WV Press Release Sharing
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – More than 200 business, community and education leaders participated Tuesday in The Education Alliance’s West Virginia Education Summit.
This year’s Summit focused on strategies to help West Virginia students ‘Grow Your Own Career Pathways.’
The event, hosted by The Education Alliance and held at the Embassy Suites in Charleston, featured a mix of national and state experts who shared innovative strategies that will jumpstart student career pathways. It was the 10th Annual Education Summit in Charleston
“The Summit theme is based on two ideas,” said Dr. Amelia Courts, president and CEO of The Education Alliance. “First is the idea that West Virginia can grow our own talent through career pathways that lead students to high-skill, high-wage careers… Second is how the business community can champion efforts to Grow Our Own teacher pipeline and how educators can help build robust industry career pathways.”
The keynote was provided by David Donaldson, Managing Partner, National Center for Grow Your Own, Harvard University. He was joined by Carla Warren, Director of Economic Development and Support at the West Virginia Department of Education. Together, they engaged in a casual conversation regarding their work for the Grow Your Own Pathway for teachers in West Virginia.
The industry panel focused on the opportunities for students and businesses partnerships in West Virginia. “Great people will continue to come from the mountain state. I’m sure of that,” said Deputy Superintendent of West Virginia. Schools, Dr. Sara Lewis-Stankus.
Their discussion was brought alive through the Student Expo where students from across the state shared career pathways experiences in entrepreneurialism, energy, and information technology.
The Summit concluded with policy and practice guest speaker, Dr. Russell Dyer, Director of Schools for Cleveland, Tenn., who shared this experience developing career pathways for students in his state.
“As we think about the tremendous opportunities and challenges that lie ahead for our state’s economy, it is critical that we support innovative approaches to career education,” said Adam Krason, chairman of The Education Alliance Board of Directors. “Through gatherings like the Summit, we can learn from one another and work together to develop new strategies and models of learning that will provide our students with the very best.”
For more information on the Summit, visit EducationAlliance.org/Summit or contact The Education Alliance at 304-830-1593. Be sure to join the conversation online at #wvedsummit or tweet us your thoughts at @theedualliance.
For more information on Career Pathways, visit EducationAlliance.org/Pathways.
Sponsors for the Summit included: Toyota Motor Manufacturing of WV; AT&T; Bowles Rice; EQT Foundation; Mountain Health Network; Steeley Foundation; United Bank and ZMM Architects & Engineers.
