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Gov. Joe Manchin planted the seed of a school-business mentoring team as an idea during his most recent State of the State address in January.
By Ann Ali
Editor's note: This is the second in a series of articles set to profile the five SEEDS schools and their business partnerships in the following weeks as the teams progress.
Gov. Joe Manchin planted the seed of a school-business mentoring team as an idea during his most recent State of the State address in January. The Student Educational and Economic Development Success or SEEDS program from The Education Alliance now is sprouting.
Manchin announced the first five teams made up of a school principal, a business CEO or senior manager who serves as a mentor and a retired principal or school administrator who serves as a coach for the SEEDS team Oct. 3, saying teamwork is the way to reach success in West Virginia. Manchin assured the state would reap what it was planting in those partnerships.
The five pilot SEEDS schools will receive grant funds of $75,000 each to invest in the program throughout three years, and the program received $1 million from the state, which the Alliance expects to match through private contributions.
John Chambers, West Virginia native and CEO of Cisco Systems Inc. along with Appalachian Power Co., Orrick Global Operations Center, American Public University System and Reed Gas, Inc. all have contributed to the private match.
Each SEEDS school had to apply to the Alliance with specific information about the school's demographics, the principal's vision for the students, faculty and larger school community, how the SEEDS program would help the school achieve 21st century skills for its students and how the program would help the school and principal.
The five pilot SEEDS teams announced Oct. 3 include:
- Beckley Elementary School, Raleigh County, Principal Sandra Sheatsley; Mentor Austin Caperton, president, Caperton Energy Co., Beckley
- Berkeley Heights Elementary School, Berkeley County, Principal Amber Boeckmann; Mentor Frank McCluskey, provost, American Public University System, Charles Town
- Clay Middle School, Clay County, Principal Joe Paxton; Mentor Jim Reed, president, Reed Gas Inc., Charleston
- Matewan High School, Mingo County, Principal Marcella Charles; Mentor Ray Justice, owner, BWB Enterprises, Inc. Matewan
- Valley High School, Wetzel County, Principal, Shawn Coen; Mentor, Elizabeth Kraftician, CEO, Touchstone Research Laboratory, Ltd., Triadelphia
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