Meet the Panelists

As the second part to our series on re-starting WBL after the pandemic, join industry leaders in education who are more excited than ever to share best practices, collaborate on what worked (and didn’t), and exchange ideas for continual growth. In this webinar, our panelists will zone in on creating positive outcomes from WBL programs, how to expand business partners, track student engagement, and discuss ways to provide equitable post-secondary pathways in our post-pandemic economy.

As we learn to adapt and recover from the pandemic, join our webinar to hear education leaders discuss how they are managing to re-start their WBL programs. Join in discussion on how the pandemic has shifted our workforce and learn how to provide equitable post-secondary pathways for the post-pandemic economy.

In today’s world where educators, counselors and administrators are diligently working to provide quality  education to all students, there is an even greater need to ensure ALL students have an advantageous path after graduation.

By starting exploration early, students are able to see the world of options open to them. Career exploration experiences and opportunities can improve academic performance and students' knowledge of available career options, encouraging them to develop and work toward goals during the critical years when they are also beginning to venture beyond the orbit of their parents.

Join us on Tuesday, October 27th as we bring together a panel in a roundtable discussion to share how they have created and hosted Virtual Career Fairs. From getting started, formatting, and onboarding business partners, to student participation and outcomes.

No matter where students are in their exploration, we can all help them on their journey to one day obtain their goals.

Facilitator:

Dr. Don Fraynd

Don is an experienced educational leader and has served in the roles of teacher, principal, and Chief School Improvement Officer. Upon completion of his Ph.D. in Educational Leadership & Policy Analysis at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Don accepted a position as principal in Chicago Public Schools (CPS), and under his leadership, his school was rated one of the top 100 in the nation by U.S. News & World Report.

Later, he co-founded TeacherMatch, a research consortium focused on helping districts make more effective hiring choices. Don is now excited to help schools and districts transform their communities by empowering students with the Transeo community service platform.

‍

Meet the Panelists:

Sabari Raja  

Sabari is the co-founder and CEO of fast growing, Austin-based edtech company, Nepris Inc., a first of its kind cloud-based platform connecting industry and education to inspire students through real-world connections and career exposure.  She has worked in education technology for over 18 years, leading product and content strategy, business development, publisher relations, and emerging market growth strategies. She is passionate about working with educators to translate their needs into scalable technology solutions. Sabari is on the board of Friends of Texas Public Schools(FOTPS), Workforce Solutions of Central Texas and Champions board of Texas Girls Collaborative. She has special interest in engaging girls and minorities in STEM and also speaks on the topic of entrepreneurship and education technology at such venues as SXSWEdu, Smartbrief, TEDx and TCEA.

Sabari has an undergraduate degree in Electrical Engineering from India, Masters in Computer Science from Louisiana State University and an Executive MBA from Cox School of Business, SMU. She lives in Austin, Texas and is also a busy mom with 2 teenage boys.

‍

Michelle Luraschi

Michelle is the College & Career Preparation Coordinator and Counselor for Pattonville High School, a public high school located in St. Louis, Missouri.  In this role, Michelle assists 1800 students with their career and post-secondary pathway exploration, planning, and implementation. Prior to coming to Pattonville, Michelle worked in various educational and career counseling roles, including, Associate Professor/Counselor at Southwestern Illinois College, Career Counselor at Washington University, and Associate Director of Career Services at Webster University.  In addition, Michelle contributes to the profession through several professional committees, including serving on the Missouri Association for College Admission Counseling (MOACAC) Executive Board as the statewide College Fair Co-Chair and on the Professional Development Committee for St. Louis Graduates.  

Recently in response to COVID-19 restrictions across Missouri, Michelle and her MOACAC Co-Chair, Andrew Laue of Webster University, led the creation and launch of Missouri's first-ever virtual college and career fair, the 4 week "Show-Me My Future" fair. Michelle is a National Certified Counselor, National Certified Career Counselor, and has her M.Ed. in Community Counseling, with additional certification in Secondary School Counseling.

