A collaboration of educators, employers, and economic development professionals in the Roanoke and New River Valleys, the Alleghany Highlands, and the greater Lynchburg region.

Summit Agenda

Pre-Summit Tours & Sessions

  • Brain Day - Brain Day is a collaboration between the Virginia Tech Department of Psychology and the Department of Neuroscience. The workshop and demonstrations encourage High School students to learn about substance use prevention with an educational focus on how the brain works. https://news.vt.edu/videos/k/2024/03/1_polq4p8t.html

    RSVP ▼

  • HOSA - Meet with Virginia HOSA Director Audrey Crenshaw-Valentine to learn more about the premier organization for student leaders pursuing careers in the healthcare industry and starting a chapter in your school. HOSA's two-fold mission is to promote career opportunities in the health care industry and to enhance the delivery of quality health care to all people.

    RSVP ▼

  • NEW RESOURCE: Virtual Community of Practice - This interactive online community is found on the Blue Ridge Partnership website www.virginiahealthcareers.org and features Career Maps, health workforce data, educational resources, articles, blogs, discussion boards, and more. Powered by George Mason Center for Health Workforce.

    RSVP ▼

  • 4H Mobile Health Sciences Lab - (Parking Lot Beside 3 Riverside) - Co-funded by Virginia Cooperative Extension and the Claude Moore Charitable Foundation, this rolling classroom features five interactive stations to introduce elementary-age students to health sciences. Custom curriculum was developed by Virginia Tech faculty, Claude Moore educators, and Blue Ridge Partnership stakeholders. This mobile resource will initially focus on partnering with school districts in rural and medically underserved areas.

    RSVP ▼

  • GO TEC BUS - (Parking Lot Beside 3 Riverside) - Great Opportunities in Technology and Engineering Careers (GO TEC) is headquartered at the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research in Danville, VA (GO Virginia Region 3). The GO TEC Career Connections program introduces students to five focus areas: precision machining, welding, IT/cybersecurity, robotics, automation and mechatronics, and advanced materials. Healthcare, identified as a regional priority, has also been included as a unit within the program. Students complete a nine-unit curriculum that exposes them to various career pathways and career-specific vocabulary. GO TEC is collaborating with the Blue Ridge Partnership to establish the Southern Virginia Partnership for Health Science Careers throughout GO Virginia Region 3.

    RSVP ▼

Welcome & Opening remarks

  • Nancy Howell Agee, Chief Executive Officer, Carilion Clinic
  • Cynthia Lawrence, Director Office of Workforce Development, Carilion Clinic
  • Reverend Dr. William "Bill" Lee
  • The Honorable Terry L. Austin, Virginia House of Delegates

RSVP ▼

Featured Speakers

  • Michael J. Friedlander, Ph.D., Executive Director, Fralin Biomedical Research Institute
  • Lee Learman, M.D., Ph.D., Dean, Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine
  • Bret Danilowicz, Ph.D., President, Radford University
  • Meelin Dian Chin Kit-Wells, D.D.S., M.Ed, Clinical Assistant Professor School of Dental Medicine; Community/Pediatric Dentist, University at Buffalo
  • Student Panel

RSVP ▼

K-12 LEARNING TRACK

  • Breakout Session 1: Partnership Success Stories
  • Breakout Session 2: Visits and Field Trips and Resources, Oh My!
  • Optional Session: Brain Day

RSVP ▼

POST-SECONDARY LEARNING TRACK

  • Breakout Session 1: Workforce Needs, Employer & Educational Remedies.
  • Breakout Session 2: Post-Secondary Pathways to the Health Workforce.
  • Optional Session: Brain Day

RSVP ▼