- SkillsUSA staff is collecting items for relief efforts in Haiti. In addition, our office will be a drop-site for local residents looking to assist in the Haiti relief efforts. Staff is collecting goods from the community on February 11 and goods will then be taken to Catholic Relief Services and The Greater Washington Haitian Relief Committee for distribution in Haiti. The effort was organized by a friend of a staff member who has worked closely with the Haitian Embassy in Washington, D.C.
- On January 25, SkillsUSA sent out the news release announcing CTE Month in February on behalf of the CTE community. This is the release prepared by the Association of Career and Technical Education, The National Association of State Directors for Career and Technical Education consortium and all of the student organizations to celebrate CTE Month and makes a unified case for CTE. We used the VOCUS system for distribution, and the release went not only to the news media but also to all of the major internet sites such as Google and Yahoo… so it should get really good exposure and pick up. Here’s just part of the message. “As America continues to tackle economic, education and workforce issues, recent research illustrates the critical need to earn a high school diploma and complete some form of postsecondary education or training. For instance, The Economic Benefits of Halving the Dropout Rate: A Boom to Businesses in the Nation’s Largest Metropolitan Areas, a report released this month by the Alliance for Excellent Education, examines the impact of cutting a single class’s dropout rate in half. The report states that more than 30,000 jobs could be created in one year based on increased spending and investments, with an estimated $5.3 billion boon to local economies by the time this one class of graduates reaches the midpoint of their careers.”
- Finally, Region I Board Member Holly Harriel submitted her resignation this week effective February 1, 2010. She’s leaving the Rhode Island Department of Education to fill a leadership role at Brown University. We wish her continued success and thank her for her service.
Highlights
February 1st, 2010The People of Haiti Need Our Help
January 15th, 2010SkillsUSA is joining the world in seeking to alleviate the suffering from the recent earthquake in Haiti.
President Obama has said, “We need to summon the tremendous generosity and compassion of the American people. I want to thank the many Americans who have already contributed to this effort. I want to encourage all Americans who want to help to go to whitehouse.gov to learn more. And in the days ahead, we will continue to work with those individuals and organizations who want to assist this effort so that you can do so.”
SkillsUSA is deeply concerned about the Haitian disaster and we encourage our chapters to support efforts that bring quick aid and relief to the Haitian people. The need is so immediate that a national effort or fundraising campaign would probably be too late to help those in such desperate need.
Therefore, SkillsUSA’s efforts will be directed to national charities and relief agencies that already have programs in place. We strongly our chapters and members to support the efforts of The American Red Cross.
We also believe the “Text 90999 Project” is an appropriate and powerful way for an individual to make a personal contribution immediately to disaster relief efforts in Haiti.
Text the word Haiti to 90999 and $10 will be charged to your phone bill and given to relief projects run through the Red Cross.
Of course local chapters will (and should) have student-led efforts to help the victims of this disaster. We are asking for reports from our chapters and state associations on these efforts and will publish these as best practice ideas for other schools to follow.
Send your stories by clicking the “Contact Us” link at the top of this page.
Thank you for your support. I know our members will step up, as always, to provide service and support to those less fortunate.
