HONORING NEW EDUCATOR 500 “WHERE IT’S HAPPENING”- After 8 years of recognizing educators for their innovative learning projects during the annual 3E Business and Education Leadership Forum, we are focusing the spotlight on new Educator 500 where their innovative work really shines - at school.  We’ve traded the stately setting of the Union League of Philadelphia for the schools of the 2011 Educator 500, where these inspiring teachers can be acknowledged before a gathering of fellow educators.  In addition to facing the current fiscal realities of limited budgets for teacher release time to attend an event, we aim for this new “in school” recognition to encourage other educators to consider applying for Educator 500 in the future.  Pat Beneš, Executive Director, and members of 3E Advisory Council, will present the award in school settings, cooperating with school principals and leaders in the recognition.

Presentation of Educator 500 Certificates to teachers at the Avon Grove Charter Middle School.  From left to right, Sara (LaBarca) Lindsay, Shannon McElwain-principal, Mary Culler, Doreen Brady.  To read more about Avon Grove Charter School, click here.	Presentation of Educator 500 Certificates to teachers in the Whitemarsh Elementary School.  From left to right 1st row, Kristy Langis, Erin Secker, Lisa Swartwood, Cathy Campbell, Jan Canterbury, Donna Drizin-Principal / 2nd row, Kim Nardo, Jeff Yeakel, Tody Salmon, Alan Mizgorski,  Susan Hope.  To read more about Whitemarsh Elementary School, click here.	Presentation of Educator 500 Certificate at the Overbrook High School.  From left to right, Patricia Beneš, 3E Executive Director, Vicki Baker, teacher, Ethelyn Young-Principal.  To read more about Overbrook High School, click here.

  

To learn more about the Educator 500 award and review 295 database  projects, click here.  To nominate an Educator 500 or to apply online click here.  ******************** NEW ENTREPRENEURIAL EDUCATOR AT WCU An entrepreneurial educator, Dr. Kenneth Witmer, Jr., Dean of the College of Education Unit, arrived on campus on July 1.  He comes to WCU from Frostburg, MD, where he served as Dean of the College of Education.  He also has experience as a Physics teacher from earlier in his carerr.  Dr. Witmer is interested in innovation and 21st century skills.  He is a member of the 3E Institute's Advisory Council. ********************    CATCHING THE SPARK - A team of 3E staff and WCU Media Center students collaborated with freelance videographer, Chris Pierdomenico, a WCU Alumnus, to capture the excitement and high energy present in COE graduate courses in Entrepreneurial Education this summer.  Several course participants-all educators from area schools-as well as WCU faculty instructors, business and professional volunteers, extern hosts, guest speakers and panelists were interviewed to reflect the appeal, relevance and value of this innovative model of teaching and learning.  The video is planned for release in October and will be posted on the 3E website.  Watch for it! ********************  THANK YOU FROM 3E TO ALL SUMMER COURSE STUDENTS, INSTRUCTORS, AND VOLUNTEERS - Help us to acknowledge all those who made the summer institutes an exciting and worthy experience.  It was an investment of time that will pay back in great experiential learning for students in classrooms and schools all over the region this fall and for years to come.  Please click here  to view our HONOR ROLL of Instructors and Volunteers with a collage of summer 2011 pictures. ********************  K U D O S   Simon Hauger, Educator 500, entrepreneurial educator extraordinaire from West Philadelphia, is a principal driver of a new school initiative, The Sustainability Workshop, opening in September at the Philadelphia Navy Yard.  To learn about Simon’s Sustainability Workshop, click here to view the video. Or visit The Workshop School website on this link: www.workshopschool.org.  To view Simon’s Educator 500 Video for the West Philadelphia Electric Car Project of 2003, click here, and then click on “Electric Vehicle/Simon Hauger”.   Peggy Hartzell-Bennett, Educator 500, an arts educator at Henderson High School in West Chester, PA, who is committed to environmental sustainability education and a global perspective, has just published a book.  Peggy has taken courses of the Graduate Certificate in Entrepreneurial Education.  This summer she completed EEE504 21st Century Educator Externship with several environmental projects.  To review her book click here.   Peggy writes: “ I have made a book about our Power Down Friday program (at Henderson) that lead up to receiving the EPA grant and of course the 3E Seed Grant $$ helped lead up to Power Down Friday.  I am planning to take it to a Design by Nature Conference that I'm going to next weekend at Omega Institute.”   To nominate an educator for Ignition Kudos section, send brief description and contact information to pbenes@wcupa.edu.  ******************** WHAT’S NEXT?  Online Graduate certificate courses in Entrepreneurial Education!  :       The Institute for Educational Excellence and Entrepreneurship College of Education West Chester University of PA 703 S. High Street West Chester, PA 19383 610-738-0582 lgilpert@wcupa.edu www.3Einstitute.org