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  • HS Student Uses Propel to Write Powerful Email, Stay Eligible for Basketball Season

    HS Student Uses Propel to Write Powerful Email, Stay Eligible for Basketball Season

    Rubin Propel, our company’s newest product that teaches young people to write professional emails, has the chance to impact outcomes nationwide.

    Not one week into our Early Access initiative where select teachers and students pilot the tool, we already have proof of what Propel can do as a Chrome extension or Outlook add-in.

    See brief demonstration of Propel here.

    In early November 2023, we provided Propel to teacher Tracy Turney-Smith at Butler Tech, a technical high school in Ohio. A day later, a student of Turney-Smith came into her classroom on the verge of tears.

    The young man said an issue over a grade in another class threatened his chances of being eligible for the school’s basketball team. He now needed to write a courteous, professional email to the teacher in question to demonstrate he deserves a second chance.

    Turney-Smith knew what to do. She had the student use Propel in Gmail to craft the essential parts of an email (ex: subject line, introductory line) and refine the message (ex: capitalize the first word of each sentence, limit exclamation marks and ALL CAPS).

    Thanks to Propel, the student’s email was “fabulous” and “changed the teacher’s mind about the grade” said Turney-Smith.

    Now the student is able to rejoin the basketball team this winter. And who knows? Perhaps the student can then seek a scholarship for basketball, attend college, graduate college and embark on a career.

    Anything is possible because of the use of Propel on November 2, 2023.

    We are excited at the potential of Propel to impact and uplift students everywhere. Request your free pilot of Propel today!

     

    One tool. Endless possibilities.

  • Rubin Unveils Aspire, Career Exploration Platform with Focus on Employability Skills

    Rubin Unveils Aspire, Career Exploration Platform with Focus on Employability Skills

    Aspire, career exploration platform from Rubin

    It began as live webinars through Zoom.

    Nearly two years after the Rubin Dream Job Series (formerly Virtual Internship Series) launched in Zoom, the Rubin team has amassed 50+ conversations with professionals across fields like STEM, health care, marketing, sports, law and more. See all recordings here.

    What makes the Dream Job webinars unique is that we focus on the nature of the job (ex: sports agent) and the importance of employability skills on the job (ex: how to engage with clients and coworkers).

    Through a survey of teachers who regularly attend our webinars, one dominant theme surfaced. The webinars are excellent for career exploration, the teachers said, but the recordings (45 minutes, on average) are too long to replay in class.

    Enter: Aspire.

    We heard the feedback loud and clear, and we have delivered on it. Introducing Aspire, Rubin’s new career exploration library, available as an integrated, single sign-on resource for your LMS.

    We took the full-length Dream Job conversations and identified four clips (2-3 minutes in length) from each one that we believe are the most essential moments from the broader interview.

    Sample Aspire video from our conversation with a lab technician:

    Across our 50+ Dream Job conversations, we hand-selected more than 200 videos clips and support each clip with a set of discussion questions (over 500 discussion questions available).

    The result is a comprehensive archive that features “best of” moments from top professionals along with classroom materials to bring the conversations to life with your students. Each job (ex: E.R. nurse) comes with a certificate to allow students to show completion and an understanding of the job.

    “Aspire is a resource we didn’t know we were building all along,” said Alexis Kruemcke, an implementation specialist at Rubin and the project lead for Aspire. “We had already spoken live with so many business professionals and, from that content, we created high-quality, on-demand videos in 5, 10 and 15-minute time windows.”

    Aspire is available as modules in Canvas, folders in Schoology, a series of links in a Google Doc and any other way you need to pull the exploration videos in.

    What’s more, the Rubin team plans to add 1-2 new occupations each month at the conclusion of every new, free Dream Job webinar hosted in Zoom.

    “As soon as we conclude the Dream Job webinar, we will pluck out the top moments and add them to the Aspire library,” said Kruemcke. “Aspire will continue to grow and feature unique and innovative jobs across the CTE landscape.”

    Aspire is priced as a site or district-license tool. It’s appropriate for grades K-12, and the videos feature sign language and closed captions.

    Free trials of Aspire are available. Email Chelsea Caputo, national sales manager, at chelsea@rubineducation.com to schedule the trial and see Aspire for yourself!

    A resource whose time has come.

