The 2017 SEED Staff of the Year Network winners (pictured left to right): Eric Lewis (SEED Miami), Latrice Thomas (SEED Miami), Willecia Stubbs (SEED Miami), Jordan Frasier (SEED Foundation), and Leah Prandi-Abrams (SEED Maryland).
This year's SEED Summit saw over 400 staff members from across the entire network gathered at SEED Maryland's campus for two days of community building, professional development, and celebration. Summit began with the SEED Celebration Dinner, featuring performances by current SEED students, graduate remarks, and the first annual SEED Staff of the Year Awards!
This past spring, each SEED school selected their campus-wide winners in the following categories: Teacher, Student Life Team Member, Student Support Team Member, School Support Team Member, and Leader. (The SEED Foundation also nominated staff in the latter three categories.) These exemplary professionals then competed with their counterparts at the other schools for the title of network-wide winner, which was recognized with a trophy and a cash prize of $1,500. Pictured above are the 2017 network-wide Staff of the Year winners--congratulations to these SEED stars!
In addition to the Staff of the Year awards, Thursday featured plenty of joyful reunions, brainstorming sessions, and even an impromptu dance party! Friday, the second day of Summit, was dedicated to tailored professional learning. SEED Staff selected and attended four different 70-minute workshops. The workshops, which were led by other SEED staff, ranged from Technology Integration in the Classroom, to Creating a College-Going Culture, to Mindful Meditation. Over 40 different sessions were offered, including "Managing Yourself: The Starting Point for Leadership," led by our very own CEO, Lesley Poole.
Before saying "so long" to our colleagues, members of The SEED Foundation's Leadership Team took the opportunity to offer some guidance for the year to come. Chief College Success Officer Vincena Allen discussed the ways that all SEED staff, regardless of role, contribute to our students' college success. Project Director Hopi Moodie outlined SEED 20/20, a network-wide, forward-looking plan for the organization's next twenty years. Finally, CEO Lesley Poole illuminated the path that led her to SEED 20 years ago, before leading the staff in a rousing rendition of the SEED pledge.
SEED Summit 2017 was truly a network-wide effort. Nearly 40 staff from all three schools and the Foundation worked together to plan and executive this event, and over 50 staff members from all four entities led professional development workshops. We greatly appreciate their planning, organization, and leadership: Summit would not be possible without them.