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 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.
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 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)
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.
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.
All the students who took part in the Elk Grove Civic Summer program and engaged with Rubin Emerge activities for employability skills.
Everyone knows how to shake a hand and hold a conversation, right?
Not so fast.
Students of all ages benefit from a foundation in communication skills as they pursue college and career opportunities.
That’s why students at Payette River Regional Technical Academy rely on Rubin to gain in-demand skills for the world after graduation.
Led by teacher Patti O’Maley, students use the Rubin Emerge online program to write effective emails, resumes, cover letters and LinkedIn profiles as well as hold meaningful face-to-face conversations.
O’Maley, a business teacher, has used Rubin resources in the 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 school years. She intends to do so again in 2019-2020.
“Emerge is an amazing tools for my classes,” she said. “I can tie the activities into curriculum I already have or use them as standalone lessons.”
In the photo at the top, students Karina (right) and Will practice a proper handshake, an activity in the module called Life Skills 101 in the online curriculum.
Below, listen to teacher Patti O’Maley discuss the value of Emerge.
Do you want to teach your students “adulting” skills like teacher Patti O’Maley?
Student Drew Coffin: “Thanks to Rubin , I know how to be more professional whether I need to write an email, submit my resume or complete another formal task. I believe every student should receive the instruction I did because it set me apart in a competitive application process.”
Teacher Janet Brophy:“The Rubin Emerge online program is easy to use and gives the kids an advantage with any writing challenge. What Drew and others learned this year will translate to emails, research papers and other real-world skills for years to come.”
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As Drew Coffin went through the application process for Colorado School of Mines, a top-tier engineering school located in Golden, CO, he noticed a section for “optional” material to submit.
Coffin’s “optional” choices: a resume and an example of personal success.
Good thing the 18-year-old was prepared with both.
Coffin, who hopes to one day work in robotics, graduated in spring 2019 from Haxtun High School in Haxtun, Colorado, a city in the northeast corner of the state near the Nebraska border.
Throughout the 2018-2019 school year, Haxtun High School teacher Janet Brophy used Emerge to train her students – including Coffin – to write and speak with professionalism.
The online curriculum features 100+ self-paced activities for email etiquette, resumes, cover letters, LinkedIn profiles, thank-you notes and more.
“I have worked in human resources and know the value of a well-written application,” says Brophy.
With each new lesson, Coffin paid attention and his effort paid off.
Drew Coffin works on his “storytelling” cover letter (a clear example of his work ethic) inside the Rubin Emerge online program. As a high school senior in Haxtun, Colorado, Drew used the cover letter in his application to Colorado School of Mines, a top-tier engineering school. Drew was accepted and is now on campus studying robotics.
Resume
Rubin teaches the importance of quantifying success on a resume. Whenever possible, add numbers to show the reader how much or how many.
In Coffin’s case, he listed a community service achievement in which classmates raised money for a family who had gone through health issues. How much money did the students collect with Coffin at the helm? $250.
U.S. News & World Report ranks Colorado School of Mines as the 32nd best public university in America. It’s selective. It’s tough.
Details like $250 matter.
Student Drew Coffin smiles with his high school teacher, Janet Brophy. The Colorado business instructor relies on the Rubin ebook, Wait, How Do I Write This Email?, to teach critical writing and speaking skills for employment. The book is provided to students as an ebook as part of a broader online curriculum.
Success Story
The other “optional” submission is a story of personal success. Thanks to Rubin, Coffin was ready again.
Coffin shared a story of how he revived Haxtun High School’s Student Council Association (SCA), which was shut down in his junior year.
Coffin worked hard during his senior year to gather interested students and prove to two skeptical teachers why they should serve as advisors (and why the SCA would not fold again).
After months of diligence, Coffin restarted the SCA, served as president and leaves behind 20 excited members who will carry his legacy into the 2019-2020 school year.
Consider Colorado School of Mines impressed.
What can the Emerge online program do for your students?
Listen to Sehrish Zafar, a native of Pakistan and recent graduate from George Mason University, talk about how Rubin Education helps her communicate with employers via email and in person.
The Full Story
Every time Sehrish Zafar sat at the computer to send a professional email, the same emotion would resurface.
Frustration.
A native of Pakistan, Zafar moved to the United States in 7th grade and spoke no English. Through ESL classes, Zafar slowly learned the language as she attended Robert E. Lee High School in Springfield, Virginia (suburb of Washington, DC) and then Northern Virginia Community College for an associate degree in applied science and information technology.
Zafar then pursued her bachelor’s degree at George Mason University in Northern Virginia and settled on a major in the health sciences. All the while, Zafar, now 27, worked (and still works) full time as a manager at a CVS Pharmacy.
During her years at George Mason, Zafar continued to struggle with business communication in American English. She often resorted to googling answers and scrolling through YouTube channels.
“I knew what I wanted to say, but I didn’t know how to put my thoughts into words,” Zafar said.
At George Mason, Zafar took a health administration course led by instructor Kathie Westpheling.
