Education

Shaler Area School District began working with U can B in 2017 for a series of information technology, job readiness and career awareness classes. This program for middle school students was made possible by a grant from The Education Foundation.   Students met with a U can B instructor every Monday to discuss topics such as technology, career assessment, understanding the job market, careers in IT and more! Additionally, UcanB will attend the STEM OPEN HOUSE for High School students in February 2018. This event will allow teachers and administrators to review existing resources and new programs for Shaler Area students. Andrew Weckman, President and CEO of The Education Foundation, said, “We recognize Building Bridges and the UcanB Career Education program as an innovative provider in the education space. We are proud to work with this organization and be able to advance both of our goals to reach students and provide exceptional career education.” Alexander Nichols, a #UcanB teacher, met with Shaler students and discussed his experience to get to the CEO level. He provided life lessons from his work at General Electric, Rockwell, and his own business Computer Friend and working for the Minority Purchasing Council, an organization whose mission was to provide opportunities for minority business owners. He described attributes that he would look for in a prospective employee including education, honesty, being a hard worker, and excellent verbal and written communication skills. Nick went on to discuss the benefits of participating in the student government to gain leadership abilities, participating in school activities like the marching band and athletics. Nick also described his involvement in ROTC (Reserved Officer Training Program). An upcoming event for Shaler Area High School students is the Shaler Area High School S.T.E.A.M. Advisory Board’s 4th Annual Community STEAM Expo on February 22nd, 2018. The event will showcase science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics with their application in community business, industries and related fields of study. The expo will be held from 8:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. for students and 6:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. for families. The evening event will coincide with the high school’s winter open house, which will allow students and parents to engage with local STEAM-related companies to see what technologies or opportunities they bring to the community. Information about the Education Foundation and Building Bridges for Business and the UcanB career education program. The Education Foundation is an IRS-recognized 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Over the many years and granting over $6,000,000 in scholarships to deserving students, The Education Foundation believes that offering opportunities to learn about education and occupation is vital to students and employers. The focus on both new and traditional occupations is necessary for the future health and growth of our economy as well. In order to contribute to students’ academic and intellectual success, The Education Foundation offers tutoring services for students as well as offering scholarships to deserving students, when funds are available. To inquire about tutoring services, contact admin@educationfdn.org or call (412) 453-6272 for more information. Building Bridges for Business is a 501(c)(3) organization headquartered in the Northside of Pittsburgh. UcanB has reached over 25,000 students in the past 3 years alone. UcanB has provided thousands of teaching hours, hosted major city-wide events, and helped people find the right resources and jobs, recently via the West End Employment Center, a cooperative project with Representative Dan Deasy. The flagship program, UcanB, is creating connections between students, communities, and employers to transform careers and economies. UcanB’s proven, career education program, with hands-on curriculum, has over 76 weeks of material, available in a wide array of topics, including entrepreneurship, soft skills, career development, IT careers, green careers, website design and SEO, graphic design, government and politics, careers in healthcare, and more. This customizable curriculum is made available to schools, who select which programs their students need most. To reach Building Bridges for Business contact us at info@BuildingBridgesforBusiness.org or visit our website and leave your comments at www.BuildingBridgesforBusiness.org. Contact for the press release, Linda Handley – cell phone: 412 337...

UcanB has wrapped up a successful 2016-2017 school year. This year alone, the program incorporated many new schools in addition to the many schools the program has already impacted. The UcanB program differs from most scholastic programs due to the broad range of real-life topics that are taught. The program taught varying topics that the students would otherwise not be exposed to. The topics that the UcanB program brings to these schools vary from technology training all the way to entrepreneurship. The goal is essentially to expose the students to things they might be interested in taking as a career path, or even study in school. The program also recognized that many students don’t end up going onto college, and through the UcanB Career Opportunity Fairs, they have a chance to be offered a full time job on the spot. This year, the program changed the lives and paths of many students who never planned on going to college or doing anything after high school. For example, an 11th grade Propel student said, “The UcanB teacher told me that there are many jobs out there and getting a college degree isn’t the only path. Loving what you do for an occupation is #1. They really helped me.” Due to the positive impact the UcanB program has made in the community thus far, they are planning to add even more topics and assemblies to further the knowledge of the working world to the students. Some of those topics will include ways in which to dress for a job interview or what to wear to a professional workplace. These topics will be taught in a way that is engaging, motivational, and relatable to the students. There might even be a prize for exceptional students. The UcanB program has had an exceptional school year and now looks forward to starting their summer...

