United Way of Southwest Virginia September Newsletter

“I showed the Ignite Educators in Industry tour to my Vet Science class. I cannot tell you how much the students got out of it!” - Rachelle Rasco, Carroll County High School

Dr. Daniel Claffey D.V.M. preparing for a dental procedure at Radford Animal Hospital.

Ignite Educators in Industry Offering critical virtual access for our region’s teachers While COVID-19 prevented these tours to be in person, a virtual platform offered the teachers the opportunity to participate in live sessions or recorded sessions. There were over 300 educators who participated in a tour and completed a tour survey. They also received a Certificate of Participation that could be used as professional development. Organizations who participated were the Abingdon Police Department, CGI Federal, Celanese and the Radford Animal Hospital. When asked why they participated in the Virtual Educators in Industry Tour, Mandi Martinez, Practice Manager at Radford Animal Hospital stated, “Connecting with educators and helping them prepare students for careers early can help spark interest in subjects in school. It helps us bridge communication with teachers in related fields, so they can maybe use that information to lead students along a helpful path. For us, we can create bonds and open lines of communication to help our team learn and grow. Through relationships with teachers and counselors in the area, we are able to recruit interns and future team members who have an interest in exploring the field.”

Kayla Richardson of Abindgon Virginia Police Department leading an online educators in industry tour

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