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  • Middle School Teachers Employ Rubin Emerge to Help Students “Rise Above”

    Middle School Teachers Employ Rubin Emerge to Help Students “Rise Above”

    Above: Trevon James (left) and Mary Lynn Thurman hold copies of three books of writing/speaking templates provided in the Rubin Education All Access online program, a resource they use to teach employability skills to 6th, 7th and 8th graders in Northern Virginia.

    A sixth grader deep in a networking conversation?

    For teachers Mary Lynn Thurman and Trevon James, it’s a beautiful sight.

    The two educators teach at George M. Hampton Middle School in Dale City, Virginia. The school is part of Prince William County Public Schools, among the largest schools systems in the state.

    Since the start of the academic year, Thurman and James have incorporated readings, videos and short activities from the Emerge online program.

    The face-to-face networking exercise was a highlight for Thurman. In the activity, students paired off and learned to ask each other questions that began with who, what, where, when, why and how.

    In doing so, students understood the power of being selfless and allowing others to share their stories.

    Thurman led the activity with 6th, 7th and 8th graders, all of whom grasped the objectives and participated.

    “Rubin Education helps students to rise above,” said Thurman. “My kids may not know it yet, but these lessons will give them a foundation in employability skills they will need in high school and beyond.”

    Thurman and James have also shown Rubin Education instructional videos in which young adults demonstrate wrong and right behavior for professional skills like phone calls, job interviews and leadership situations.

    “Rubin Education material is modern and current,” said James. “It shows my students what employers will one day expect of them.”

    If employability skills are part of lifelong learning, then 6th grade seems the perfect place to start.

    Click here to request your free 3o-day trial!

    Networking as a 6th grader? Believe it.

  • Engineering Student: Rubin Emerge Helps Me “Jump Right In” to the Workplace

    Engineering Student: Rubin Emerge Helps Me “Jump Right In” to the Workplace

    Above: The three books of writing/speaking templates provided as ebooks inside the Emerge online program.

    If college is designed to prepare students for life beyond campus, then it’s critical students learn real-world skills.

    That’s where Rubin comes in.

    Through our Emerge online platform, we provide faculty with a ready-to-use toolkit of readings, assignments, videos and quizzes that allow students to observe and practice proper communication skills.

    Casey Sanders appreciates that kind of knowledge.

    A senior engineering student at St. Cloud State University in St. Cloud, Minnesota, Sanders found Rubin Education to be an ideal primer for the professional ranks.

    Sanders and his classmates, led by Dr. Nancy Sundheim (director of the Manufacturing Engineering Technology program at St. Cloud State), had the chance to practice their email and phone etiquette.

    The students found the lessons full of practical insights.

    Listen to Sanders in his own words:

     

    See more: Rubin Kicks Off Pilot Program with Michigan State College of Engineering

    The #1 primer for the professional world.

  • Rubin Provides Communication Exercises to Mich St Engineering

    Rubin Provides Communication Exercises to Mich St Engineering

    What does a stress analysis on a pressure vessel have to do with writing a professional email?

    At Michigan State University (MSU), the disparate actions have more in common than you may think.

    In fall 2019 and spring 2020, MSU mechanical engineering faculty incorporated the Emerge online program, a comprehensive platform that guides students to write effective emails and documents like reports, summaries and strategic plans.

    The program also covers phone etiquette and how to hold meaningful face-to-face networking conversations. The communication examples are found inside Wait, How Do I Write This Email? (pictured above), an ebook of 100+ writing/speaking templates provided to each student.

    Dr. Ron Averill, MSU associate professor and associate chair for the mechanical engineering undergraduate program, learned of Rubin Education during the 2019 ASEE Annual Conference in Tampa.

    Dr. Averill saw an opportunity to supplement MSU mechanical engineering instruction with best practices for communicating with colleagues and clients. That’s how an engineering exercise on pressure vessels doubled as a chance for students to explain their efforts to a supervisor via email(just like in the real world).

    What’s more, the Rubin Education material allows MSU to address two relevant ABET student outcomes:

    • an ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences
    • an ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives

    “Rubin Education strengthens our mechanical engineering program because it provides ready-made instruction to help students explain their work in a clear, organized way,” said Dr. Averill. “This makes it easy to include communications exercises within core engineering courses, providing students with a clear context for their memos and reports while reflecting on their engineering solutions.”

