Aberdeen, Maryland (Sept. 28, 2015)--- Aberdeen Proving Ground collaborated with its surrounding community education partners and co-sponsored an Education Event here on Saturday Sept. 26.
Titled "Investing in the Future -- Planting the Seed," the event included participants from the Maryland State Department of Education, the Harford County (Md.) School District, the Cecil County (Md.) School District, and the Baltimore County School District, in addition to APG Senior Commander and U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Commanding General Maj. Gen. Bruce T. Crawford.
The event centered on a panel discussion followed by two workshop session available to parents, students and educators.
After a welcome from Maj. Gen. Crawford, the opening panel discussion involved Crawford, Mary Gable, Assistant State Superintendent, Maryland State Department of Education; Barbara P. Canavan, Superintendent of Harford County Schools; and George Roberts, Senior Executive Director of Curriculum and Instruction, Baltimore County Public Schools.
All stressed the importance of partnership in the overall education process.
"For those of us in education for a long time, we thought we were alone in the education process," Gable said. "We have finally come to the realization that education is not a solo effort.
"It is a partnership --- as we look at that partnership, we ask what can our schools do, what can APG, Fort Meade, and the Naval Academy and other community partners do and how that combination can be used to advance those experiences our children need to get exposed to to open their perspectives and really get them thinking about what they want to become and how to achieve that."
Canavan called her county's use of APG as important and complimented the proving ground for their "graciousness."
"A partnership like the one we have here with APG is extremely important and unique," Canavan said. "APG offers so much in the way of science, technology, engineering and math --- better known as STEM. Two of our cooperative programs -- Real Internships in Science and Engineering and our 8th Grade Program --- offer internships and mentorships that can assist our children looking to enter the engineering or cybersecurity fields.
"We have seen an increase in the area by tenfold … and it is extremely moving to see a child's belief in themselves grow exponentially as they take advantage of what APG has to offer.
Roberts saw Baltimore County as doubly lucky in the regard that while there isn't one base of note in the county, his residents can take advantage of not only APG, but Fort Meade as well.
"We can go North (APG) or South (Meade)," Roberts said. "But as my colleagues have already said, the partnerships in all cases are critically important. We are faced more and more with an international focus. The world is getting smaller. Our students need to take advantage of the mountain of expertise available in our local area. They can and will use that expertise to compete in the always emerging areas of STEM studies and especially cyber."
Once the panel session concluded, session attendees could visit individualized group sessions covering topics such as the Student Ambassador Program, Career & Technical Education, College Career Ready, Cyberbullying, Mental Health Issues in Childhood, the Maryland Agenda for Wellness, Educational Opportunities for Military Children, DoD STEM Opportunities, PARCC Assessments, Adolescent Drug Use, the Maryland Youth Performance Triad, and General Bullying.
Parents found the session "quite interesting."
"I loved the personal stories about believing in and knowing your child," said Carmen Kifer, a Harford County resident and parent of a Youth's Benefit Elementary student and a Fallston Middle School students. "It really hit home to me that relationships matter. The relationship one has as a parent with your child, with yourself, with pastors, guidance counselors, teachers, you name it.
"And what Mrs. Canavan said passed to her by her father … be sure to get your child one rung higher than you are … that rang out loud and clear."
"I thought the panel discussion was an excellent presentation for parents in preparing the children for knowing what's available and getting keyed in on the path to making that happen," said Andre Armstrong, a parent attending not only with his wife, Joan Beckett-Armstrong, but son Andre II.
"There is a lot locally that one can take advantage of if one knows and one also knows where to start," he concluded.
"Today's event is bigger than today's event. It's about cultivating the future, "Crawford said. "There has been a local partnership around this base, these communities, since 1917. It is our responsibility to grow the future and that starts in events and programs discussed here today. It's about creating a collaborative space that encourages our students to achieve but it also puts classroom education into real-life experience."
"One thing that cannot be stressed enough," Gabel said, "is that parents need to know that the biggest thing in making their child successful is their engagement with that child. And that includes engagement with the child's school.
"The child will want you there, then they won't. Then they might but at a different level. I can tell you you will always be needed and your support, no matter its form, will go a long way in the success of your child."
The Partnership for Education is expected to be a continuing effort and another part of APG's and CECOM's umbrella effort to engage and support the local community in numerous educational efforts.
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