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  • Virginia 9th Grader Wins America’s Next Great Intern

    Virginia 9th Grader Wins America’s Next Great Intern

    Fairfax County’s own Rakshana Damodaran is America’s Next Great Intern. The 9th grader at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology was one of 13 finalists selected to showcase top-tier communication skills essential to an internship.

    Second place: Shannon Jenkins, 12th grade at Boone High School in Boone, Iowa

    Third place: Jordan Blair, 12th grade at Blaine High School in Anoka, Minnesota

    Rakshana’s teacher, Jane Iyengar, receives a $250 cash prize to support her classroom.

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

    The submission period for the America’s Next Great Intern contest ran throughout February 2025, 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 from the Rubin team assessed the students across three areas:

    • Email Etiquette:Demonstrate a professional-grade email based on fictional, work-related scenario.
    • Research and Critical Thinking:Learn to develop meaningful questions ahead of a fictitious internship interview.
    • Ethical Dilemma:Provide a response to a tricky ethical situation you might face as an 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.”

    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!”

    The best of the best,

  • Rubin Partners with Miami-Dade, Nation’s 3rd Largest School District

    Rubin Partners with Miami-Dade, Nation’s 3rd Largest School District

    Rubin Partners with Miami Dade, Nation’s 3rd Largest School District

    In the photo: Rubin founder Danny Rubin (left) stands with Miami-Dade students and their teacher Shnae Wallace. The students use Rubin’s Emerge employability skills curriculum to help with email etiquette, job interview prep and more.

    Rubin, the leader in online curriculum for employability skills, has partnered with Miami-Dade County Public Schools to provide high school students with lessons that focus on college and career readiness.

    Miami-Dade, one of the largest school divisions in the country, has a robust internship program that sends thousands of high school students into the South Florida business community each spring.

    In the 23-24 academic year, Rubin products proved themselves as supplemental curriculum for the internship program. During the classroom portion of the internship program, 3,000 Miami-Dade students spent more than 250,000 minutes in Rubin’s Emerge employability skills curriculum on topics like resume writing, email etiquette and job interview prep.

    In the 25-26 academic year, Rubin has expanded further into Miami-Dade through career-based pathways like health science, business and agriculture. Rubin will also now provide its Aspire career exploration video platform and Propel email etiquette teaching tool.

    All Rubin products integrate to Schoology, Miami-Dade’s learning management system, via LTI 1.3. That means students and teachers access Rubin content in Schoology seamlessly and without a traditional sign-in process.

    “We are honored to work with Miami-Dade County Public Schools, one of the nation’s leading school districts,” said Danny Rubin, founder of Rubin. “Already we have made an impact on several thousand students, and we’re excited at the chance to make a deeper impression in the school years to come.”

    We reach South Florida.

  • Rubin Leads “PD” Workshops for Loudoun County

    Rubin Leads “PD” Workshops for Loudoun County

    On Monday, April 7, our founder Danny Rubin lead a series of professional development workshops for CTE teachers at Loudoun Valley High School in Loudoun County, Virginia. Loudoun is a fast-growing county just west of the nation’s capital.

    Danny showed the teachers how to locate and use Rubin Emerge employability content in Schoology via LTI 1.3.

    We also passed out our popular Rubin motivational posters for the teachers’ classrooms.

    Thanks for having us, Loudoun. And thanks for being a terrific partner!

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    Loudoun County teacher Ellen Milligan with a Rubin poster.
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    Rubin founder Danny Rubin leads a workshop on the Rubin Emerge curriculum with Loudoun County teachers on Monday, April 7, 2025.

    Training trainers in one of VA’s largest school districts.

  • Here are the Finalists for America’s Next Great Intern!

    Here are the Finalists for America’s Next Great Intern!

    The Rubin team is excited to announce the 2025 finalists for our America’s Next Great Intern contest.

    In the annual contest, students showcase employability skills that employers nationwide value in new hires.

    Rubin, the leader in online resources for employability skills training, hosts the competition.

    The contest is 100% free. All participating students receive a certificate of completion and a ready-made portfolio of their submitted contest materials. The first place winner (high school division) will meet virtually with Scott Kaufman-Ross, an executive with the National Basketball Association (NBA).

    The free contest is open to middle school, high school and postsecondary students in any CTE or project-based (hands-on) class or program.

    Students were asked to submit examples of their work in the following categories:

    • Email Etiquette: Demonstrate a professional-grade email based on fictional, work-related scenario.
    • Research and Critical Thinking: Learn to develop sharp questions ahead of a fictitious internship interview.
    • Ethical Dilemma: Provide a response to a tricky ethical situation you might face as an intern.

    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.

    “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.”

    Voting is now open! Visit rubineducation.com/vote to pick America’s Next Great Intern.

    Here are the 2025 finalists!

