The moment Coronavirus sent Lowndes County students home for distance learning, Jason Van Nus had a plan.

As the work-based learning (WBL) coordinator for the county, Lowndes has spent the past school year using Emerge, our online curriculum for communication skills, in his workshops and classroom instruction for nearly 200 students.

Van Nus even helped a student, Kellylynn Lofton, secure a competitive job opportunity at the region’s biggest employer.

Now that students must learn from home, Van Nus again looked to Emerge for appropriate learning materials for students who can use online tools and those who can’t.

“I can incorporate the content from Emerge any way I need to,” says Van Nus. “It’s flexible for my students with internet access and it easily becomes a printed packet for those who don’t have internet or a device in which to access the internet.”

Van Nus prepared online and printed exercises from Emerge that cover three main topics:

• Handwritten notes to tell people thanks for their assistance
• “Storytelling” cover letter, a signature Rubin method that helps students share an example of their work ethic
• Phone etiquette skills

Van Nus coupled the activities with templates and guides from the Rubin book, Wait, How Do I Write This Email?, which is provided to teachers and students inside Emerge as an ebook.

For the students with internet and appropriate devices, Van Nus posted the assignments in Google Classroom.

And for the students without digital access, Van Nus put the information in a printed packet that students obtained from the school site closest to their homes.

“In particular, the handwritten note lessons in Emerge are perfect right now,” says Van Nus. “My students without internet access or digital devices can use paper and pen to complete the assignment — and they learn a valuable life skill at the same time.”

Even in a crisis, Rubin comes through.

How can Emerge help your school? Contact us to start the conversation.