The Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce recognized seven outstanding area educators on May 23 and 24 for their creativity in job readiness programs for their classrooms as part of the Innovative Educator program. A delegation presented each educator and one team with a check for $500 to be dedicated to their innovative programs to help prepare students for careers.
The Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce recognized seven outstanding area educators on May 23 and 24 for their creativity in job readiness programs for their classrooms as part of the Innovative Educator program. A delegation presented each educator and one team with a check for $500 to be dedicated to their innovative programs to help prepare students for careers.
Community business leaders, education representatives and Chamber staff visited classrooms at Asheville High, Asheville Middle School, Owen High School and Valley Springs Middle School, as well as Madison Middle School and Madison High School, to surprise and recognize outstanding teachers in Asheville City, Buncombe and Madison County Schools.
The 2012 award winners are:
Chris Rhodes, a Technology Education teacher at Valley Springs Middle School in Buncombe County, has been instrumental in introducing Project Lead the Way to his middle school students through diverse experiences. The robotics team at Valley Springs, “the Rambots,” won first place at the regional competition at Appalachian State University beating out high school teams for the win. Partnerships with local industry including Eaton Corporation have brought real world experiences into the classroom. The Engineering Innovation Project in collaboration with Eaton required students to take one of the components and measure, draw and cut out the part for fabrication. This real world experience enhances classroom instruction and brings the world of work into the school providing excellent opportunities for career exploration in our area industries.
Sharon Verdu is a Health Science Teacher at Owen High School in Buncombe County. Buncombe County Schools piloted one of two Home Health Care courses for the state. In an economy where healthcare is a major employer, Ms. Verdu’s students receive their Certified Nursing Assistant certifications (CNA) before graduating high school. Her devotion to advancing the curriculum in Health Science is endless; she has piloted many programs for the state. Many of Ms. Verdu’s students now work as nurses, doctors and within other health care professions. Utilizing technology in her classroom daily, Mrs. Verdu believes instilling 21st century skills is not only essential, but necessary for success in students’ lives.
TJ Wright and John Moody, an Exploring Technologies and Exploring Business Marketing and Entrepreneurship teacher from Asheville Middle School, were awarded $500 for their work in securing an Asheville City Schools Foundation Fellows grant. Their Career Technical Educations students experienced project based learning experiences that closer resemble real life work experiences and added relevance to their instruction. Mr. Moody and Wright collaborated across disciplines with colleagues to incorporate Algebra I and Pre-Algebra curriculum into the launching of rockets, as well as language arts skills by having students chronicle the experience.
Dacia Harris, a ninth grade Earth & Environmental Science teacher for Asheville High School, received $500 for use in her classroom for her work in securing thousands of dollars in grants for classroom science inquiry technology. Dacia has aggressively sought new professional development opportunities to add rigor and relevance and to increase student engagement in the classroom. Ms. Harris introduces students each year to the Progress Energy Photovoltaic Lab so they can experience the industry’s careers and technology firsthand.
Allen Stines is a Project Lead the Way instructor for Madison County Middle School. Mr. Stines has taught for Madison County for nearly 28 years. His collaborations with North Carolina Project LEAD the Way, Duke University and the University of South Carolina have introduced his students to post-secondary institutions and a variety of careers within Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).
Brad Franklin, a Carpentry Teacher for Madison County High School, has taught at Madison High for 20 years. Mr. Franklin works on various out of class projects involving the school system, industry, and the community. This year he spearheaded a partnership between Mars Hill College and Madison High School in which high school students have constructed an outdoor pavilion for the college campus. During this project, Mr. Franklin has provided a connection for his students to post-secondary education and area industry supporting career exploration while instilling 21st century skills in his students.
The Innovative Educator program is an Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce Partners in Education initiative implemented with partners from Asheville City Schools, Buncombe County Schools, Madison County Schools and Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College. Over thirty educators have been recognized since 2005. 2012 sponsors included Asheville Buncombe Technical Community College, Asheville Foods/Zaxby’s, Conrad Instrustries/AB Emblem, First Citizens Bank, J Crew, and University of North Carolina Asheville.
The Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce is a member organization with over 1,800 member businesses and organizations. Chamber members collaborate with community organizations and coalitions to support the community and each other with the mission of building community through business. The Chamber is home to a 4,000 square foot Visitor Center which welcomes over 195,000 visitors per year.