    “MSU recognized early on the value of a communication-based curriculum to prepare the next generation of engineers,” said Danny Rubin, founder of Rubin Education. “Students must be equipped with not only a strong math and science background but also the ability and confidence to tell the world what they have achieved.”

    In the pressure vessel assignment at MSU, students wrote an email to summarize their findings. First, students showed they know how to address faculty appropriately (ex: Dr. or Professor) and share the nature of the message in the opening line.

    Example:

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    Students then learned to write in short sections rather than one large paragraph that can be cumbersome to read.

    Example:

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    Lastly, students developed a professional email signature with email, phone and expected graduation date.

    Dr. Averill and his team hope to incorporate Rubin Education lessons on report writing later in the semester. The goal, once again, is to underscore how communication skills are a key component of every career path in engineering.

    Relevant links and next steps:

    Engineering + Communication = Success

  • GA WBL Student Uses Rubin Emerge to Land Coveted Promotion 

    GA WBL Student Uses Rubin Emerge to Land Coveted Promotion

    In the photo, Kellelynn Lofton holds a copy ofWait, How Do I Write This Email?, the award-winning book of writing guides from Rubin. Lofton, a WBL student, used the book’s “storytelling” cover letter method to help her land a sought-after promotion at Wild Adventures, one of the top employers in Lowndes County, GA.

    Kellelynn Lofton knew she had to be at her best.

    The Lowndes High School senior wanted to move up from safety trainer to team lead at Wild Adventures, a theme park and zoo in Lowndes County, GA.

    To land the promotion, Lofton had to compete with other up-and-coming Wild Adventures employees and sell herself through a compelling cover letter and interview.

    That’s where Jason Van Nus, the work-based learning (WBL) coordinator for Lowndes County Schools, stepped in.

    Van Nus uses the Emerge online program to teach in-demand communication skills and draws upon the Rubin book of writing templates called Wait, How Do I Write This Email?(provided to each student as an ebook).

    Van Nus helped Lofton write a Rubin-inspired cover letter that demonstrates how Lofton helps guests at Wild Adventures create lasting memories.

    The cover letter was so memorable that the hiring manager, who goes through 400-500 applications to hire park-wide during the busy spring/summer season, was able to recite Lofton’s story back to Van Nus when the two spoke in February 2020.

    “The hiring manager remembered Kellelynn’s application right way,” said Van Nus. “Kellelynn’s storytelling cover letter allowed the hiring manager to visualize how hard she works.”

    Bottom line: Lofton landed the promotion. For the 2020 season at Wild Adventures, she will be a team lead and supervise team members in the portion of the park that includes roller coasters.

    “The Rubin program taught me that it’s better to give the employer an example of my customer service skills than to say I have strong customer service skills,” said Lofton. “I’m excited to start in my new role this season!”

    Scroll to the bottom to see Lofton’s cover letter!

    Emerge: A New Tool for WBL Programs That Gets Results

    Van Nus visits classrooms across the county and, during his workshops, incorporates Rubin online material (ebooks, videos and activities). Rubin helps Van Nus to teach the following:

    • Email etiquette
    • Resumes
    • Cover letters
    • Phone etiquette
    • Networking
    • And much more

    In the video, Van Nus holds a copy of Wait, How Do I Write This Email?, the award-winning book of writing/speaking examples for employability skills.

    Again, the book is provided as an ebook in the Emerge online program.

    Want to explore Emerge? Request a 30-day free trial here!

    Video transcript:

    “Hello, my name is Jason Van Nus, and I am the system-level coordinator for Lowndes County Schools in the programs of work-based learning and youth apprenticeship.

    I first met [Rubin Education founder] Danny [Rubin] in summer 2019 at our GACTE summer conference, and I gained information about the program and this material.

    I decided to implement into the training and recruiting for my program, and I have really enjoyed it.

    The program is exceptional and has built-in scaffolding. I’ve used it with special ed classes. I’ve used it with honors classes. No matter what level of student I’m working with, they are all engaged. They are all producing good quality materials.

    Resumes, communication…the kids love it. And it’s been an effective tool for me.”

    “Storytelling” Cover Letter from Kellelynn Lofton

    Dear [name of employer],

    No one wants to make a little girl cry!

    It was a normal day at the park; I was at Crunch’s Caboose in Discovery Outpost. The park had just opened and the day had officially begun. I observed a family excitedly walking toward the rides. Among the members of this family was a little girl, who was holding her brand new season pass, and she was so excited. I welcomed her and her family to the park and asked if she wanted to ride the Crunch’s Caboose. She was hesitant at first, but she was willing to be brave. She wanted her mom to ride with her, but I had to inform her that adults could not ride this particular ride. I assured the little girl that she would do just fine by herself.

