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  • In First Two Months, Rubin Propel Gives Email Etiquette Advice 30,000 Times

    In First Two Months, Rubin Propel Gives Email Etiquette Advice 30,000 Times

    In January 2024, we launched our Propel email etiquette tool for Gmail and Outlook.

    Immediately, the tool went to work helping students nationwide become more professional with their messages to teachers and employers.

    See how Propel works — 1 minute video!

    Quick stats:

     

    Number of school districts participating: 37

    Number of students who have Propel as an email extension: 936

    Number of emails written with the help of Propel: 5,449

    Number of Propel rules shared with the students: 30,019

    Let’s break down the data

     

    Propel guides a student to structure an email (ex: include a greeting and closing) and then analyzes the message to offer further suggestions for grammar and soft skills.

    Propel offers advice, but students must make the changes. No AI, no ChatGPT. Pure learning.

    Among the 30,019 times Propel offered advice:

    • Include a greeting (ex: Good morning): 3,357 times
    • Add a period at the end of the sentence: 2,415
    • Address the person with a proper title (ex: Ms. Smith): 2,351
    • Don’t write the email as one “blocky” paragraph: 544
    • Be sure to capitalize the first word of a sentence: 460
    • Remember to sign your name at the end: 397
    • Don’t use a lowercase “i” to describe yourself: 250

    What’s more, 99% of students who use Propel write a subject line as a cogent summary of the message. The #1 complaint our team hears from educators about student emails is that students write the entire email in the subject line.

    Propel has solved the subject line problem.

    “The Propel tool was easy to use and helped my students so much,” said Shelley Roberts, a teacher in Johnston County, North Carolina. “It is disappointing that many students have no idea what the correct format of a letter/email should be. Propel reintroduced terms like body and greeting. The students love the easy, ‘fill in the blank’ process.”

    The bigger picture

     

    Propel is an optional extension in a student’s email, which means the initial batch of pilot students choose to use Propel. They want the guidance.

    “When a student fixes a small mistake like not capitalizing the first word of a sentence, instantly the message becomes more professional,” said Danny Rubin, founder of Rubin. “The student will then be taken more seriously in the business community, and opportunities can happen more quickly.”

    Rubin added: “In that way, Propel is a tool for equity and eliminating bias in the marketplace.”

    Click here to request a trial!

     

    Launch and scale.

  • Rubin Propel Transforms Email Writing for Johnston County MS and HS Students

    Rubin Propel Transforms Email Writing for Johnston County MS and HS Students

    Subject line: [blank]

    Email message: turned in

    That is an email composed by a 9th grader in Johnston County, North Carolina during the spring 2024 semester.

    The trend to write emails like text messages is not unique to Johnston County, of course. In our digital era, students nationwide often don’t understand how to draft a professionally-written email.

    That’s why Johnston County piloted Rubin’s new Propel email etiquette tool in the spring semester for middle and high school students.

    Propel is a teaching tool for Gmail and Outlook that guides a student to compose a high-quality email. Propel does not use AI, and the tool requires students to do all the writing and critical thinking.

    See a 1-minute demonstration of Propel here.

    Let’s return to the email written by the 9th grader:

    Subject line: [blank]

    Email message: turned in

    With the help of Propel, here’s what the email became:

    Subject line: Completed work

    Email message:

    Good afternoon, Mrs. Roberts.

    I hope you are doing well.

    I wanted to let you know that I have completed my interview and turned it in.

    Thank you,

    – Alyssa

    Now observe the growth among 6th graders too.

    Here’s an example of a 6th grade email beforePropel:

    Subject line: why i have 72 grade

    Email message: [blank]

    And here’s an email in which the student used Propel:

    Subject line: What I think the rabbit hole in Alice in Wonderland means

    Email message:

    Mrs. Woll,

    Good morning. This is Evy from second block.

    This is my answer for the journal prompt.

    I think the rabbit hole represents part of Alice’s personality, such as the unfocused part, or distracted or curious.

    Thank you for your time and effort for reading my answer for the journal prompt.

    – Evy

    Johnston County 9th grade teacher Shelley Roberts:

    “The Propel tool was easy to use and helped my students so much! It is disappointing that many of them have no idea what the correct format of a letter/email should be. This tool reintroduced terms like body and greeting. The students loved how easy the ‘fill in the blank’ process was.”

    Go here to try Propel for your school district!

    Night and day difference.

  • Powerful Data: With Propel, Students No Longer Write Entire Email in Subject Line

    Powerful Data: With Propel, Students No Longer Write Entire Email in Subject Line

    Raise your hand if you receive emails from students in which the entire message is in the subject line.

    …You can put your hands down now.

    Propel, Rubin’s revolutionary email etiquette tool for Gmail and Outlook, eliminates the poor habit and instead teaches students to write compact, professional subject lines.

