The Delaware State Chamber of Commerce and its workforce development affiliate, The Partnership, Inc., named three programs in 2020 as Superstars in Education award winners.
Last May the State Chamber was unable to hold its annual Superstars in Education awards ceremony due to the pandemic. Instead, the State Chamber recently took the celebration to each school for a small, in-person award presentation and banner hanging. Each school also received a surprise $1,000 grant from The Partnership, Inc. to expand their program.
The 2020 Superstars in Education are:
W.O.L.V.E.S. Reading Program
Las Américas ASPIRA Academy, Charter School
The W.O.L.V.E.S. Reading Program is aligned to Las Américas ASPIRA Academy’s (LAAA) mascot, mission, and vision by fostering a culturally inclusive community that honors and helps all students realize their full potential in English and Spanish content area classrooms and beyond. The program enhances the balanced literacy framework at LAAA by embedding language acquisition scaffolds so that all students, English Language Learners (ELLs) included, improve their literacy achievement, and ultimately close the reading achievement gap.
“Las Américas ASPIRA Academy (LAAA) is thankful that the Superstars in Education Committee takes the time to acknowledge the hard work of teachers and their devotion to student success. The monetary grant will allow LAAA to expand the W.O.L.V.E.S. Reading Program by purchasing more books in which our teachers can embed language acquisition scaffolds, ultimately helping students overcome language barriers so that they can read grade level, complex texts,” said Emily Edmonds-Eveland, Ed.D., director of curriculum and instruction. “The 2020 Superstars in Education Award has also allowed LAAA to continue to share the W.O.L.V.E.S. Reading Program, an open-source curriculum created by teachers and for teachers, with more schools throughout the great state of Delaware and across the nation.”
Student Advisory Program
Talley Middle School, Brandywine School District
At Talley Middle School, teaching and fostering positive social behaviors is important to academic success and creating responsible citizens in the local community. The program was created with the goal to foster positive connections through peer relationships, student-staff relationships, mentoring, social-emotional learning opportunities, and character building.
“The entire Talley family is honored to receive this recognition for our hard work over the past several years. All of us – staff, students, and families – recognize the importance of a strong, positive school culture and the impact it has on learning, social-emotional development, and behavior,” said Kenneth Rivera, principal. “Ultimately, students feel more connected to school and more comfortable discussing a variety of topics with their peers, staff members, and families.”
Sussex Tech Health Professions Program
Sussex Technical High School, Sussex Technical School District
Of the school’s 17 career-technical areas, the Health Professions Program is the most popular. Through classroom and clinical instruction, students gain hands-on experience and training for a range of careers in medical or healthcare fields. The four-year program prepares students to ultimately achieve certified nurse assistant (CNA) status, which allows graduates to enter the job market immediately upon graduation or to work in their field and earn an income while pursuing higher education.
“Our students are dedicated and incredibly inspiring. We are immensely proud of our graduates who have gone into careers in health care and related fields, from research to biomedical engineering,” said Sussex Tech Health Professions instructor Nancy Massaro, M.Sc., RN. “This recognition is all about the great work that they do every day, in the classroom and in their clinical experience.”
“With the CNA credential, Sussex Tech graduates can go to work immediately in a high-demand field,” said Sussex Tech Health Professions instructor Tamara Lewis, MSN, RN. “Our students work tirelessly to understand the rationale behind the theory and practice the skills they need to succeed. We also appreciate our partnerships with local nursing homes which allow our students to gain real-world experience in their field.”
Since 1989, Superstars in Education has been charged with recognizing outstanding educational programs and individual achievements. This program highlights excellence in innovative teaching, integrated classroom technology practices, and school-to-career pathways. It also serves to leverage the business community’s investment in the future workforce. Delaware’s economic outlook is dependent upon the foundation we build in our schools. Whether it is ensuring our children are globally competitive, are ready to hit the ground running at a trade job, or are prepared to excel in institutions of higher education, The Partnership, Inc. is committed to educational progress.
The Partnership, Inc. is the 501(c)(3) workforce development affiliate of the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce. It was created to promote charitable and educational activities by developing and fostering programs that encourage private sector involvement in workforce development and education. Delaware Principal for a Day, Superstars in Education, Intern Delaware, and the Delaware Young Professionals Network are the organization’s flagship programs.