    Once she was seated and fastened securely, I asked if she was okay–she didn’t respond. So, I looked toward her parents seeking their feedback. They said that she was fine, so I continued. Right before the ride began, the upset little girl frantically tried to unbuckle the seatbelt–calling for her‘Mommy.’ I knew immediately she wasn’t going to complete this ride without an adult.

    Because it is against protocol for adults to ride this particular ride, I had no choice but to remove the little girl from Crunch’s Caboose. She was disappointed but relieved to be back with her parents. I was saddened as I wanted her to enjoy her experience at Wild Adventures–after all, it was only a few minutes ago that she was ecstatic to be a season pass holder. I quickly obtained a map of the park and pointed out other rides offered at Wild Adventures that would accommodate both an adult and a child to ride at the same.

    As the day concluded, who did I look up and see, but the same little girl accompanied by her parents. They returned to my station after a day of enjoying the attractions and rides at Wild Adventures so that the little girl could conquer Crunch’s Caboose all by herself.

    Hello, my name is ______, and I am applying to be a Team Leader at Wild Adventures.

    As your next Team Leader, I will bring this same level of attention to customer satisfaction,
    communication, and overall customer experience as stated in the Seasonal Leadership Expectations.

    My goal is making guests’ experiences enjoyable and memorable. Communication is key, and sometimes, as a team leader one has to know how to interpret both verbal and non-verbal cues from guests in order to give them the best experience possible.

    Well, would you hire Kellelynn? Her poise and professionalism shine through.

    Stories do all the selling.

    Request your free trial of the Emerge online program!

    Tell your story and watch the door open.

  • Michigan HS Students Earn Valuable “Email Etiquette” Certificate from Rubin Emerge

    Michigan HS Students Earn Valuable “Email Etiquette” Certificate from Rubin Emerge

    On a Friday afternoon in Hillsdale High School in Hillsdale, Michigan, seniors in teacher Mindy Eggleston’s class were all smiles.

    And no, the happy faces weren’t just because the school had Homecoming and a big football game that night.

    The two dozen students grinned from ear to ear because they earned an “Email Etiquette” certificate (size 8×11) and digital badge through the Emerge online program.

    That means the students walked themselves through a series of short (15-20 minute) exercises in which they learned to construct a proper business email — a workplace skill employers are desperate to find in new hires. Eggleston received lesson plans, discussion questions and rubrics from Rubin Education to assess the students’ work.

    “It’s so important to help students write proper emails today and understand the difference between a text message and a professional email,” said Eggleston. “The Rubin Education digital badge and certificate is proof my students know how to conduct themselves properly as they pursue college and career opportunities.”

    The students will now add the certificate to a binder of achievements they can use as they pursue college and career opportunities.

    Through the “Email Etiquette” activities, the students learned:

    • Why an email to an employer should be more formal than a text message to a friend
    • How to develop a smart subject line
    • How to address employers and other professionals in an appropriate way (Hi, Mr./Ms. ____)
    • How to write the email itself
    • How to create an email signature

    Teacher Mindy Eggleston has already used Rubin Education to help her students take first place in job interview skills at a Business Professionals of America competition.

    Now, she turned to our program to tackle email writing, a lifelong professional skill.

    Look at these proud faces down below (including several on the football team).

    Learning to write a proper email to open doors for yourself?

    Now that’s a pre-game warm-up.

    Request free, 30-day access and see what Emerge can do for your students.

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    In addition to the 8×11 printable certificate, Hillsdale students also earned the Rubin Education “Email Etiquette” digital badge. Recipients can place the small icon (enlarged here for emphasis) on a resume, digital portfolio, LinkedIn profile or elsewhere online to show proficiency in a critical 21st century skill.

    And now…those smiling faces!

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    The proof is on the page.

  • In Same Week, Rubin Partners with Middle School and Four-Year University

    In Same Week, Rubin Partners with Middle School and Four-Year University

    At Rubin Education, we believe students at every learning stage need to practice proper writing/speaking skills.

    That’s why we’re excited to provide age-appropriate resources to select 8th graders at Thomas Harrison Middle School (Harrisonburg, VA) and select sophomores at the University of Toronto (Canada) in a learning community through the department of psychology.

