This month’s Member Spotlight features two organizations that are pursuing excellence and innovation in the realm of education. For May we feature Kate Blair of Virginia Technical Institute and Darlene Mack of Successful Innovations, Inc.
Virginia Technical Institute
(interview with Kate Blair)
R2KTC: Tell us about Virginia Technical Institute.
VTI: Virginia Technical Institute is a Vocational School specializing in Commercial and Industrial Trades.
R2KTC: What do you see trending in your industry?
VTI: Being that the job market has changed in this area, we see trades training becoming more prominent when an employer is seeking for new positions.
R2KTC: What is your specialty?
VTI: We currently specialize in Plumbing, HVAC, Welding, and Electrical. We are also implementing OSHA 10 (Safety) in our Core Class, AWS Certification in our Welding classes, and EPA Certifications in our HVAC classes.
R2KTC: How has your industry changed in the last year or two?
VTI: Getting specialized Certifications (OSHA 10, AWS, EPA) is becoming more of a need in the construction fields in this region.
R2KTC: What do you like about living and working in Region 2000?
VTI: The quality public school system, small town living with big city amenities, and it’s a great place to raise a family.
For more information about Virginia Technical Institute, please visit their website at: www.virginiatechnicalinstitute.org
Successful Innovations, Inc.
(interview with Darlene Mack)
R2KTC: Tell us about Successful Innovations:
SI: Successful Innovations, Inc is a women-owned educational consulting company specializing in family engagement resources and services to support school districts in their school reform efforts.
R2KTC: What do you see trending in your industry?
SI: The United States Department of Education has doubled federal funding for school districts to support family engagement. We see parent involvement / family engagement strategies as an area requiring increased attention over the next few years. Many school administrators are seeing the impact that meaningful family engagement has on student achievement.
R2KTC: What is your specialty?
SI: Our specialty is interactive family engagement resources designed to make it easier for parents to understand how to support their child’s education. We also specialize in professional development services for school educators and administrators on a variety of instructional topics and family engagement strategies.
R2KTC: How has your industry changed in the last year or two?
SI: We are seeing an increased emphasis on family engagement in our schools. Last year, the Family Engagement Act (HR 5211) was introduced in the House of Representatives to provide incentives for schools to close the achievement gap through meaningful family engagement efforts.
R2KTC: What do you like about living and working in Region 2000?
SI: We love this area because we are so fortunate to have many great schools, colleges, and teachers in our region. We often highlight “best practices” from our region’s schools and teachers as we provide support to schools in other states.
R2KTC: Is there anything else that you want to tell us?
SI: Currently, our family engagement resources are in 32 states and Puerto Rico. We want to continue to make connections in more states as well as in the international markets.
For more information about Successful Innovations, please visit their website at: www.si4all.com
