In August 2025, 23 educators from seven Berks County schools/districts stepped out of their classrooms and into the local business community as participants in the inside BERKS business (iBb) program.
Participating School Districts and Educators:
Antietam – Kyle Schiffert
Berks Catholic – Heather Biltcliff, Maria Dominguez
Boyertown Area – Suzy Hoffman
Conrad Weiser Area – Kenneth Bright, Andrea Floyd
Reading – Melany Fiato, Barb Krause, Nick Kubacki, Ryan Oberly, and Rachel Walls
Twin Valley – Dennis Arms, Kim Barndt, Jennifer Eversmeyer, Theresa Falcon, Adam Groft, Lauren Lewis, Caroline McRobbie, Sara Peek, and Elizabeth Siegfried
Wilson – Sherry Auman, Kaitlin Hemphill, and Stefanie Wagner
Spanning three days, August 5, 6, and 7, the 2025 iBb program provided educators with the opportunity to explore 21 local businesses and organizations, including several small businesses.
Business and Organizational Hosts:
Be Mine Boutique • Bell Media Group • Dressed in Love • EnerSys • Gage Personnel • Greater Reading Chamber Alliance • Muddy Creek Soaps • Paragon Health • Penn State Berks Campus • Penn State Launchbox • PhytogenX • Reading Truck • Runwell Solutions • Smith Bukowski • Sweet Ride Ice Cream • Sweet Street Desserts • The Art Room • Total Experience Learning at Alvernia University • Twine and Twig • Visions Federal Credit Union • Yocum Institute for Arts Education
A joint initiative of the Berks County Intermediate Unit, the Berks Business Education Coalition, and Berks County schools, iBb is designed to connect educators with the career pathways available to students locally. By engaging directly with industry professionals and exploring real-world workplaces, participating educators gain the insights and tools needed to better prepare students for post-graduation success.
Key Benefits for Participating Educators:
First-hand exposure to local business operations
Deeper understanding of Berks County’s employment landscape
Insight into current industry trends, practices, and technologies
Enhanced perspective on career readiness and workforce development
Experiences that enrich career education and student counseling
For the businesses, participation requires only a minimal time commitment and is free of charge, yet the impact is substantial, building meaningful partnerships between education and industry.