The Birmingham Education Foundation goes back to school

Summer is over, and while teachers and students in Birmingham City Schools buckle down for the 2016-2017 school year, the Birmingham Education Foundation is working with them to prepare several events and opportunities to help make sure our city’s kids graduate college, career and life ready.

In October the Ed Foundation will partner with the Rotary Club of Birmingham and Birmingham City Schools’ Career Academies to host the first of six Career Development Conferences, where high school seniors in Birmingham City Schools will get to connect with local professionals and community leaders for an exciting day of professional development. The October conference will focus on the art of public speaking, with a handful of seniors getting to write personal commentaries for broadcast through a partnership with WBHM, now in its second year. Future conferences will give students from other grades the opportunity to learn interview skills, entrepreneurship, networking and personal branding.

“This is a high service priority for our club members who are eager to volunteer their time and energy to encourage these students,” said Eric Jack, dean of the UAB Collat School of Business and the Rotary Club, of the conference. 

Immediately following the conference, the Birmingham Education Foundation will be holding an interview and matching fair for the BEF Executive Internship Program. These internships are the culmination of the Ed Foundation’s Bridging the Gap and Career Development Conference programming offered to high school students across Birmingham City Schools. Thirty-five high school seniors will be selected for 120-hour paid internships at companies and organizations such as UAB Hospital, Brassfield & Gorrie General Contractors, CTS IT Consulting, Alabama Power, BBVA Compass, Regions Bank and Jones Valley Teaching Farm, among others.

The Ed Foundation will also continue its frequent Network Nights during the fall semester at G. W. Carver and Ramsay High Schools, bringing together students, parents, educators and Ed partners to celebrate our students’ successes and discuss methods of further improving outcomes for students in Birmingham City Schools.

Nikilya McNeil, a mother of students at Tuggle Elementary and Ramsay High School, said last September's Tuggle Network Night was a positive opporunity.

“Through the Network, Ed impacts lives to build a better future and to open doors for bigger opportunities," she said. "This type of opportunity is important because if no one hears about us [parents], they’ll never know us.”

Since 2013, the Ed Foundation has been dedicated to building a diverse network of people that work to expand opportunities for our students. There are multiple ways to get involved, and many generous people are already stepping up. To get involved or find out more, look for the Birmingham Education Foundation on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or at edbirmingham.org.

-Submitted by Walt Evans