Regional education leaders discuss challenges, opportunities, and collaboration ahead of the upcoming school year
The Erie Regional Chamber and Growth Partnership welcomed more than 100 attendees for its upcoming Knowledge Breakfast, An Update on Regional Education, on Friday, August 21, at the Marquette Savings Bank Innovation Learning Center.
Presented by Infinite Erie, the event brought together leaders from regional K-12 education organizations to discuss the opportunities and challenges facing students, schools, and the broader community ahead of the upcoming academic year.
“Today is a great example of what can happen when four educational institutions come together to collaborate. Through partnerships like this—and those we build in the future—we need to remember the importance of understanding what is happening in each other’s environments. By seeing firsthand what our partners are experiencing and sharing resources, we can learn from one another, said Donald “Skip” Stark, Superintendent of Fairview School District.
Moderated by Dr. James J. Hodge, Director of the Susan Hirt Hagen Center for Community Outreach, Research, and Evaluation (CORE), and Assistant Research Professor at Penn State Behrend, the panel featured:
- Dr. Natalyn Gibbs, Superintendent of Erie Public Schools
- Mr. Joe Haas, President of Mercyhurst Preparatory School
- Ms. Erin Sekerak, Regional Vice President of the Commonwealth Charter Academy Cyber Charter School
- Mr. Donald “Skip” Stark, Superintendent of Fairview School District
“What excites me most is what’s happening economically in Erie. People who come to Erie from outside the region consistently say what a fabulous place it is to live, and we have to continue to build that optimism,” said Joe Haas, President of Mercyhurst Preparatory School. “There are so many great things happening in our community right now, and that gives me a great deal of hope for Erie’s future.”
To learn more about the Erie Regional Chamber & Growth Partnership, visit https://eriepa.com/Spirit_of_Erie. Stay up to date with the Erie Regional Chamber and upcoming events on Facebook and LinkedIn.
