The Berks County Intermediate Unit partnered with the Greater Reading Chamber Alliance (GRCA) this summer to host the “State of Education.” This three-part webinar series, which connected education leaders to the local business community, was part of the Chamber’s Rebuild Berks campaign.
The first session was held on July 15 and featured a discussion on the planning efforts of local school districts to respond to the pandemic emergency and safely reenter school buildings. Guest speakers included Dr. Steve Gerhard, Superintendent of the Governor Mifflin School District; Dr. Randall Grove, Superintendent of the Conrad Weiser Area School District; and Dr. Jill Hackman, Executive Director of the BCIU.
In the second session, held July 22, Christi Weitzel, Assistant Director of the BCIU’s Office of Early Childhood and Student Services; and Karen Grimm-Thomas, Director of External Relations for the Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning, led a discussion around education and the impact of child care.
The final session, held on July 29, was a “Business Leader Feedback Forum.” The session focused on building bridges between education and industry, highlighting the Career Ready Berks platform and the experiences it affords students. Two staff members from the BCIU’s Office of Professional Development and Curriculum – Stacy Dunleavy, Program Administrator, and Jillian Darlington, Career Readiness and STEM Specialist – were joined by Connie Skipper, business liaison for Career Ready Berks for the session.
The BCIU thanks the Greater Reading Chamber Alliance for facilitating these important discussions surrounding the concerns and questions of our business community.