  • Rubin’s New Propel Tool Featured in ABC News Story

    Rubin’s New Propel Tool Featured in ABC News Story

    Our thanks to reporter Philip Townsend from WVEC, the ABC news affiliate in Norfolk/Va Beach, for coverage of our new Propel etiquette tool for writing emails in Gmail and Outlook.

    Watch the story here!

    We’re makin’ headlines.

  • Rubin Releases Propel, Innovative Etiquette Tool for Email Writing

    Rubin Releases Propel, Innovative Etiquette Tool for Email Writing

    VIRGINIA BEACH, VA (June 15, 2023) — Rubin, the leader in online resources for business communication skills, has launched Propel, an innovative etiquette tool for email writing.

    Propel analyzes a person’s emails and provides instant feedback designed to improve professionalism and soft skills. Unlike popular writing tools like Grammarly, Propel looks for etiquette and professionalism fixes instead of grammar, spelling and verb tense.

    Feedback from Propel includes:

    • How to write a short, concise subject line
    • How to provide a proper greeting
    • How to address the person with a formal title
    • And much more

    Propel is intended for the classroom and the workplace. Early adopters include public school systems where administrators often lament that students write emails like casual text messages. The tool is available as a Gmail extension and Outlook add-on.

    When a person drafts an email, Propel analyzes the text in real-time and provides a blinking “P” icon with etiquette recommendations. Once the person clicks the blinking “P,” the etiquette suggestions appear in the email message area as lightbulbs next to the problematic text. The user opens each lightbulb to find a suggestion as well as a chance to “Learn the Rule” with a deeper explanation.

    Propel does not write for the person but rather encourages the person to understand why it’s appropriate to start an email with, for example, “Good morning” or consider addressing the recipient with a title like “Mr” or “Ms.”

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    In the image, Propel encourages the person to start email with a common greeting like “Good morning.”

    “At Rubin, we have long heard the complaints from educators and business owners about poor etiquette in emails,” said Danny Rubin, founder of Rubin. “Propel is a direct solution to a widespread problem, and we hope Propel will catch etiquette mistakes before the person presses ‘Send.’”

    Watch Propel in action below and request a free trial here!

    The game has changed forever.

  • Educators Give High Marks for Rubin Emerge in Spring 2023 Survey

    Educators Give High Marks for Rubin Emerge in Spring 2023 Survey

    The results are in, and educators are pleased with their experience using the Rubin Emerge curriculum during the 2022-2023 academic year.

    Emerge is a digital library of activities, videos and assessments that help students with skills like email/phone etiquette, networking, team dynamics, entrepreneurship communication, leadership communication and more.

    In a survey administered in April 2023, a random sampling of 32 “Rubin” educators across middle school, high school and college feel strongly about Emerge as a key resource to teach employability skills.

    A selection of courses taught by the respondents:

    • Business communications
    • Transition
    • Culinary arts
    • Workplace readiness
    • Work-based learning (WBL)
    • Family and consumer sciences (FACS)
    • Engineering
    • Middle school career exploration

    Among the survey results:

    • 91% of respondents believe the Rubin team provides prompt, dependable customer service.
    • 88% of respondents feel Rubin Emerge content is relevant and up-to-date.
    • 85% of respondents would recommend Rubin to colleagues.
    • 73% of respondents think Rubin Emerge improved students’ face-to-face interactions.

    The respondents also shared positive feedback in writing, for example:

    • “Very appealing and user-friendly. We love it. Helping us structure our workplace readiness skills for sure!”
    • “Your support is excellent, and my questions are answered in a timely manner.”
    • “Everything I utilized with Emerge was great to supplement and add to my courses at my school.”

    Want to explore Emerge for yourself? Check out our new, full-color catalog and then request a 30-day free trial.

    90% would recommend to colleagues

  • Bezawit Abate from Potomac Senior High School Takes First Place in America’s Next Great Intern Contest

    Bezawit Abate from Potomac Senior High School Takes First Place in America’s Next Great Intern Contest

    Virginia Beach, VA (April 13, 2023) – Northern Virginia’s own Bezawit Abate is America’s Next Great Intern. The sophomore at Potomac Senior High School, who moved to the United States from Ethiopia only seven months ago, was one of 16 finalists selected to showcase top-tier communication skills essential in an internship.

    Nearly 200 students competed in the contest, and from that group Rubin selected 16 national finalists.