    • Kainat Ahmadzai, 10th Grade

    Prince William County Schools (VA)

    • Kris Basa, 12th Grade

    Nacogdoches ISD (TX)

    • Jordan Blair, 12th Grade

    Anoka-Hennepin School District (MN)

    • Ailey Bolson, 12th Grade

    Oconomowoc Area School District (WI)

    • Rakshana Damodaran, 9th Grade

    Fairfax County Public Schools (VA)

    • Da’moni Gosha, 10th Grade

    Phenix County Schools (AL)

    • Asher Hoffman, 11th Grade

    Laguna Beach USD (CA)

    • Shannon Jenkins, 12th Grade

    Boone Community School District (IA)

    • Anvith Narayana, 9th Grade

    Wake County Public School System (NC)

    • Jocelyn Osborne, 12th Grade

    Botetourt County Public Schools (VA)

    • David Sheffield, 12th Grade

    Montgomery ISD (TX)

    • Sofia Tovar, 12th Grade

    Allen Village School (MO)

    • Eliana Wehrle, 11th Grade

    Clark County School District (NV)

    See who made the cut!

  • Rubin Partners with EdTech Global to Expand National Sales

    Rubin Partners with EdTech Global to Expand National Sales

    Rubin, the leader in online resources for employability skills training, is proud to announce a strategic partnership with EdTech Global, a premier provider of educational technology solutions. The collaboration aims to expand Rubin’s reach across the United States, providing CTE and other instructors with access to Rubin’s tools that allow students to write, speak and lead with confidence.

    The partnership leverages EdTech Global’s extensive national sales network and digital distribution channels, ensuring Rubin’s best-in-class content reaches a broader audience.

    “Rubin has proven itself as a high-quality curriculum provider to many of the nation’s largest school districts,” said Danny Rubin, founder of Rubin. “Now it’s time to broaden our reach and share Rubin products with more administrators across the country. We feel EdTech Global will be a key partner in that mission.”

    Rubin school customers include Miami-Dade, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, Charlotte and Fairfax County.

    “Partnering with Rubin aligns perfectly with our mission to bring the best educational resources to learners nationwide,” said Thomas Snyder, Managing Director of EdTech Global. “Together, we will ensure that more school districts have the best-in-class tools for employability skills.”

    The partnership is set to roll out nationwide immediately with expanded sales efforts and accessibility enhancements expected in the coming months.

    To request more information on Rubin, CLICK HERE.

    About EdTech Global: EdTech Global (www.edtechglobal.com) is a strategic sales and marketing partner dedicated to supporting EdTech organizations globally in expanding their reach and diversifying their revenue streams. As master distributors, EdTech Global utilizes its extensive international network to effectively manage the sales and marketing processes for its customers.

    About Rubin: Rubin is the leading provider of online resources for employability skills training. Founded in 2017 by Danny Rubin, a former CBS TV reporter and producer for NBC’s “Meet the Press,” the company draws on industry-best practices for communication skills and delivers those lessons to students in grades 5-12 and beyond. Popular Rubin topics include email/phone etiquette, networking, LinkedIn communication, resume and job interview prep, public speaking and customer service skills. Learn more at rubineducation.com.

    Broadening distribution.

  • Rubin Enhances Accessibility Features for Emerge and Aspire Products

    Rubin Enhances Accessibility Features for Emerge and Aspire Products

    In both our Emerge employability skills curriculum and Aspire career exploration video platform, we added new accessibility features. Teacher now have:

    • 7 different American voices for text-to-speech
    • “Page mask” to highlight lines while darkening the rest of the page
    • The ability to read aloud and highlight text on a PDF or Word doc

    See screenshots below and then dive into Emerge or Aspire to try these exciting features!

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    Click the box highlighted in red to launch the accessibility features from any page.

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    The new page mask feature.

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    Click on the icon circled in red to launch the accessibility portal for PDFs and Word docs.

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    A look inside the accessibility portal for a Rubin PDF about email etiquette.

    Rubin is for all learners.

  • Rubin Plays Key Role at Major Career Event for Northern Virginia Schools

    Rubin Plays Key Role at Major Career Event for Northern Virginia Schools

    The Rubin company played a pivotal role at a signature event for students and teachers in Northern Virginia, one of the most densely populated regions in the country.

    The Instruction 2 Industry Career Readiness Event coupled with the inaugural Future Ready Conference enabled Rubin to be a sponsor and conduct a series of networking skills sessions to help students engage with employers. All the action took place in Fairfax County, Virginia on Tuesday, February 18, 2025.

    Rubin founder Danny Rubin led four, 20-minute workshops that taught students how to research a company’s website and generate a question based on a company news article. The lesson is drawn from Rubin’s Emerge employability skills curriculum. The students could then walk up to the employer’s booth at the career event and show genuine curiosity by asking the question.

    Outside of the workshops, we also engaged with many school divisions that use Rubin products: Fairfax County Public Schools, Prince William County Schools, Loudoun County Public Schools, Manassas Park City Schools and Alexandria City Public Schools.

    It was our pleasure to be an event sponsor, teach students real-time networking skills and visit our clients “in real life” rather than through a Zoom window.

    Here are a few photos from the day!

