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Regional Opportunity Initiatives (ROI), The Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce’s Foundation – The Success School, Monroe County Community Schools, and Richland-Bean Blossom Community Schools have announced a new partnership aimed at strengthening the regional talent pipeline in the Uplands region. This collaboration focuses on providing students with opportunities for success after high school through various career exploration and skill-building initiatives.
The partnership comes at a crucial time as local employers seek new ways to develop a skilled workforce while offering high school students hands-on experience in various fields. "By working together, we are ensuring that students are well-equipped with the knowledge and experience they need to succeed after graduation, while also addressing the ongoing workforce needs of our local businesses," said Christopher Emge, Senior Director of Government & Community Relations of the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce. Through a variety of opportunities, local businesses are invited to get involved and help shape the next generation of talent. These opportunities include job shadowing, mock interviews, mentorship programs, company tours, career discovery meetings, and more. Employers will have the chance to directly engage with students through in-person or virtual events such as career fairs, panel discussions, and internships. Additionally, employers can collaborate with students through mentorship opportunities or by participating in student-run business initiatives.
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 The Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce is proud to announce its selection as a semi-finalist for the Indiana Chamber Executive Association (ICEA) 2024 Chamber of the Year Award. This prestigious recognition places the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce among the top eight chambers in Indiana.
In addition to this honor, the Chamber is also a semi-finalist for five Innovation Excellence Awards. These awards celebrate innovative projects and initiatives that have made a significant impact over the past year. The nominated projects include:
"The recognition as a semi-finalist for both the Chamber of the Year and multiple Innovation Excellence Awards is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our staff, volunteers, and members," said Eric Spoonmore, President & CEO of the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce. "These nominations highlight our commitment to excellence and our innovative approach to supporting and enhancing our local business community. We are honored to be recognized among the best chambers in Indiana." The Outstanding Chamber of the Year Award acknowledges organizational excellence and offers a unique opportunity for chambers to benchmark their strengths against peers. The Innovation Excellence Awards celebrate creative and impactful new projects that have been implemented over the past year. The winners will be announced at the ICEA Annual Conference, scheduled for June 13th. The Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce looks forward to the opportunity to showcase its achievements and continue its mission of advocating for business, promoting community, and providing valuable resources to its members.  The Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce’s Foundation, The Success School, seeks nominations for the Educator of the Year Awards to be held this year, at the Chamber’s 109th Annual Meeting & Community Awards on September 26th. Teachers, program directors, counselors, administrators, and instructional staff, from either Monroe County Community School Corporation or Richland Bean-Blossom Community School Corporation are eligible for this recognition.
“The Success School is deeply committed to celebrating the outstanding educators who shape the future of our community,” said Katie Sensabaugh, Director of The Chamber’s Foundation & Internal Operations. “These educators not only excel in their professional roles but also significantly contribute to the well-being and development of our students. We are proud to honor their dedication and impact through these awards.” Outstanding Educator Awards will recognize outstanding service and dedication to the field of education, fellow educators, and Monroe County youth. Those wishing to nominate a deserving educator should contact the Chamber’s Success School at (812) 336-6381 or download a nomination application from the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce’s website at www.ChamberBloomington.org. Nominations are due by August 5th, 2024, to be eligible for consideration. The Educator of the Year Awards program was established in 2001 to bring members of the business and education communities together while recognizing and celebrating outstanding contributions in the field of K-12 education. The highly coveted awards are given to individuals who have been nominated by school staff, parents, students, and the business community at the Educator of the Year Awards. This year, the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce will be adding the Educator of the Year award program to the 109th Annual Meeting & Community Awards on September 26th. NOTE: This interview with Director of the Chamber's Foundation & Internal Operations, Katie Sensabaugh, was originally aired by WFIU's Noon Edition on Friday, February 16th, 2024. Write up is by Nathan Moore.  The Mill is once again hosting the Crossroads Pitch Competition. The Crossroads Pitch Competition is an annual competition that promotes some of the best entrepreneurs in Indiana. Winners of the competition receive investments to help further their business ideas.
The Crossroads competition began in 2017 and has gained many notable sponsors including Indiana University, who hosted last fall’s competition. Last fall’s competition winners featured two educational-based apps. One app called Pocket, a platform used to teach students band and orchestra, received $10,000 from the Flywheel Fund, a not-for-profit fund. The other winner, Integrate School, a curriculum building software, received $20,000. This year’s competition begins this Friday and applications are due by February 14. This week on Noon Edition, we will speak with experts about the Crossroads competition and Bloomington’s entrepreneur scene. Guests Katie Sensabaugh - Director of the Chamber's Foundation & Internal Operations for the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce Pat East - Executive Director of The Mill & Managing Partner of the Flywheel Fund Laurie McRobbie - One of the Judges of this Spring's Crossroads Pitch Competition NOTE: This article that highlights The Chamber's Success School was published in the October/November, 2022 issue of Bloom Magazine by Barb Berggoetz. Choosing a career isn’t always on the radar of middle school students. But the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce is trying to kick-start them into thinking about the possibilities with its Tour of Opportunity program.