Kari Keefe

Kari is the co-founder and Executive Director of Hire KC & the KC Social Innovation Center. She works passionately to leverage technology to design and develop quality, inclusive, accessible education and impact programming in Kansas City. Kari has been instrumental in bringing the IEEE Smart Core Cities project, LRNG digital badge platform and Village Capital’s VilCap Communities - education innovation and edtech sector accelerator programs to the KC region. She serves on KC Digital Drive’s KC Education Innovation team, Cristo Rey High School Technology Advisory Committee, PREP KC TechStart Academy Advisory, KC STEM Alliance EcosySTEM Advisory Council, and is a member of the Kauffman Foundation’s Education Innovation Task Force and the Forbes Nonprofit Council.

‍

Cherie Clark

Career and College Manager Cherie Clark works to build partnerships between the Willamette Education Service District, the regional workforce, and over 30 school districts. Over the past five years WESD has been working with educators, workforce, and industry professionals to understand the challenges that come with a rapidly changing economy, fueled by constant changes in technology, delivery systems, and innovation, in addition to a strong competitive and global marketplace. Navigating this challenge leaves employers, educators, and students struggling to balance the current needs of building a workforce while preparing for future workforce readiness skills and abilities.

‍

Chase Nugen

Career sales professional and leader Chase Nugen joined Belton Schools with a passion for helping students access real life experiences in high school. The district is in its second year working within the Ford Next Generation Learning (Ford NGL) framework to transform Belton High School and add wall to wall academies and work based learning.

‍

‍

How are you helping students transition back to school? What resources are you using? Please join us as leaders in school counseling, share their best practices. 

Date/ Time: Thursday, August 5th @ 9 am Pacific Time

Facilitator:

• Dustin Seemann - Assistant Superintendent of Beverly Hills Unified School District, CA

Panelists: 

• Josh Godinez - President of California Association of School Counselors, School Counselor at Corona-Norco Unified School District
• Kirsten Perry - Social-Emotional Learning Specialist - Network 11 Chicago Public Schools, Past President - Illinois School Counselor Association, & 2018 National School Counselor of the Year
• Franciene Sabens, MS ED. LPC, NCC, School Counselor, Elverado High School (IL)

‍

Meet the Facilitator & Panelists:

• Dustin Seemann is currently the Assistant Superintendent in Beverly Hills, CA. Dustin has worked in K-12 and Higher Education for over 15 years. Throughout his professional career, he has served as a School Counselor, Club Advisor, Graduate Professor and now Assistant Superintendent. Dustin is passionate about creating opportunities for students to set achievable goals and give back to their communities while feeling supported by their school.

• Josh Godinez is a high school counselor at Centennial High School in Corona, California. He also serves as the Chair of the Board for the California Association of School Counselors (CASC) and was named the 2019 California School Counselor of the Year. Josh supported the development of a data informed program for a new high school in Fontana, California where he served as head counselor prior to his current assignment. He also has served on the California MTSS Design Committee, the California State Superintendent of Public Instruction’s Data Transition Team, California Department of Education’s Mental Health Coalition Meeting, and the CASC Policy, Advocacy, and Legislation Committee. He is a champion of advocacy and the advancement of school counseling. Prior to school counseling, Josh was a high school social studies teacher for nine years, a Beginning Teacher Support mentor, and served as an adjunct professor in the Teacher Education Department at Claremont Graduate University.

