
Rather than stopping at a classroom program, he imagines a future where students can help operate a real student-led company built around these skills. In that vision, students would use drones, mapping, data, and agricultural technology to serve local needs, gain work experience, and generate revenue that could be reinvested into the program.
It is a powerful idea because it transforms education from something students pass through into something they actively build.
It also reflects a bigger truth about CTE: the best programs do not only prepare students for the future. They allow students to participate in it right now.
What Other School Leaders Can Learn From Odessa
There is no one-size-fits-all formula for CTE. What works in one district will not look exactly the same in another. But Odessa offers a strong example of what can happen when school leaders start with the needs of their students and the realities of their local community.
The lesson is not that every school needs to launch a drone program tomorrow. The lesson is that schools should be willing to think creatively about where industry is going, what students need, and how education can evolve to meet that moment.
For some schools, that may mean agriculture technology. For others, it may mean construction, advanced manufacturing, public safety, or digital media. The bigger point is to build programs that are relevant, future-focused, and connected to real opportunities.
Final Thoughts
Rural schools have unique challenges, but they also have unique strengths. They know their communities. They understand the local economy. They often have close relationships with families and business partners. When those strengths are combined with innovation, the results can be powerful.
Odessa’s story is a reminder that students in small towns deserve big opportunities. They deserve programs that help them build meaningful careers, stay connected to their communities if they choose, and see that their future can include both tradition and innovation.
That is what strong CTE does. It helps students see a path forward.
And in rural America, that work matters more than ever.