You may have heard us talk about the Portrait of a Washington County Graduate, and the fact that over 300 people from around the county gave their input for the final product pictured below.

The process of creating the Portrait engaged a lot of people, and that is great! But, now what?

We really want the Portrait to help us promote educational and economic growth and opportunity across the county. How will it do that?

This is where we need you to help us figure it out. What is it that your business or place of work does to promote critical thinking, communication, and adaptability? How do you look for these traits in a candidate for employment? Are teachers and other school staff assessing these traits in the classroom and around the school? Are the students aware that they possess these skills, and that they can improve upon them?

There are a lot of questions, and with your help we can get them answered. This Thursday, September 12, there is a BB2C Community Meeting/Business Advisory Council that will take place at the Washington County Career Center from 4:30 - 6:00 PM. The purpose of this quarter’s meeting is to begin to answer the questions above. The meeting will begin with a panel discussion from local employers that includes: Wally Kandel (Solvay), Jeff Knowlton (Dimex), DeeAnn Gehlauf (Memorial Health System), Debbie Wayland (Marietta College), representation from Wal-Mart, and possibly more. All are welcome to attend and help brainstorm ways to address the Portrait of a Washington County Graduate and reclaim community ownership of the primary purpose of education.