“It’s a way to plant the seed and start the conversation about what they might want to do in the future,” says Katie Sensabaugh, director of Success School, which operates the program giving students real-world experiences at local workplaces. “We have done virtual tours for the last two years, but this is the first time we are doing in-person tours,” Sensabaugh says. Groups of about 50 seventh- and eighth-graders visit two or three businesses in one day to talk with professionals and learn about careers.  The Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce Success School is proud to announce the recipients of the 21st Annual Educator of the Year Awards.
For over two decades now, The Chamber’s Success School has championed excellence in education with the annual awards ceremony, which recognizes the best teachers and programs in accredited schools across Monroe County. This year eight educators, one educational program, and one lifetime achievement recipient will be honored in a community celebration at the 21st Annual Educator of the Year Awards to be held on the evening of Thursday, March 3rd, 2022, from 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM at Ivy Tech Community College – Bloomington’s Shreve Hall. The program will feature student-led entertainment with a performance from the Tri-North Jazz Band. Presenting sponsors, Cook Group and Solution Tree, will also join the Chamber in presenting our honorees with their awards. Awardees are selected from a pool of nominees from across Monroe County by a committee composed of leaders from the public sector, business community, and education. The awardees for 2022 are as follows.  The Chamber’s Success School seeks nominations for the 21st Annual Educator of the Year Awards Ceremony to be held on March 3rd. Teachers, program directors, counselors, administrators, instructional staff, and special programs from either Monroe County Community School Corporation or Richland Bean-Blossom district county are eligible for this recognition.
“It’s an extreme privilege for the Chamber’s Success School to honor such a gifted and dedicated group of educators each year. One of the great assets this community possesses is two school districts up to the challenge of inspiring and shepherding our youth to become the productive adults. These awards are the community’s opportunity to pay tribute to those underappreciated educators who deserve recognition,” said Christopher J Emge, Principal of the Chamber’s Success School.” Those wishing to nominate a deserving educator should contact the Chamber’s Success School at (812) 336-6381 or download a nomination application from the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce’s website at www.ChamberBloomington.org. Nominations are due by January 10th, 2022 to be eligible for consideration.  Kathleen Hugo Why did you choose the field of education as a career?
As a college freshman in Texas, I had a friend who was a sign language interpreter. I went with her to visit a preschool classroom for Deaf students. I was immediately taken by the teacher’s skill in helping her students develop both communication and academic skills. I thought “that is what I want to do.” Interestingly, when I finished college, my first job was in that same school, working alongside that teacher who had so inspired me. What is one piece of advice you would give to a person entering into the education field during an unprecedented times? I’ve come to realize the power that educators have to transform the lives of their students. I’ve seen it so many times through the years—how a skilled and committed teacher can make the classroom (even a virtual classroom) a place where students can grow and thrive, academically, socially, and emotionally. I would want anyone entering the field, regardless of the times, to be aware of the immense power they hold in shaping students’ lives.  Why did you choose the field of Education for a career?
I have always loved learning and working with people. By the age of 16, I felt reasonably confident that education was my destiny. Many of my mentors motivated me to pursue a career in teaching. As I continued working on my degree in education and exploring my interests in music and sports, I found myself serving in leadership and teaching roles in all three areas. However, teaching was my passion. I loved learning and helping others grow and learn. My goal in becoming a teacher has always been to support and nurture a community of lifelong learners. Schools play such an important role in our society. I believe teachers are responsible for helping children develop the skills and values needed to succeed and be successful community members. When our schools and teachers are provided with needed resources, our children grow. When our children succeed, our communities and our country reap the benefits.  Why did you choose the field of education as a career?
I was always interested in teaching. Every summer, I’d visit my grandmother, a public school teacher in Memphis. We’d go on walks together and talk about her students. Stories ranged from funny math lessons to student gifts, and words of wisdom from her teacher colleagues. However, as a child, I wanted to be a composer. I moved from Tucson, Arizona to IU to major in music composition. There, I volunteered to help Sandra Freund’s elementary students compose melodies. I LOVED it. After graduating, I found a day job as a paraprofessional at BHSS, supporting Jennifer Robinson in the community based classroom. From her, I learned the effectiveness of patience, consistency, and high expectations. I enrolled in the MAT certification program and was going to be a high school orchestra director. However, after seeing Brent Gault in action during an elementary music methods class, I was hooked on teaching elementary kids. |
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