    After six weeks of pilot programs across the country, students have used Propel to assist with emails 4,254 times.

    Of the 4,254 emails, only four had a subject line longer than eight words. Four.

    That means 99.9% of students who use Propel have learned to use the subject line as a summary and not the full conversation.

    Want to see your students stop treating emails like text messages? Install Propel to students’ email accounts.

    “We are thrilled with the early data on Propel in the classroom,” said Rubin founder Danny Rubin. “The #1 complaint we hear from educators about communication is that students write the entire message in the subject line. Propel has solved the problem with the initial crop of pilot students, and we hope to roll out the tool to many more schools in the months to come.”

    email writing tool email etiquette Rubin Propel
    When students compose a new email, they are prompted with a pop-up screen that guides them to write all the part of an email, including a subject line with an example to follow.

    A subject line is more than a summary of the email. It is a first impression as a student communicates with teachers, employers and the broader community.

    A sloppy subject line could prevent the student from receiving a response. A professional subject line allows the student to open new doors and conversations.

    Propel, then, is a tool for equity and opportunity that all students deserve.

    Try Propel for yourself and see the impact.

    Problem? Solved.

  • You Won’t Believe How These HS Students Write Emails Thanks to Rubin Propel

    You Won’t Believe How These HS Students Write Emails Thanks to Rubin Propel

    High school students in teacher Shelley Roberts’s class in North Carolina have undergone a metamorphosis.

    An email metamorphosis, if you will.

    With the help of Propel, our groundbreaking email teaching tool, the 28 Johnston County students have learned to write high-quality messages instead of ones that resemble a casual text.

    To understand the dramatic leap, here is a before & after from one of Roberts’s students.

    James (11th grade)

     

    Email before Propel

    Subject line: [blank]

    Email message: can u pull me for CT

     

    The same email with the help of Propel (the “after”)

    Subject line: Comet Time

    Email message:

    Hello Mrs. Roberts,

    I wanted to ask you to pull me for Comet Time A on Thursday, November 8.

    I would like to make corrections on my quiz if I am still allowed to do so.

    Please let me know if it is a problem,

    – James, 1st block

     

    James’s “after” email might seem like it’s written by ChatGPT. But no, he composed the message on his own and wrote every word. Propel guided James to structure the email, use proper capitalization, include periods, remove slang (“u”) and more.

    Watch a Propel demonstration to see how the tool works in Gmail and Outlook.

    “Our initial pilot was extremely successful and had a positive impact on the email communication
    skills of students,” said Johnston County CTE Workforce Development Specialist Kathryn Farrior. “Before and after examples demonstrate a noticeable improvement in student’s email formatting, grammar and overall email etiquette.”

    Further, ninety percent of Roberts’s students said they would sometimes or always use Propel when writing
    emails.

    Try Propel for free in YOUR classroom. Click here to request access.

    Night and day difference

  • Students Log 1,000,000 Minutes All Time in Rubin Emerge

    Students Log 1,000,000 Minutes All Time in Rubin Emerge

    Students nationwide have spent 1,000,000 collective minutes in Emerge, our signature online curriculum that teaches in-demand employability topics like email/phone etiquette, networking and conversation skills.

    Emerge, which debuted in the 2020-2021 academic year, teaches valuable skills for college and career to students nationwide in grades 6-12 and higher education.

    Among the most popular assignments that comprise the 1,000,000 minutes:

    • How to learn the difference between texting and emailing
    • How to set your own voicemail
    • How to sign your name in cursive
    • How to take a quality headshot
    • How to email your instructor politely about a poor grade

    Emerge is a Netflix-style library of assignments, readings, videos and quizzes that integrates for single sign-on to the school’s learning management system (ex: Canvas, Schoology and Google Classroom).

    The lessons align with state standards across the country for workplace readiness, a critical set of life skills that prepares students for the world beyond graduation.

    In that way, Emerge has become a valued resource for school divisions big and small, from Fairfax County, the largest school system in Virginia, to Payette River Technical Academy in Emmett, Idaho.

    “Our goal is to give teachers high-quality resources to use in the classroom so we can’t always observe students using Emerge in real time,” said Danny Rubin, founder of Rubin. “When we see the number 1,000,000, it’s a powerful reminder that, yes, Emerge shapes students every day into kind, professional young adults — and that’s a mission worth pursuing to reach 2,000,000 and beyond.”

    Schedule a free trial of our resources today!

    —-

    Rubin is the leader in online instruction for employability or work readiness skills. The company, based in Virginia Beach, Virginia, provides three high-quality resources — Aspire, a career exploration video platform, Emerge, a communication skills curriculum and Propel, a real-time email etiquette training tool for Gmail and Outlook.

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

    Learning at scale

  • 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.

  • 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.

     

    blank

    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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