    Abate wins a stipend for professional clothing, a professional headshot and a paid virtual internship. Her teacher, Ms. Eula Tillar, receives a $250 cash bonus to support her classroom.

    Second place: Lucy Hansen from Boone High School in Boone, Iowa
    Third place: Rosemary Ruan from Northwest Guilford High School in Greensboro, North Carolina

    Rubin, the leader in online curriculum for employability and workplace readiness skills, hosted the competition.

    Demand for intern and job applicants with “soft skills” is a top priority across all industry sectors. According to a 2022 survey of employers by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), 76% of respondents want to hire young people who can work on a team, 73% want ones with strong written communication skills and 58% seek new hires who can speak well.

    The submission period for the America’s Next Great Intern contest ran throughout February 2023, which is National Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month. All middle school, high school and post-secondary CTE students were eligible.

    The instructions were drawn from Rubin’s Emerge curriculum, a broad library of online exercises for employability skills like email/phone etiquette, job interview prep, LinkedIn communication and more. Rubin provides Emerge to CTE programs nationwide.

    A panel of judges (Rubin team members, industry professionals and staff from the Association for Career and Technical Education) assessed the students across five areas.

    1. Greeting: Video recording of the student engaging in a professional handshake
    2. Phone Skills: Video recording of the student leaving a mock voicemail and answering the phone at a place of business
    3. Team Communication: Email in which the student updates a teacher or employer on the status of classwork or a project at an internship/job
    4. Resiliency & Determination: Written example of a time in which the student demonstrated resiliency in the face of a challenge on a class/club project, volunteer opportunity or internship task
    5. Research & Critical Thinking: Questions the student prepares to better explore a company where the student would like to intern

    “Employers often lament that students don’t possess the ‘soft skills’ necessary to engage in an office setting or on the job site,” says Danny Rubin, founder of Rubin. “We hope the contest shows that, yes, there are motivated young people coast to coast who will add value to any business or organization.”

    About Rubin:

    Rubin is the leader in online instruction for employability and work readiness skills. The company, based in Virginia Beach, Virginia, provides Emerge, a digital curriculum that teaches effective writing and speaking skills, to thousands of students in middle school, high school and higher education. Rubin also has a soft-skill notification tool for email writing called Propel.

    Founded in 2017 by Danny Rubin, a former CBS television news reporter and consultant to NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Rubin teaches students nationwide critical lessons for email/phone etiquette, networking, team communication, leadership communication and more. Our motto: “Write well, open doors!”

    We have a winner!

  • America’s Next Great Intern Contest Featured on NBC Newscast

    America’s Next Great Intern Contest Featured on NBC Newscast

    As the voting period continues through April 7, 2023 for the first-ever America’s Next Great Intern contest, we are grateful for news coverage from WAVY, the NBC affiliate for Norfolk/Va Beach.

    On March 28, reporter Bianca Holman aired a story that highlights Clara Sanchez-Lapitan, a Virginia Beach high school senior and national finalist in the contest.

    Clara’s teacher, Ms. Anna-Lisa Wanack, appears in the story along with Mr. Michael Taylor, the principal at Clara’s school, the Advanced Technology Center.

    Watch the story here!

    And here’s a flyer Virginia Beach Schools created to promote the vote.

     

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    Spotlight on Clara Sanchez-Lapitan

  • Rubin Announces National Finalists in First-Ever America’s Next Great Intern Contest

    Rubin Announces National Finalists in First-Ever America’s Next Great Intern Contest

    Virginia Beach, VA (March 10, 2023) – A student will soon be named America’s Next Great Intern. After reviewing nearly 200 submissions from across the country, Rubin has chosen 16 finalists who showcase top-tier communication skills essential in an internship.

    Prizes include a stipend for professional clothing, a professional headshot, a paid virtual internship, a cash bonus for the teacher of the winning student and more.

    Rubin, the leader in online curriculum for employability and workplace readiness skills, hosts the competition.

    Demand for intern and job applicants with “soft skills” is a top priority across all industry sectors. According to a 2022 survey of employers by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), 76% of respondents want to hire young people who can work on a team, 73% want ones with strong written communication skills and 58% seek new hires who can speak well.

    The submission period for the America’s Next Great Intern contest ran throughout February 2023, which is National Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month. All middle school, high school and post-secondary CTE students were eligible.