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    Rubin founder Danny Rubin leads a networking workshop with Northern Virginia high school students as part of the Future Ready Conference.
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    Regina Morrone, CTE program manager for Family & Consumer Sciences in Fairfax County, holds a Rubin poster about email etiquette. Rubin provides our Emerge employability skills curriculum to all high schools in Fairfax County, the largest school system in Virginia.
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    Alexandria (Virginia) CTE Specialist Sarah Black holds a Rubin poster at the Future Ready Conference in Fairfax County, Virginia. Alexandria uses the Rubin Emerge employability skills curriculum for all high school students.

    Sponsor and workshop presenter.

  • Rubin Delivers Emerge to Charter Schools Across Miami-Dade

    Rubin Delivers Emerge to Charter Schools Across Miami-Dade

    Rubin, the leader in employability skills training, has now reached charter schools across Miami-Dade, the nation’s third largest school district.

    Educators within 15+ charter schools now have access to Emerge, Rubin’s signature digital curriculum for employability skills that covers topics like email/phone etiquette, interview prep, interoffice communication, public speaking and more.

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    Rubin Director of Instruction Alexis Kruemcke (left) leads charter school educators in Miami-Dade through a training on the Emerge curriculum for employability skills. Rubin founder Danny Rubin (right) assists with the training.

    Rubin already works with Miami-Dade County Public Schools through the division’s career and technical education (CTE) department. Under the direction of Miami-Dade Curriculum Support Specialist Pam Lopez, Rubin now has a direct connection with students in charter schools across South Florida.

    “We are honored to work with Miami-Dade educators to help their students learn critical employability and workplace readiness skills,” said Rubin founder Danny Rubin. “Extending our resources to charter schools allows us to further the mission and make a deeper impact in one of the nation’s largest metropolitan areas.”

    Extending our reach in South Florida.

  • Prince William County CTE Provides Rubin to English Department

    Prince William County CTE Provides Rubin to English Department

    Prince William County Schools in Virginia, a trusted Rubin partner, uses our Emerge employability skills curriculum and Aspire career exploration video library across the district within CTE courses.

    Now PWCS, under the guidance of CTE specialist Shawnell Carmichael, has shared Rubin with the English department to assist with digital literacy skills. Rubin covers writing topics like email etiquette, resumes, thank-you notes and how to sign your name in cursive.

    Rubin is built for the CTE classroom but also addresses critical writing and literacy themes. PWCS has an overarching goal to collaborate across departments, and Rubin serves that purpose well.

    “We are preparing students for life beyond high school,” said Carmichael. “This cannot be a sole job of a CTE teacher. English is also an ideal place to support employability skills for college and career.”

    Here’s an example of a Rubin Emerge lesson that addresses literacy skills.

    How to Remove Pronouns

    Use the search function and look for the following pronouns: this, that, these and those. Ask yourself, “Could the reader become confused by the pronoun? Is so, delete and replace.

    • “Sally gave me thisto say thanks” becomes “Sally gave me the presentto say thanks”
    • “I wrote thatto prove a point” becomes “I wrote the grammar lesson to prove a point”
    • “Theseevents are a good way to meet people” becomes “The networking events are a good way to meet people”
    • “I did a lot of thoseat my internship” becomes “I did a lot of visits to client sitesat my internship”

    Additional pronouns to find: he, she, it, we, they, who, them, him, her, us

    Identify the pronouns in this email:

    Subject line: Did you get it?

    Hi Jane,

    Good morning.

    Did you receive it yet? I sent all of them over to your office earlier this week.

    When I called, she said the mail had not arrived, and I need to know ASAP if you have all of it.

    Please let me know,

    – John Doe

    Complete your work

    Submit a corrected version of the email from Step 2 by replacing at least four pronouns with nouns of your choosing (any noun you want). 

    Below the corrected email, list the four pronouns you removed.

    Use the examples in Step 1 as a guide to correct the email.

    Rubin is the answer for digital literacy skills.

  • Rubin Becomes Employability Skills Partner for The School District of Philadelphia

    Rubin Becomes Employability Skills Partner for The School District of Philadelphia

    Rubin is excited to announce a multi-year agreement to provide online employability skills resources with CTE students in The School District of Philadelphia.

    The agreement, which runs through 2027, allows Rubin to deliver our Emerge employability skills curriculum, Aspire career exploration videos and Propel email etiquette tool.

    CTE teachers for classes like marketing, automotive and culinary arts now use activities for email etiquette, handshakes, phone skills and more within Google Classroom. Rubin provides single sign-on access to its resources through Google Classroom. Students and teachers can view Rubin resources without the need to sign in with a traditional password.

    The School District of Philadelphia is the largest district in the state. We are honored to provide our resources across multiple career pathways to strengthen employability skills.

    “After piloting Rubin in health care classes, district leadership believed that Rubin is a smart choice for all CTE pathways,” said Danny Rubin, founder of Rubin. “Now we are able to help students write, speak and lead no matter what career path they choose.”

    Want to see what Rubin can do for YOUR district? Book a Demo today!

    Largest school district in PA