Westpheling incorporated the Emerge with Rubin online program throughout the spring 2019 semester so her students (some born in America, others who came as immigrants) would learn to write and speak with professionalism. The online curriculum provides 300+ templates for common writing and speaking scenarios and 100+ simple-to-follow assignments so students can practice the scenarios in the classroom.
Right away, Zafar felt Rubin Education was the resource she had needed all along.
“As an immigrant, Rubin Education gives me the tools to start professional conversations with confidence,” Zafar said. “I have learned better ways to write my resume, cover letter and outreach emails as well as job interview strategies and even how to give a proper handshake.”
Westpheling saw her students’ positive response to the material right away and plans to use the Rubin Education All Access online curriculum in fall 2019 as well.
“The Rubin Education online curriculum is reasonably priced for the students,” said Westpheling. “It’s a great way to introduce the materials as part of lifelong learning and an ideal fit in any degree program.”
Zafar hopes to pursue a master’s degree in health informatics and work in the fast-moving field of electronic health records and data management.
With a foundation in strong communication skills, her world is wide open.
In 2019, Hillsdale High School students achieved major milestones in regional and state competition — and Rubin Education proved a critical resource to make it happen.
Here’s the story:
For the first time ever, Hillsdale students reached the Michigan state competition for Business Professionals of America (BPA) in two sought-after categories: Interview Skills and Advanced Interview Skills.
For background: BPA is a Career and Technical Student Organization (CTSO) with chapters in high schools and colleges across the US. BPA is for students pursuing careers in business management, information technology, finance and office administration. The organization has 45,000 members in over 1,800 chapters across 25 states and Puerto Rico.
Hillsdale students first took top honors at the regional level in the Interview Skills and Advanced Interview Skills categories. Two other students from the school placed in the top three.
All four students then headed to the state competition where one student placed in the top ten — a new benchmark for the Hillsdale BPA team and feather in the cap for teacher Mindy Eggleston.
Melanie Foust (red shirt, glasses) receives her award as regional champion in the Interview Skills category for Business Professional of America (BPA) student group. Foust went on to win 10th statewide (Michigan). Teacher Mindy Eggleston believes Rubin Education techniques gave her students an edge in the regional competition (where they had never before won for Interview Skills).
Eggleston feels the Emerge online program played a significant role in her team’s historic competition performance. During the 2018-2019 school year, the accounting and graphic design teacher used the curriculum to teach her students professional techniques for writing and speaking.
Eggleston paid particular attention to the self-directed Rubin Education activities on job interviews and storytelling. She had the students practice how to ask smart questions of the employer and share compelling stories of personal success.
When it was time to compete at the regional and state levels, the preparation showed.
“Rubin Education techniques made my students stand out immediately during CTSO competition,” said Eggleston. “I am thrilled with my students’ performance and grateful to have the Rubin Education online curriculum in my corner.”
Hillsdale student Ella Lewis agrees. Lewis, who graduated in 2019, believes Rubin Education made her better prepared for community college in fall 2019.
“The lessons helped me understand how to communicate with adults and be more confident in myself,” said Lewis.
Eggleston now has even bigger plans for BPA competitions in 2019-2020.
With Rubin as a key resource, the sky is the limit.
Do you want to help your students win at competition and beyond?
Rubin is excited to welcome educators across four more states into the learning community that helps students to strengthen their employability skills.
The educators are in Virginia, Oklahoma, Colorado and Massachusetts. They join teachers in 21 other states who rely on Rubin in the classroom.
The schools are:
Massaponax High School (Fredericksburg, Virginia)
High Plains Technology Center (Woodward, Oklahoma)
Haxtun High School (Haxtun, Colorado)
Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical High School (Bedford, Massachusetts)
In each school, select educators now use the Rubin Emerge online curriculum to teach students critical topics like email etiquette, networking and other interpersonal skills.
The curriculum features Danny Rubin’s award-winning books of writing templates and 100+ student activities. The activities include teacher’s guides, instructional videos and rubrics for assessment.
The teachers are part of the CTE (career and technical education) community, cover subjects like marketing and business and work with students through the CTE student organizations DECA and FBLA.
The material aligns with state workplace readiness standards and provides the skills students need to compete in competitions through DECA, FBLA and other student groups.
Rubin Education is excited to announce that Kempsville High School in Virginia Beach will use Danny Rubin’s Wait, How Do I Promote My Business? in the 2018-2019 school year.
Teachers in the school’s Entrepreneurship and Business Academy will incorporate the material into instruction. The 100+ writing templates in the book will guide students as they begin a business from scratch and promote their products or services to the school and broader community.
The announcement is even more gratifying because Rubin graduated from Kempsville High School in 2002.
Here’s what one of the Academy teachers had to say about the book:
“Wait, How Do I Promote My Business?is so practical and filled with immediate ways for our kids to understand and improve. Not only are the ideas/templates completely tangible, but each chapter gives my kids a way to use basic writing skills in efficient and concise ways.”
Since January 2018, Rubin has encouraged high schools and colleges across the country to use his books and corresponding curricula that teach strong communication skills. The addition of Kempsville High’s well-regarded entrepreneurship program is a step in the right direction.