• Kirsten Perry is a Social-Emotional Learning Specialist for the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) serving 29 schools in the Englewood and Auburn Gresham neighborhoods. Kirsten served as the President for the Illinois School Counselor Association (ISCA) and as an adjunct instructor for DePaul University’s Office of Innovation. Prior to this, she served as a K-12 School Counseling specialist for CPS for 2 years and as a P-8 school counselor for 7 years. Kirsten was named the National School Counselor of the Year by the American School
  Counselor Association (ASCA) in 2018 for her work at Lawndale Community Academy. She served as a Master Counselor for the CPS district for 5 years, mentoring school counselors and assisting with the development of district initiatives. Kirsten also served
  on the CPS Naviance Advisory Committee for 3 years, where she developed a middle school companion guide to be used district-wide to support Naviance implementation. Kirsten was awarded the CPS Directors Choice Award in 2013 for her work with high school matriculation and was named the CPS Site Supervisor of the Year in 2015 for her work supporting school counseling interns. She earned her undergraduate degree in 2006 from the University of Illinois at Chicago with a degree in the Liberal Arts and earned her
  masters degree in school counseling from DePaul University in 2011 where she also earned the Distinguished Alumni Award in 2018. It is her passion to serve at-risk youth and underserved communities by developing programs that work to create change and close the achievement gap.

• Franciene Sabens is a southern Illinois high school counselor, she also serves as a board member for the Illinois Student Assistance Commission and is a member of the ACT Council. Franciene was named Illinois high school counselor of the year in 2014 and honored by ASCA in 2016 at the White House as the Illinois state representative for the School Counselor of the Year ceremony. She co-authored the 2014 edition of the Developmental Counseling Model for Illinois Schools and contributed to the current edition. She was also a member of the state advisory committee responsible for creating IL PaCE, a recognized state-wide post-secondary and career expectations framework and a former Illinois School Counselor Association board member. Franciene is a well respected presenter who is passionate about helping school counselors implement comprehensive programs that meet students changing needs and assisting students with reaching their greatest potential.
  

Providing virtual work-based learning experiences for students has been top of mind for many as we navigate the continuation of providing rich experiences for students that enable them to build upon their skills. As we build upon our last webinar on the topic of designing and managing virtual work-based learning experiences, we invite you to join us for this deeper dive into step 3, scoping out a specific project plan with a business partner. Take away tangible examples of how to navigate this process and build virtual opportunities for your students.

‍

Dr. Don Fraynd, CEO of Transeo

Don is an experienced educational leader and has served in the roles of teacher, principal and Chief School Improvement Officer. Upon completion of his Ph.D. in Educational Leadership & Policy Analysis at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Don accepted a position as principal in Chicago Public Schools, and under his leadership, his school was rated one of the top 100 in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. Later, he co-founded TeacherMatch, a research consortium, focused on helping districts make more effective hiring choices. Don is now excited to help schools and districts transform their communities by empowering students with Transeo.

‍

Gregg Brown, CAPS Network Coordinator, KS

Gregg is a thirty-year veteran of the telecommunications industry having held leadership positions in marketing and network management.  For seven years, he was the Global Business instructor at the Blue Valley School District Center for Advanced Professional Studies (CAPS) where he taught entrepreneurship, marketing and economics. Gregg now serves as the CAPS Network Coordinator where he is diffusing the CAPS Learning Innovation Model to other high schools across the nation. The CAPS Network serves 120 school districts in over 60 programs.

‍

Erik Sill, MNCAPS Coordinator, MN

MNCAPS (Minnesota Center for Advanced Professional Studies) is a profession-based immersion program, offering opportunities for current juniors and seniors from Prior Lake High School and Farmington High School to earn both high school and college credits through experience learning. The program's vision is to develop innovate leaders for a global economy. Erik Sill is the MNCAPS Coordinator and has served in this role since 2017. He started his career at Minnetonka High School (MN) in 2005 and during that time, he taught business and marketing, coached varsity basketball and 9th grade football, established their DECA program, and created the VANTAGE program. (Minnetonka's version of MNCAPS.)

‍

‍

‍

In today's world, it is more important now than ever to ensure our students are prepared for their future. By 2029, healthcare occupations are projected to grow 15%, adding 2.4 million new jobs -- the highest increase in the employment sector. How do we prepare for this growth?