    Instructors in both educational environments will use Rubin Education exercises for email etiquette, networking, public speaking and even resumes (yes, many 8th graders learn to create a resume).

    The Emerge online program also contains instructional videos, ebooks of writing/speaking templates, discussion questions and unique rubrics connected to each of our 100+ assignments.

    Middle school teachers in Virginia and across the nation are often required to teach “employability skills,” and in that way Rubin Education is the perfect supplemental resource.

    With an enrollment of 71,000 students, the University of Toronto is the largest university in Canada.

    Rubin Education also works with faculty at Texas A&M, Michigan State, Florida, Va Tech, Providence, St. John’s and others.

    Stay tuned for updates from the classroom as the fall semester rolls along!

    For learners at every stage.

  • Rubin Education Founder Danny Rubin Discusses Email Etiquette on CBC Radio (Canada)

    Rubin Education Founder Danny Rubin Discusses Email Etiquette on CBC Radio (Canada)

    Rubin Education Founder Danny Rubin spoke on August 8 with CBC Radio, the public broadcasting outlet that reaches listeners across Canada.

    CBC Radio is the equivalent of NPR in the United States.

    Rubin spoke with CBC workplace columnist Rubina Ahmed about why it’s not necessary to use ALL CAPS or multiple exclamation marks to convey a point.

    Listen to the four-minute piece here:

     

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    Also be sure to subscribe to Rubin’s weekly NPR series, “Take My Word for It.” In each one-minute segment, Rubin provides smart, actionable communication advice for the job search and workplace.

    Listen to past segments and subscribe here!

    Say no to ALL CAPS!!!

  • Rising HS Seniors in VA Practice Job Interviews, Feel “Less Anxious” Thanks to Rubin Emerge

    Rising HS Seniors in VA Practice Job Interviews, Feel “Less Anxious” Thanks to Rubin Emerge

    For rising high school seniors in Southwest Virginia, mock interviews proved to be just as stressful as the real ones.

    That’s why, in preparation for the mock interviews, Elizabeth Honaker relied on Rubin Education instructional videos, ebook material and activities to ready her 27 students.

    Honaker, a career counselor with Southwest Virginia Community College’s Upward Bound Program, led the students through a summertime class called Aspire, an initiative of Upward Bound’s Summer Discover Program.

    Upward Bound is a national program implemented and monitored by the United States Department of Education. In the program, students from disadvantaged or low-income backgrounds receive specialized college and career training.

    Honaker set aside a day in the school’s computer lab to coincide with mock interviews down the hall conducted by community college staff.

    As each student went in for the interview, the others stayed in the computer lab and worked out of the Emerge with Rubin online program. The students, who come from nine different high schools across four counties, watched instructional videos on how to shake hands, answer job interview questions and even ask questions of their own.

    As well, the students followed the step-by-step Rubin Education activities to construct a resume appropriate for a high school student. The activities cover how to write a resume “skills” section, the bullet points under the “work experience” area and also how to describe non-traditional “work” like babysitting and mowing lawns.

    In total, Honaker believes Rubin Education material made her students “less anxious” about the application and interview process.

    “Rubin Education was a great complement to our ongoing curriculum,” Honaker said. “The students appreciated the simple yet relevant instruction as they learn important career skills.”

    Honaker hopes to incorporate even more Rubin Education activities during the 2019-2020 school year with additional Upward Bound programs.

    How to sit in the interview chair with poise.

  • CA High School Introduces “Rubin Tuesdays” Employability Skill Sessions in Fall 2019

    CA High School Introduces “Rubin Tuesdays” Employability Skill Sessions in Fall 2019

    High school teachers Jamie Anaforian and Kevin Pina have a 30-minute window every Tuesday they want to fill with practical career skills training for their seniors.

    The perfect solution: Emerge online program.

    The All Access curriculum is designed as a library of 20 to 30-minute exercises for writing and speaking skills for college and career opportunities.

    Anaforian and Pina, who teach at Tokay High School in Lodi, California (south of Sacramento), decided to create “Rubin Tuesdays” and use various activities from the program to impart valuable employability skills like email etiquette and resume writing.

    “The Rubin Education topics are relevant to our students’ lives. Plus, each activity provides a smart, focused lesson in a short amount of time,” said Anaforian, Tokay High School’s director of the school-to-career academy. “We’re excited to bring the material into our classrooms this fall.”