Steps To Empowering Your Business Growth Creating business growth takes consistent planning and strategy. Educational webinars are a great source of information and can help you and your business grow.  This can be achieved through business education, regular professional business development and presentations of business events. Check out these top 5 resources for Educational WEBINARs: Education For Business Sake Business education doesn’t end with an MBA. Education should be accepted as a lifelong opportunity for focusing on business trends and curves. By maintaining an attitude of continuous education, opportunities to seek out the most advantageous additional courses provide the extra edge for business growth. Professional Development Along with additional education enhancements, professional business development ranks among the necessary elements for business growth. Professional development requires marketing, sales, management, staffing and executive skills. Achieving the rank of professional isn’t just a matter of title. Development at each phase of business determines the quality of professionalism of the individual. Business Events That Affect Business Growth The business professional seeking optimum business growth employs a give and take attitude toward events that help their businesses. It’s as important to present an event as it is to take part in events. This is the basic structure of networking. Surrounding your business with a beneficial network helps grow business stature. To Grow Your Business Today’s webinars and seminars fill a particular gap that links direct offline events and business presentations with the internet world. For businesses, this is an unparalleled opportunity for growth. The hi-tech world can be a catalyst for advancing business image as well as name recognition, branding and ranking. Creating linked business webinars and seminars produces a well-structured microcosm of vested target markets. The links between webinars and seminars should be seamlessly woven to create an overlapping flow of interest and awareness of the specific business. This is also true for patrons attending webinars and seminars. Thus, the “give and take” attitude becomes the operative for giving patrons a direct link online and off while the business takes in a higher rate of growth. Educate, Develop, Grow Present webinars and seminars with a professional style and content. Contrast this by attending webinars and seminars that focus on educating, developing and growing your business. These may contain new ideas for management structure, creating cohesive team embodiment and financial and economic guidelines as well as current compliance regulations relating to business operations. A tightly knit program of webinars and seminars for patrons and businesses offering them are essential for business...

This episode of Coffee With features a relatively new member to the Pittsburgh community (moved here in 2009) who has already made a big impact in their time here. Rabih Helou is co-founder of The Beauty Shoppe, a collaborative workspace found in two locations in Pittsburgh’s East Liberty community. The Beauty Shoppe is an innovative new way for businesses and entrepreneurs to work – they provide comfortable spaces and all of the technical services an individual or business needs to run effectively. They provide the basics so that businesses can focus on what’s important. Helou is obsessed with making businesses serve the social good. His experience as a former consultant and business owner have inspired him to create an organization that serves the needs of small businesses and professionals. The Beauty Shoppe revolutionizes the way people work – shifting the dynamic and culture from the skyscraper to the street-side venue. This “breaking-down” of walls and development of a flexible and comfortable space is what has made The Beauty Shoppe’s impact so impressive – they have grown to serve over 100 different individuals or business. Before his involvement at The Beauty Shoppe, Mr. Helou directed server multi-million dollar business operations, including international development projects for the U.S. Department of State. He also served as head of Middle East operations for a Strategy Consulting firm in NYC, a $25 million multi-year initiative for the fastest growing mobile operator in the Middle East and North Africa. Mr. Helou has spent over 15 years consulting to an incredible range of businesses in the private, public, and non-profit sectors, spanning US, Canada, Europe and the Middle East. He earned his PhD in Social Markets from University of Maryland. The Beauty Shoppe offers top-of-the-line infrastructure to meet the needs of organizations and individuals alike. Learn more about the awesome history behind The Beauty Shoppe by tuning into this episode of Coffee...

