WILMINGTON —– From overcoming language barriers to fostering social emotion learning to readying high school students to enter the workforce, Delaware is home to innovative approaches to education that are worth celebrating. The Delaware State Chamber of Commerce and its workforce development affiliate, The Partnership, Inc., named three programs in 2020 as Superstars in Education award winners, all of which exemplify creativity and efficacy in education.

Last May. the State Chamber was unable to hold its annual Superstars in Education awards ceremony due to the pandemic. Instead, the State Chamber recently took the celebration to each school for a small, in-person award presentation and banner hanging. Each school also received a surprise $1,000 grant from The Partnership, Inc. to expand their program.

The 2020 Superstars in Education are:

Sussex Tech Health Professions Program, Sussex Technical School District

Of the school’s 17 career-technical areas, the Health Professions Program is the most popular. Through classroom and clinical instruction, students gain hands-on experience and training for a range of careers in medical or healthcare fields. The four-year program prepares students to ultimately achieve certified nurse assistant (CNA) status, which allows graduates to enter the job market immediately upon graduation or to work in their field and earn an income while pursuing higher education.

“Our students are dedicated and incredibly inspiring. We are immensely proud of our graduates who have gone into careers in health care and related fields, from research to biomedical engineering,” said Sussex Tech Health Professions instructor Nancy Massaro, M.Sc., RN. “This recognition is all about the great work that they do every day, in the classroom and in their clinical experience.”

“With the CNA credential, Sussex Tech graduates can go to work immediately in a high-demand field,” said Sussex Tech Health Professions instructor Tamara Lewis, MSN, RN. “Our students work tirelessly to understand the rationale behind the theory and practice the skills they need to succeed. We also appreciate our partnerships with local nursing homes which allow our students to gain real-world experience in their field.”

W.O.L.V.E.S. Reading Program, Las Américas ASPIRA Academy, Charter School

The W.O.L.V.E.S. Reading Program is aligned to Las Américas ASPIRA Academy’s mascot, mission, and vision by fostering a culturally inclusive community that honors and helps all students realize their full potential in English and Spanish content area classrooms and beyond. The program enhances the balanced literacy framework at LAAA by embedding language acquisition scaffolds so that all students, English Language Learners (ELLs) included, improve their literacy achievement, and ultimately close the reading achievement gap.

Student Advisory Program, Talley Middle School, Brandywine School District

At Talley Middle School, teaching and fostering positive social behaviors is important to academic success and creating responsible citizens in the local community. The program was created with the goal to foster positive connections through peer relationships, student-staff relationships, mentoring, social-emotional learning opportunities, and character building.

Since 1989, Superstars in Education has been charged with recognizing outstanding educational programs and individual achievements. This program highlights excellence in innovative teaching, integrated classroom technology practices, and school-to-career pathways.