National Marketing Award Given To Focus On The Future Campaign
From left, Carolyn Olson, Selection Committee Member, presents the "NATPL National Promotion of Tech Prep Award" to Marilyn McDonald, Director of Asheville-Buncombe-Madison Career Pathways Partnership, and Christy Cheek, Career Instructional Coordinator for Buncombe County Schools.
The National Association for Tech Prep Leadership gave its National Promotion of Tech Prep Award to the Asheville-Buncombe-Madison Career Pathways Partnership during a ceremony Oct. 13 in Minneapolis, Minn.
"We wanted to develop a comprehensive marketing plan," said Marilyn McDonald, Director of A-B-M Career Pathways Partnership.
The goal was to develop an inclusive plan aimed at students, parents, educators and business/industry partners that would communicate opportunities for seamless transition from secondary education to post-secondary education to a career.
A-B Tech was involved in the plan with Asheville City Schools, Buncombe County Schools, Madison County Schools and the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce.
"When I first took this job, I could see there was a gap with communications," McDonald said. "We wanted the marketing to be consistent. We presented the same tagline and the same image."
The Focus on the Future campaign took top spot because of its many superb ideas when it came to promoting Tech Prep to students, parents and the community, according to Carolyn Olson, Associate Director of Technical Education of the Kansas Board of Regents, who served on the selection committee.
"We received this award because it was comprehensive," said McDonald. "We were able to put it out to the public."
According to the application McDonald submitted for the award, there is substantial evidence that the marketing plan has been successful. According to data gathered by Praxis Research, students from the consortium's high schools are now much more familiar with the concept of receiving college credit for classes taken in high school.
In 2001, just 33 percent of Buncombe County students stated they were aware of this opportunity, but that number jumped to 89 percent in 2003. Over that same period of time, the percentage went from 17 to 84 in Asheville City Schools and from 41 to 83 in Madison County Schools. Additionally, participation in Afternoon College - a program where A-B Tech courses are available to high school students - increased from 206 (2002-03) to 396 (2003-04) after 'Focus on the Future' posters and 'College Opportunities for High Schools Students' brochures were made available in high schools, county offices and libraries.
The web site www.ABMCareerPathways.org, was also launched, and it received a lot of attention at the awards ceremony in Minneapolis. "People ask if they can use the website as a link," McDonald said.
Some of the more successful pieces are the posters and the high school brochures. "Our goal was to design materials that would appeal, visually, to high school students. Then, we edited the content to short paragraphs and bulleted information," McDonald said.
Ten comprehensive high schools and one career center from the public school systems, plus A-B Tech, are involved in the College Tech Prep initiative.
Small Business Client Helps Other Fledgling Entrepreneurs
Donna Wise, owner of the Small Business Guide of Buncombe County, shared her knowledge of starting a small business at the A-B Tech Small Business Center Jump Start Day. Wise benefited from the resources at the center and was able to return the goodwill to others.
A-B Tech's Small Business Center held its Small Business Jump Start Day Oct. 28 in the Haynes Conference Center on the Enka Site.
The event allowed potential small business owners to find out what they needed to know about how to get their business started. There were no presentations; just knowledgeable business people who want to help others succeed. Those interested were able to circulate from table to table to pick up brochures and ask questions.
Donna Wise of Candler had a table at Jump Start Day after benefiting from the Small Business Center herself.
When Wise first started the Small Business Guide of Buncombe County, she thought she might have been in financial hot water.
"I had already been in business for about four months. I wasn't making any money and I thought I was seriously in the hole and was worried," Wise said.
She was reminded about the A-B Tech Small Business Center. Wise spoke with Director Russ Yelton and he told her she needed to first find out if she was really in the hole. She checked out books about business plans and profit and loss statements.
"I found out it wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it was," Wise said. She was able to find out the difference between personal finances and business finances.
"Now every time I do the profit/loss statement it shows me how I'm doing and it's getting better," she said.
Wise runs a small business geared to assisting other small businesses. Her guide, published every six weeks, is designed to help businesses with 10 employees or less gain the usually unaffordable advertising needed to survive.
Acquiring knowledge about business statements was not the only assistance Wise received from the Small Business Center and Yelton. She also learned about the opportunities to get grants.
"He (Yelton) encouraged me to get my business plan done and get out for some grants," Wise said.
She was able to get a Small Business Grant from the A-B Tech Foundation to use for purchasing business equipment. Her first phase will include buying distribution racks to help get the guide more in the community.
"That will be a huge boost," she said.
Wise also received suggestions on layout designs and some great ideas. The Small Business Guide of Buncombe County now includes a small business resource page also available on the website at www.wncsbg.com thanks in part to the Small Business Center.
"I absolutely recommend other businesses use the center," Wise said.
Invitational Award
A-B Tech recently became the only college in the United States, and one of just 21 schools worldwide, to be selected as a '2004 Inviting School' by the International Alliance for Invitational Education (IAIE). The purpose of the Inviting School Award is to recognize schools, districts, colleges and universities throughout the world that exhibit the philosophy of Invitational Education - the process by which people are cordially, creatively, intentionally and consistently summoned to realize their potential. The focus of Invitational Education is on the messages transmitted by People, Places, Policies, Programs, and Processes. Pictured with the award are Deborah Lonon, A-B Tech's Invitational Education Coordinator/Instructor; Carol Rovello, Director of Employee and Organization Development; Dr.Debby Harmon, Director of Counseling; and Dr. Sharon Morrissey, Vice President of Instructional Services.