Great Bay Community College sponsors Federal Medical Assistant Apprenticeship Program
PORTSMOUTH – Great Bay Community College is making it easier for employers to train or upskill individuals interested in becoming medical assistants by sponsoring a new U.S. Department of Labor, Medical Assistant Registered Apprenticeship Program supported by ApprenticeshipNH. This collaboration between GBCC, ApprenticeshipNH, and the NH Office of Apprenticeship provides support for employers to fill the workforce shortage of medical assistants in the Seacoast area.
Registered Apprenticeship Programs (RAPs) combine formalized, paid, on-the-job learning with technical education. Through the partnership with GBCC, employers agree to hire apprentices, provide on-the-job training, and assign a mentor to support the apprentices as they progress through the educational elements of the program.
GBCC’s program includes eight weeks of classroom instruction and clinical training and a four-week externship. Apprentices also receive one and a half to two years of paid on-the-job training with the participating employer.
Federal funding through the US Department of Labor is available through ApprenticeshipNH for both employers and apprentices. Employers are eligible to receive $2,000 when signing on under the GBCC sponsorship and $500 per apprentice (up to a maximum of eight apprentices) hired within six months of the start of the apprentice program and retained for six months.
Apprentices receive up to $2,000 in scholarship funds and up to $1,500 for support services based on their financial needs. Szymanski explained that federal funding, employer support and other grants typically offset many of the education costs for apprentices participating in a registered program. “Apprenticeships, such as the one we are sponsoring for medical assistants, are a great way for individuals to launch or change a career at minimal cost and for employers to build their own workforce,” she said.
Visit ApprenticeshipNH.com for information.
Oyster River Cooperative School District to offer State Seal of Biliteracy Award
DURHAM — The Oyster River Cooperative School District announced that it will offer a district-level Seal of Biliteracy award, beginning in the 2024-2025 school year.
The State Seal of Biliteracy award recognizes the value of language diversity and encourages students to pursue language learning.
Students who earn this designation will receive the state seal on their high school diploma and a state-issued award certificate. In addition, documentation of this accomplishment will be included on the student’s official high school transcript, a distinction valued by prospective employers and institutions of higher education.
To receive the seal, students must reach a high level of proficiency in two or more languages by high school graduation. Language may have been learned within the classroom or outside of the academic setting. Students also will need to reach all graduation requirements, follow attainment procedures, and demonstrate proficiency through an approved assessment.
More information about the process and eligibility will be shared with students, parents and guardians in the 2024-2025 school year.
Oyster River’s Valerie Wolfson named 2024 NH History Teacher of the Year
DURHAM — Oyster River Middle School Social Studies teacher Valerie Wolfson has been named the 2024 New Hampshire History Teacher of the Year by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History.
Wolfson was honored by the Oyster River Cooperative School District (ORCSD) School Board and Superintendent Dr. Robert Shaps on Aug. 21. Wolfson has taught Social Studies at ORMS since 2005. She was named New Hampshire Social Studies Teacher of the Year in 2020.
“I am sincerely honored and it is humbling to receive this acknowledgment,” Wolfson said. “I have had the privilege of working with supportive administrators, collaborating with brilliant and talented colleagues, the freedom to be creative and take positive risks, and to work in a community that has historically supported public education. I have grown and been nurtured by my professional environment.”
The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History is the nation’s leading nonprofit dedicated to K-12 American history education. Each year since 2004 it has recognized exceptional K-12 teachers for their outstanding contributions.
The Gilder Lehrman Institute honors one K-12 teacher from each state, the District of Columbia, Department of Defense schools, and United States territories. Teachers are nominated by students, parents, fellow teachers, and community members. Each state convenes a committee of history teachers, professors, and other education professionals to review nominations.
Through her selection, Wolfson is one of 53 finalists for the 2024 National History Teacher of the Year Award.
Wolfson will receive a $1,000 honorarium, a core archive of American history books, and educational materials curated by the Gilder Lehrman Institute.
The National History Teacher of the Year will be announced later this fall. They will receive a $10,000 grand prize at a special ceremony on Oct. 15 at the Harvard Club of New York City.