    Below is the tentative “Rubin Tuesdays” schedule at Tokay High School for fall 2019:

    Email Etiquette

    Tuesday, August 6

    • Video – Email Etiquette overview
    • Discussion on appropriate vs inappropriate email addresses
    • Activity – How to Create a Professional Email Address
    • Activity – Understanding the Difference Between Texting and Email

    Tuesday, August 13

    • Activity – Part 1: How to Compose a Subject Line
    • Activity – Part 2: How to Address People Appropriately
    • Discussion: How to address your teacher in emails

    Tuesday, August 20

    • Activity – Part 3: How to Write the Email Body
    • Activity – Part 4: How to Craft an Effective Email Signature
    • Quiz: Identify the essential parts of an email

    Life Skills 101

    Tuesday, August 27

    • Activity – How to Shake Hands in the Business World
    • Activity – How to Hold a Face-to-Face Networking Conversation

    Tuesday, September 3

    • Activity – Phone Etiquette
    • Activity – How to Do a Video Interview

    Tuesday, September 10

    • Activity – How to Learn from a Mentor
    • Activity – How to Address and Mail an Envelope

    Tuesday, September 17

    • Activity – How to Email Your Instructor About a Poor Grade
    • Activity – How to Email Your Instructor About Missed Class Time

    Tuesday, September 24

    • Activity – How to Email Your Instructor to Ask for a Reference Letter

    Unforgettable Resumes

    Tuesday, October 15

    • Pre-test
    • Video – Unforgettable Resume Overview
    • Definition of resume
    • Discussion – What if you don’t have work experience yet?

    Tuesday, October 22

    • Discussion of a sample resume
    • Discussion of a resume outline
    • Activity – Never, Ever be Vague

    Tuesday, October 29

    • Activity – Resume Objective Statement
    • Activity – How to Write a Resume Skills Section

    Tuesday, November 5

    • Activity – Work Experience Bullet Points 1 and 2
    • Activity – Work Experience Bullet Points 3 and 4

    Tuesday, November 12

    • Activity – Resume Miscellaneous Section
    • Activity – Resume Education Section

    Tuesday, November 19

    • Activity – How to Select and Create a Personal Hashtag
    • Start “Storytelling Cover Letter” and learn the power of a short story of success in a cover letter, personal statement or scholarship essay
    • Video about telling stories in cover letter
    • First Step: Map Out Your Story

    Tuesday, November 26 (Thanksgiving week)

    • Activity – How to Tell a Story in a Cover Letter (parts 1-3)
    • Activity – Storytelling Cover Letter (parts 4-6)

    Powerful training every week.

  • Rubin Emerge Teaches HS Juniors in CA to Network with Each Other, Elected Officials

    Rubin Emerge Teaches HS Juniors in CA to Network with Each Other, Elected Officials

    When 33 high school students began the Elk Grove Civic Summer program in June 2019, many were too shy to start a conversation.

    A few weeks later, the rising juniors and seniors from Elk Grove Unified School District (Sacramento County, California) found themselves talking confidently with each other – and with state and local politicians.

    What happened in between? The students, who attend eight different career academies inside high schools across the district, received hands-on networking practice through the Emerge online program.

    The program, which offers a variety of real-world communication skills activities and instructional videos for email writing, networking, resumes, phone calls and more, taught the students how to shake hands, look people in the eyes and hold meaningful conversation.

    “Rubin Education gave my students a level of poise they didn’t even know they had,” said Carlos Garcia, the Elk Grove teacher who oversees Civic Summer, a six-week program designed to introduce students to local government and careers in public service.

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    Teacher Carlos Garcia stands with a student who holds a certificate of completion from Elk Grove Civic Summer. The student and her classmates used the Rubin Education All Access online program to learn powerful networking techniques.

    The students practiced face-to-face networking through a Rubin Education activity in which students pair off and learn to ask each other meaningful questions. In doing so, the student who asks the questions takes a deeper interest in the other person’s background and interests.

    Then, students applied the same strategy with U.S. Representative Ami Bera (who represents the 7th congressional district which includes Sacramento) and members of Sacramento City Council. The elected officials were impressed at how well the students could pose questions and keep a discussion.

    “Rubin Education was the perfect resource to help our students learn critical employability skills like listening and engaging with others to form relationships,” said Garcia.

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    All the students who took part in the Elk Grove Civic Summer program and engaged with Rubin Emerge activities for employability skills.

    Learning to speak with confidence.