CHARLESTON, W.Va. – First Lady Gayle Manchin is commending schools in Lincoln County for joining forces tonight with community leaders, work force development officers, parents and students to discuss ways to better prepare young people for 21st century careers.
Counselors and teachers from five schools will host a panel discussion to tackle topics such as career preparation, skilled labor program development, and community and business sector support in the classroom. The event is tonight at 6 p.m. in the Lincoln County High School auditorium.
“Lincoln County joins other counties across the state to host community outreach events, which focus on encouraging our children to succeed in their academic career and in life,” Manchin said. “We are all products of our environment, and having the entire community involved in our county education system is very beneficial. This involvement ensures that we are doing what needs to be done in order for our children and grandchildren to get the absolute most out of their schools.”
Local business and community leaders, including Tom Dover of Bayer Crop Science; Diana Long, of RTI; Odie Parkins, of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Council of Carpenters; Marilyn Fox, of Marshall University’s College of Health Professions; Senator Robert Plymale; and Delegates Greg Butcher, Joshua Stowers, and Jeff Eldridge, will attend the meeting as guest speakers. Parents, students, educators and other community members are invited to participate in the discussion, and contribute their own ideas for improving educational opportunities in Lincoln County. The panel will also provide information about degree programs and career options that are currently available for students.
“We’re thinking big here in Lincoln County,” Sonya Dunlap, a counselor at Duval Middle School said. “The community has such a huge stake in providing a quality education for our kids. An educated workforce will help us create more jobs and a higher standard of living in our region.
Thursday’s event is coordinated in part by West Virginia GEAR UP, a federally funded program designed to help students in 10 W.Va. counties - including Lincoln - plan, apply and pay for education and training beyond high school. The program is housed under the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission, which is the coordinating body for the state’s four-year public colleges and universities.