    The instructions were drawn from Rubin’s Emerge curriculum, a broad library of online exercises for employability skills like email/phone etiquette, job interview prep, LinkedIn communication and more. Rubin provides Emerge to CTE programs nationwide.

    A panel of judges (Rubin team members, industry professionals and staff from the Association for Career and Technical Education) assessed the students across five areas.

    1. Greeting: Video recording of the student engaging in a professional handshake
    2. Phone Skills: Video recording of the student leaving a mock voicemail and answering the phone at a place of business
    3. Team Communication: Email in which the student updates a teacher or employer on the status of classwork or a project at an internship/job
    4. Resiliency & Determination: Written example of a time in which the student demonstrated resiliency in the face of a challenge on a class/club project, volunteer opportunity or internship task
    5. Research & Critical Thinking: Questions the student prepares to better explore a company where the student would like to intern

    Rubin encourages the public to vote here on the national finalists through April 7, 2023. The Rubin team will announce 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners on April 12, 2023.

    “Employers often lament that students don’t possess the ‘soft skills’ necessary to engage in an office setting or on the job site,” says Danny Rubin, founder of Rubin. “We hope the contest shows that, yes, there are motivated young people coast to coast who will add value to any business or organization.”

    2023 America’s Next Great Intern National Finalists

    Bezawit Abate, 10th Grade

    Potomac Senior High School

    Prince William County Schools

    Dumfries, VA

    Teacher: Ms. Eula Tillar

     

    Tucker Brookman, 12th Grade

    Lord Botetourt High School

    Botetourt County Public Schools

    Daleville, VA

    Teacher: Ms. Katrina Kish

     

    Ivory Carney, 12th Grade

    Allen Village School

    Kansas City, Missouri

    Teacher: Dr. Terri Redden

     

    Sameer Eppanapally, 12th grade

    Stockdale High School

    Kern High School District

    Bakersfield, California

    Teacher: Mr. Brian Devitt

     

    Violet Gude, 10th Grade

    Las Vegas Academy of the Arts

    Clark County School District

    Las Vegas, Nevada

    Teacher: Ms. Elizabeth Strehl

     

    Lucy Hansen, 11th Grade

    Boone High School

    Boone Community School District

    Boone, Iowa

    Teachers: Ms. Lindsey Hyman and Ms. Amy Bossard

     

    Madison Hansen, 12th Grade

    Littleton Health Sciences

    Littleton Public Schools

    Littleton, Colorado

    Teacher: Ms. Heidi Mahn

     

    Laurengail Lorenz, 12th Grade

    Elk River Senior High School

    Independent School District 728

    Elk River, Minnesota

    Teacher: Mr. Matt Stueber

     

    Bryleena Patterson, 12th Grade

    Central High School

    Phenix City Schools

    Phenix City, Alabama

    Teacher: Mrs. Valerie Thornton

     

    Rosemary Ruan, 10th Grade

    Northwest Guilford High School

    Guilford County Schools

    Greensboro, North Carolina

    Teacher: Mrs. Chandra James

     

    Clara Sanchez-Lapitan, 12th Grade

    Advanced Technology Center

    Virginia Beach City Public Schools

    Virginia Beach, Virginia

    Teacher: Ms. Anna-Lisa Wanack

     

    Yug Sarin, 9th Grade

    Fuquay-Varina High School IT Academy

    Wake County Public School System

    Cary, North Carolina

    Career Academy Coordinator: Ms. Rhonda Lusher

     

    Alondra Sanjurjo-Mercado, 11th Grade

    Colonial Heights High School

    Colonial Heights Public Schools

    Colonial Heights, Virginia

    Teacher: Ms. Susannah Oates

     

    Mickala Tenn, 12th Grade

    Putnam City North High School

    Putnam City Schools

    Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

    Teacher: Ms. Amanda Davis

     

    Ana Vaeao, 11th Grade

    Oceanside High School

    Oceanside Unified School District

    Oceanside, California

    Teacher: Ms. Kim Roy

     

    For more information or to set up an interview, please contact Danny Rubin at danny@rubineducation.com.

    About Rubin:

    Rubin is the leader in online instruction for employability and work readiness skills. The company, based in Virginia Beach, Virginia, provides Emerge, a digital curriculum that teaches effective writing and speaking skills, to thousands of students in middle school, high school and higher education. Rubin also has a soft-skill notification tool for email writing called Propel.