Join education leader Dr. Dave Schuler and a panel of experts in a round table discussion of best practices on implementing and growing healthcare work-based learning experiences. The panelists will discuss best practices, including:

• Where to Start: Addressing a Need
• Engaging Community Partners: Building Trust 
• Project Goals and Methods: Clear Expectations
• Transitioning in a COVID World: Hybrid/Virtual Opportunities
• Hard Lessons Learned: What I Wish Someone Would Have Told Me

After our main discussion, attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions and share best practices as we transition the webinar into smaller break-out rooms for deeper application.

Dr. David Schuler, Superintendent of District 214, IL

Dr. David R. Schuler, a national education leader and superintendent in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, is passionate about the importance of community service, work-based learning, and preparing all students to be college, career and life ready. Dr. Schuler launched Redefining Ready!, a national initiative around post-secondary readiness, during his time as 2015-16 president of AASA, The School Superintendents Association. In 2018, Dr. Schuler was named the Illinois Superintendent of the Year and that same year he was named the AASA National Superintendent of the Year.

‍

Wendy Chapman, Career Pathways, Adult & Career Education, Lee County Schools, FL

Wendy Chapman is the Site Coordinator of 3 of the Adult Education sites in the School District of Lee County Florida. Born in raised in Miami, Wendy always knew she wanted to be an educator. After graduating from FIU in Elementary Education, she spent the next 20 years teaching elementary. It wasn't until she began teaching English classes in the evening at a local Cape Coral high school that her new passion for adult education began. Wendy's main title now is Career Pathways. She truly enjoys working with the adult students and helping them find their dream career path and attain their career, educational, and life goals. In her free time, this Florida girl loves going to the beach and spending time with family.

‍

Amie Farley, Director of College, Career and Life, Elmbrook School District, WI

‍

Becky Wood, M.S. Ed., Medical Careers Teacher, St. Paul Public Schools, MN

Becky Wood, M.S. Ed., has been the Medical Careers teacher at St. Paul Public Schools for the last 7 years. Originally from Abbotsford, Wisconsin, she obtained her Bachelor's Degree in Human Biology with an emphasis in Cytotechnology from UW-Green Bay. Becky began her career as a Cytotechnologist where she screened cellular specimens for abnormalities. She then continued her education at the University of Minnesota graduating with a Master's Degree in Science Education and has since dedicated herself to helping students explore medical occupations and assist their educational pathways to accomplish their dreams.

‍

Dr. Bob Hall, Executive Director of LAUNCH, Elmbrook, WI

Dr. Bob Hall is the Executive Director of LAUNCH – an opportunity for junior and senior students that seeks to connect rigorous learning with real-world, hands-on projects provided by area business and industry. LAUNCH is built on the principles of profession-based learning, professional skills development, self-discovery and exploration, entrepreneurial mindsets, and responsiveness to the needs of students and businesses. Currently, LAUNCH has over sixty business champions who support LAUNCH, 300 business partners who interact with the program and has a process to complete projects experiences for approximately 350 students. Over the past four years, LAUNCH has been the hub of client problem solving projects, professional training, and the development of competencies that incorporated 21st century knowledge and skills. In 2018-19, LAUNCH is expanded its reach from Elmbrook to the Wauwatosa School District. LAUNCH received the 2018 Wisconsin Innovation Award in the area of Education and helped secure a WEDC grant. In 2020-21, we have gained collaborative partners with Pathways High School (Milwaukee) and the Sun Prairie School District (Accel program). LAUNCH is a member of the CAPs Network.

‍

Amy S. Harker, Career and Innovation Specialist, ESC of Northeast Ohio

Amy S. Harker serves as the Career and Innovation Specialist for ESC of Northeast Ohio and as Central Office Administrative consultant with Chagrin Exempted Village Schools. She also works with several school districts involving a variety of support areas through professional development and training services. In her role at the ESC, she serves as a connector of public schools, higher education, and businesses in the Northeast region to aid districts in building experience-based learning opportunities and creating comprehensive career plans for K-12. She has established a Career Readiness Leaders Network with participants coming from all over Northeast Ohio.

‍

‍

‍