COLUMBUS – The Columbus-Lowndes Chamber of Commerce Education Committee is hosting its annual Educators are Essential event again this year in the form of a free education conference for local educators across the county.
The CLCC Education Committee hosted a Facebook Live event last year and awarded more than 40 prizes worth more than $4,000 total. In 2023, an all-day free conference for educators was held. We wanted to revisit this type of event but not require teachers to spend an entire Saturday for the conference.
Through the efforts of the Chamber, the education committee partnered with local businesses to bring speakers, educational resources, swag and prizes to local educators throughout the morning. This year, the Chamber’s sponsors gave $4,500 in monetary sponsorships, and over $10,000 in in-kind donations towards the event.
The conference will consist of an information fair and breakfast provided by Chick-Fil-A during registration, followed by two speakers focusing on topics that will help educators of all levels from pre-kindergarten to high school. Door prizes will be announced at intervals throughout the morning.
The event will be held from 8-11:30 a.m. Saturday in Parkinson Hall and the Nissan Auditorium on the Mississippi University for Women campus.
Attendees will receive a swag bag including giveaways, coupons and best of all, a discount card for educators to use at Chamber Member businesses! In addition to the swag bags, teachers will have the opportunity to visit the on-site resource fair consisting of local business vendors offering valuable resources and information.
Special thank you to the MUW Center for Education Support for providing the venue and refreshments. Thank you to our sponsors: 4-County, Airbus, Chick-fil-A, Financial Concepts, Friendly City Books, International Paper, Steel Dynamics, Dr. Josie Shumake, Colin Krieger with Remax Partners, The W, and Galloway-Chandler-McKinney Insurance, and Rita Felton Coaching and Consulting, LLC.
Featured speakers:
Rita Felton is a retired U.S. Air Force command chief master sergeant, transformational speaker, certified coach, and CEO of Accentuate Life Ministries and Rita Felton Consulting LLC. With a doctoral degree in biblical counseling and strategic leadership, she empowers others through faith, leadership and service. She’s also a published author, civil service commissioner, and passionate advocate for global philanthropy. Her motto: “Do for one what you want to do for all.”
Chris Chism is a veteran educator with nearly three decades of leadership experience. As superintendent of Pearl Public School District, he has driven academic and athletic excellence, earning the district an “A” rating and boosting graduation rates to among the highest in Mississippi. A recognized expert in educational technology and artificial intelligence, Chism has delivered hundreds of presentations nationwide, including to the U.S. House Education Committee and the Mississippi Senate. His work has earned him multiple administrator of the year honors and widespread recognition for innovation, community service, and policy leadership.
“We just want to say, ‘Lowndes County educators: we see you, we value you, and the business community’s got your back,’” said Carrie Martin, director of the CLCC.
Educators must register to attend the event in advance at this link: form.jotform.com/251954407503153.
For more information or to offer support, contact Director Carrie Martin.
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