    Founded in 2017 by Danny Rubin, a former CBS television news reporter and consultant to NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Rubin teaches students nationwide critical lessons for email/phone etiquette, networking, team communication, leadership communication and more. Our motto: “Write well, open doors!”

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    Get your votes in now!

  • Only Two Weeks Left to Submit to Rubin’s “Great Intern” Contest

    Only Two Weeks Left to Submit to Rubin’s “Great Intern” Contest

    With two weeks remaining in the first-ever America’s Next Great Intern contest, the Rubin team continues to review stellar submissions from CTE students around the country.

    Now through March 3, 2023, students are encouraged to showcase their employability skills in the fun, free competition.

    Educators can register their class or school here. A panel of judges (Rubin team members, industry professionals and staff from the Association for Career and Technical Education) will assess the students across five areas.

    1. Greeting: Video recording of the student engaging in a professional handshake
    2. Phone Skills: Video recording of the student leaving a mock voicemail and answering the phone at a place of business
    3. Team Communication: Email in which the student updates a teacher or employer on the status of classwork or a project at an internship/job
    4. Resiliency & Determination: Written example of a time in which the student demonstrated resiliency in the face of a challenge on a class/club project, volunteer opportunity or task at an internship
    5. Research & Critical Thinking: Questions the student prepares to better explore a company where the student would like to intern

    The instructions are drawn from Rubin’s Emerge curriculum, a broad library of online exercises for employability skills like email/phone etiquette, job interview prep, LinkedIn communication and more. Rubin provides Emerge to CTE programs nationwide.

    Questions! Email support@rubineducation.com

    The clock is ticking — submit today!

    Clock is ticking!

  • Rubin Launches America’s Next Great Intern Contest

    Rubin Launches America’s Next Great Intern Contest

    Virginia Beach, VA (January 10, 2023) – The nation will soon discover its “Next Great Intern” through a free contest sponsored by Rubin, the leader in online instruction for employability and work readiness skills.

    The first-ever America’s Next Great Intern contest highlights students who participate in career and technical education (CTE) or project-based (hands-on) classes and programs. All middle school, high school and post-secondary CTE students are eligible to participate.

    Demand for intern and job applicants with “soft skills” remains a top priority across all industry sectors. According to a 2022 survey of employers by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), 76% of respondents want to hire young people who can work on a team, 73% want people with strong written communication skills and 58% seek new hires with strong speaking skills.

    The submission period for the America’s Next Great Intern contest runs the month of February 2023, which is National CTE Month. Educators can register their class or school here. A panel of judges (Rubin team members, industry professionals and staff from the Association for Career and Technical Education) will assess the students across five areas.

    1. Greeting: Video recording of the student engaging in a professional handshake
    2. Phone Skills: Video recording of the student leaving a mock voicemail and answering the phone at a place of business
    3. Team Communication: Email in which the student updates a teacher or employer on the status of classwork or a project at an internship/job
    4. Resiliency & Determination: Written example of a time in which the student demonstrated resiliency in the face of a challenge on a class/club project, volunteer opportunity or task at an internship
    5. Research & Critical Thinking: Questions the student prepares to better explore a company where the student would like to intern

    The instructions are drawn from Rubin’s Emerge curriculum, a broad library of online exercises for employability skills like email/phone etiquette, job interview prep, LinkedIn communication and more. Rubin provides Emerge to CTE programs nationwide.

    Every student who participates in the contest will receive a certificate and e-portfolio of their submitted work.

    “Employers often lament that students today don’t possess the ‘soft skills’ necessary to engage in an office setting or on the job site,” said Danny Rubin, founder of Rubin. “We hope the contest shows that, yes, there are professional-grade young people coast to coast who will add value to any business or organization.”

    For more information or to set up an interview, please contact Janelle Burchfield, media relations with the Rubin team, at  hello@jbdigital.media.

    About Rubin

    Rubin is the leader in online instruction for employability and work readiness skills. The company provides Emerge, a digital curriculum that teaches effective writing and speaking skills, to thousands of students in middle school, high school and higher education. Rubin also has a real-time notification tool for soft skills called Propel.

    Founded in 2017 by Danny Rubin, a former CBS television news reporter and consultant to NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Rubin teaches students nationwide critical lessons for email/phone etiquette, networking, team communication, leadership communication and more. Our motto: “Write well, open doors!”

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    Calling all stellar future interns!