The fact that there are problems with the US education system is well known. Unfortunately, several of these issues are having very negative effects on the quality of the education our students are receiving. American students’ latest scores on the PISA (Programme of International Student Assessment), the international test taken by 15 year-olds around the world, show just how bad these problems are. Depending on the subject, American students are average or slightly below average compared to their international peers — ranking 17th in reading, 26th in math, and 21st in science. What’s wrong with the current education system? Here are two of the reasons: Students Don’t Have the Right Skills The US Education Department recently reported that the high school graduation rate is at an all-time high at 82 percent. However, according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), the largest standardized test administered in the United States, less than 40 percent of high school seniors in America have sufficient academic skills in math and reading to pass entry-level college courses. Additionally, a study released by the Education Trust concluded that “rather than ensuring students have access to a cohesive curriculum that aligns high school coursework and students’ future goals, high schools are prioritizing credit accrual, which treats graduation as the end goal.” Students Aren’t Exposed to Career Options Not only do students lack the skills to succeed after high school, they also aren’t given the necessary exposure to all of the options that exist after graduation, whether it be college or a technical trade. While high school students shouldn’t necessarily nail down a specific career path, they should be exploring their interests and personality in order to develop a general idea. That way, when the time comes to pick a career path, they can choose something relevant and fulfilling. If we want students to be prepared for highly skilled jobs in the foreseeable future, it is essential that they are able to explore the possibilities before they graduate. Without these opportunities, students will be left feeling aimless. To prepare students for the future, we must empower them with the skills that help foster success after graduation. Programs like U can B are dedicated to assisting in the mission for improved education. U can B uses the real-world expertise of entrepreneurs and businesspeople to give students the chance to see what life is like after high school and college. The U can B Curriculum is tailored to meet each individual school’s needs, which means each curriculum component can be expanded or contracted to fit within a specific number of weeks based on the strengths and weaknesses of the class. In order to best prepare students for the future, the U can B curriculum includes Entrepreneurship, Networking, Careers in the Trades, Technology, Film, Television, Science, and more. The statistics don’t lie, change is needed in the US education system. If we work together, we can give students the tools to become the innovators of tomorrow....

U can B – programs and efforts align with nationwide trends. Americans have always taken pride in having the best-educated workforce in the world, but now that is no longer true. In Tough Choices, Tough Times, the New Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce reports that over the past 30 years one country after another has surpassed the United States in the percentage of its population entering the workforce with the equivalent of a high school diploma, and many more countries are on the verge of doing so. Thirty years ago, the U.S. could lay claim to having 30 percent of the world’s population of college students. Today that proportion has fallen substantially, to 14 percent, and continues to decline. American students place anywhere from the middle of the pack to the bottom in all three continuing comparative studies of achievement in mathematics, science, and general literacy among advanced industrial nations.Students from low-income families are six times more likely not to finish high school than those from high-income families. Building Bridges is a 501(c)3 organization that educates and empowers through: • Live and virtual business education and workshops • Coffee With Film Series on CBS/KDKA digital with a 1.4 M home reach. • U can B teaching program • Student portal with data analytics • and Building the Bridges across the business and workforce ecosystem. Our mission is to strengthen the economic vitality of the region by providing educational programming and opportunities for small business and students to connect with vital resources. The U can B program highlights – • Proven curriculum – Taught in school and after school programs. • “Coffee With…” videos and in person interactive discussions are used to educate students on their purpose, passion and career options. • Educational programming – for students to connect with vital business resources. The students that U can B reaches will use the analytics dashboard that allows schools to follow participating students, gain meaningful and measurable analytics, and keep up with them longitudinally as they progress. • Follow Students • Internal Messaging • Post OpportunitiesImpact • See How They Compare • Show Certifications • Organize Achievements • Geographic Data • Skills Breakdown • Test Score...