West Virginia Executive Fall 2019 | Page 52

Elevating Our Education Across West Virginia, conversations are taking place about how to reform education and empower Mountain State students of all ages to have a successful career. While the conversations on which plan is best can become heated, there is something on which every educator, legislator and employer can agree: education is the most powerful tool West Virginia can wield in the fight for a stronger economy and a brighter future. After West Virginia Executive’s (WVE) 2019 college campus tour, during which our staff met with presidents of community and technical colleges and public and private four-year colleges and universities in every corner of the state, it became clear we needed to find a way to showcase the amazing new programs, degrees and facilities that are being created and implemented in the Mountain State. This led to the creation of Elevating Our Education, a special advertising section that highlights the state’s two- and four-year colleges and universities, career and technical colleges and other educational institutions and how they are working to elevate educational opportunities in the Mountain State. The institutions represented in Elevating Our Education are demonstrating innovative solutions to today’s education issues and facilitating discussions on the future of education in West Virginia. 50 WEST VIRGINIA EXECUTIVE