WCED & Raleigh Chamber Host Educators for Immersion Day

Last Thursday, the Wake County Economic Development team hosted several Wake County teachers as part of the SummerSTEM program, organized by WakeED Partnership. The goal of this eight-day professional development program is to enrich Wake County Public School System educators by helping them understand the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in STEM careers.

The immersion day started at the Raleigh Chamber where seven teachers joined the team to discuss the region and our growth. Michael Haley, executive director of WCED, started the morning by thanking the teachers for their commitment and contribution to learning in Wake County. He also talked about the role of Wake County Economic Development and the Raleigh Chamber and the impact both organizations have within the community. He reinforced that our goal is to advocate for the community as we adjust to growth and change. Other presenters included Ashley Cagle, assistant executive director for WCED, Danya Perry, equitable economic development manager for WCED, Dana Martinez, vice president of Government Affairs for the Raleigh Chamber, and Bridget Harrington, executive director of Innovate Raleigh.

The small group also benefited from hearing the Wake County “pitch” from Kathleen Henry and John Johnston, economic development managers for WCED. The presentation was helpful for the educators to understand how we position a dynamic community like Raleigh and Wake County. WCED Research Manager Morgan Ross also presented our Metro Comparisons document to show the competitive advantage that we have as a metro relative to other metros such as Austin, Boston, and Nashville.

Overall, the immersion day at the Raleigh Chamber was a success! The group of educators had great questions and enjoyed learning more about the focus of the Raleigh Chamber and Wake County Economic Development. Following the morning presentations, the educators received an overview and tour of NCSU Centennial Campus.

We were honored to be part of the immersion day and we look forward to continuing to support our educators in Wake County!