Shawnee Caruthers

Rashawn "Shawnee" Caruthers is a dedicated leader in advocacy, currently serving as the Vice-President of Advocacy at Getting Smart. Her commitment lies in amplifying the transformative potential of equity-driven, real-world learning experiences, and her expertise is instrumental in creating inclusive educational environments. In addition, Shawnee highlights the importance of Career and Technical Education (CTE), drawing from industry insights and discussing the future of CTE in preparing students for the evolving job market. She emphasizes the significance of building strong industry partnerships to support CTE initiatives. Before her tenure at Getting Smart, Shawnee excelled as the Director of Career and Technical Education for Kansas City Public Schools in Missouri. With over 15 years of experience, she has been an educator and a relentless advocate for college and career readiness within diverse communities. Shawnee's educational journey is marked by significant achievements, including a Bachelor of Journalism, dual Master’s Degrees, and a Specialist Degree in Educational Leadership, with a specialized focus on Secondary and Career and Technical Education Administration. Shawnee enjoys serving at a podcast host for Getting Smart has been a presenter and moderator at numerous events such as NationSwell Strengthening Democracy, Getting Smart Town Halls, SXSW Edu, Project Lead the Way, Big Bang, JFF Horizons, ACTE and CareerConnected Education - Colorado Pathways.