The ability to leave work and travel to-and-from a school to share industry knowledge with students is often challenging for businesses. To help remove geographic and scheduling barriers, PENCIL is launching PENCIL Connect – our new virtual engagement tool. This platform is a digital booking service used to craft engaging classroom experiences with ease. PENCIL Connect is an innovative space where business and community partners provide details on their areas of expertise and educators can browse for digital guest speaking engagements, job shadow experiences, and field trips that fit their individual classroom needs. The service has email–enabled messaging, built-in calendar booking, and more.
“Nashville businesses need to have a connection with Metro Schools because it is such a diverse school system. PENCIL Connect really shows the investment of businesses in MNPS students and speaks directly to our city’s workforce development.” – Brandi Coates, Frist Art Museum
As the Engagement Coordinator at Frist Art Museum, Brandi Coates has years of collaborative experience working with MNPS and other school districts. Before COVID-19 changed the way the world does business, the Frist supported schools through face-to-face experiences like field trips. In today’s pandemic world, virtual engagement is the order of the day and Brandi uses PENCIL Connect to add another level of interaction with Metro schools.
“I recently set up my PENCIL Connect profile,” Brandi commented. “Because we [the Frist] have an education focus, this is the perfect opportunity to connect with teachers and educators, especially with MNPS (I graduated from Antioch High School). I notice that with PENCIL Connect, you’re with groups of like-minded career professionals. Within those groups, you can share documents, send updates, chat; and keep everyone abreast of what’s going on as far partnerships with Metro schools.”
Ready to share your professional expertise with Metro students and teachers? For more information and to sign up for PENCIL Connect, please visit our webpage. If you have questions about the platform, or would like an individualized training session, contact Mike Rossi at MRossi@PENCIL615.org.
