By Amber Ravenscroft
On June 1, The EdVenture Group celebrated its 16th birthday, marking over a decade of innovative work in education in West Virginia. Founded in 2001 by a high school mathematics and computer science teacher, The EdVenture Group has impacted more than 30,000 students and implemented over 5,000 workshops and capacity-building opportunities for students, teachers and local communities.
The EdVenture Group is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to driving innovation in education. Focusing on teacher training, youth initiatives, technology integration, community development and school culture, The EdVenture Group has continued to grow as a nonprofit, meeting the needs of its clients. In 2001, the organization’s first federal grant partnership supported the development of technology opportunity centers (TOCs) throughout the Mountain State. These locations trained residents on technology skills necessary to be competitive in the workplace, including Microsoft Office, typing and other computer-based skills. Today, over 15 years later, some of these sites are still in operation, but their content has drastically changed to meet the needs of modern industry.
CS EdVenture elementary summer program. Photo by Julia Hamilton, extended dy ativities drector for Monongalia County Schools.
This adaptability and recognition of industry and workforce needs has been the foundation of The EdVenture Group’s success. In 2015, there were 158 graduates in computer science from four-year institutions in West Virginia. These graduates were necessary to fill an estimated 1,045 open computing jobs within the state. Of those 158 graduates, only 11 percent were female. Recognizing this not only as an equity concern but also a workforce and economic development concern, The EdVenture Group developed CS EdVenture and the ARCODE project. In 2016, The EdVenture Group received one of only 29 international Google RISE awards to bring computer science education to West Virginia’s female students. CS EdVenture provides young girls in grades 3-8 with skills in coding and game design as well as experiences with emerging technologies such as augmented and virtual reality. It also features powerful women role models in the technology industry in an effort to encourage female students to pursue computer science education in high school and higher education. The program is created in partnership with Monongalia County’s Summer Snowflakes program and the West Virginia University Game Developers Club.
“Watching our students tear into technology, both literally and figuratively, was a genuinely exciting experience,” says Monongalia County Schools’ Extended Day Activities Director Julia Hamilton. “Over a four-day period, I witnessed their coding and game design skills truly take off as their confidence in themselves began to rise. This was an exceptional opportunity for our students, and Monongalia County Schools was thrilled to partner with The EdVenture Group.”
The ARCODE project is an ARC-POWER and West Virginia Development Office-funded program that brings coding education to displaced coal miners and others impacted in communities throughout West Virginia. The EdVenture Group partners with CentralApp, Mountain Point and the West Virginia Department of Education’s Simulated Workplace program to deliver coding education in the Salesforce platform at local career and technical education centers. Participants will potentially graduate with three certifications and a guaranteed job upon successful completion of their program.
Photo courtesy of The EdVenture Group.
Additionally, The EdVenture Group recognizes the importance of entrepreneurship in revitalizing Appalachia’s economy. The organization partners on several initiatives related to entrepreneurial education in K-12 and higher education to develop an entrepreneurial mindset with the next generation of America’s workforce. The EdVenture Group is a key partner in the ARC-POWER funded America’s Entrepreneurial Schools and Colleges program, which brings entrepreneurship education to K-12 and community colleges throughout Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia and Virginia. Entering the second year of the program, more than 10,000 students have already been reached throughout the project region, increasing their entrepreneurship awareness and interest. The organization serves as a K-12 liaison and program manager, organizing the overall communications of project partners and disseminating professional development throughout participating school systems.
The EdVenture Group also serves as director of the West Virginia Lemonade Day program in partnership with Vision Shared. This entrepreneurial education program has impacted more than 15,000 students to date and continues to grow annually. The curriculum provides students with knowledge on owning and operating their own business—a lemonade stand.
“This year alone, more than 2,500 students and 500 volunteers participated in Lemonade Day activities,” says Lemonade Day Director Jennifer Wotring. “Students used the money they earned to help their school and local community create a lasting impact. One school chose to give their earnings to a teacher who had been recently diagnosed with cancer. It’s about educating students on the importance of entrepreneurship but also on the importance of giving back to your community.”
The EdVenture Group also plays a key role in the Regional Education Laboratory (REL) Appalachia contract, assisting in dissemination of educational research throughout Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia for the next five years. The organization has been involved with REL Appalachia for over a decade and has helped support the latest pedagogical advances in rural areas to drive student success.
By providing innovative solutions to educational challenges, The EdVenture Group supports the next generation of thinkers and creators.
“The EdVenture Group has been a constant change agent in promoting creative educational programs across the region,” says President & CEO Dr. Lydotta Taylor. “We provide solutions for entrepreneurship, leadership and change that sets the stage for successful, creative work across educational platforms in the region.”
About the Author
Amber Ravenscroft is the manager of innovation for The Edventure Group. She is responsible for designing and developing technology-based solutions for K-12 education with a focus on integration in the classroom. To date, she has secured more than $2 million in private and federal funding for The EdVenture Group to incorporate innovative youth programming and professional development across Appalachia and the nation. Ravenscroft manages a variety of programing for The EdVenture Group, including the Google RISE CS EdVenture program, the America’s Entrepreneurial Schools and Colleges program and a variety of youth leadership initiatives throughout West Virginia. She is a graduate of the Reed College of Media at West Virginia University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in strategic communications with a focus in advertising.
