Regional Education Program

The Potomac Regional Education Partnership (PREP) was inaugurated in 1998 as an education-focused public-private partnership which addressed the need for a unified K-20 approach to the region's educational challenges. Its role as a key convener and coordinator of local educational instututions, federal government, private sector and foundations around regional education reform led to its formal adoption as a COG program in 2001.

COG's Regional Education Program, building upon the firm foundation established by PREP, seeks to enhance the region's capacity to provide world class training to meet workforce demands of the technical 21st Century.

Through coalition building, conferences, training, publications and special projects, the Regional Education Program addresses such issues as work force development, school safety, student achievement, college access, technology in the classroom, professional development for educators and teacher recruitment.

Current programs provide targeted assistance to failing schools so that they can successfully integrate technology into the curriculum, utilizing a proven approach to technology training for teachers that combines online mentoring and workshops with materials.

Technology Training for Teachers

COG's Regional Education Program recently completed its role as a program manager of the Intel Teach to the Future program, which trained 4,000 teachers to use technology in their classrooms and brough more than $3 million in training and equipment to 11 school districts within the COG school system. The pool of mentor teachers created still continues to train additional teachers in some school districts. COG sustains the momentum of the Teach to the Future program through Mentors in Technology which is establishing a model for teachers training teachers.

After-School Programs

COG has received a matching grant from the Weinberg Foundation to support After-School Align. This region-wide project identifies under-utilized computer centers in area schools and works with the community and schools to develop after-school programming that assists youth in improving learning. While program structures are flexible and tailored to match local needs, specific attention is given to improving math and reading skills for targeted youth. COG's Education Program also provides professional development for teachers, financial support to the partner schools and access to software.

Alternative Routes to Teacher Certification

COG's Regional Education Program is partnering with Howard University Graduate School of Education in Transition to Teaching, an initiative that recruits mid-career professionals and college graduates for teaching positions in area schools. This alternative teacher certification program expects to attract nearly 300 new teachers for classroom positions in Arlington, Alexandria and Prince George's County as well as the District of Columbia. The program provides intensive training, mentorship, an 2-year teaching contract with a partnering school district and paid tuition for 18 hours of graduate credit towards certification and/or a Masters Degree at Howard University Graduate School of Education.

Federal News Radio Audio Clip of Judith J. Davis, Mayor City of Greenbelt and Vice Chair COG Board of Directors MP3 format (2.7MB)

Federal News Radio Audio Clip of Joan Brown, Executive Director Transition to Teaching MP3 format (2.7MB)

School-to-Career Information Management System (SCIMS) - Proposed

This program, currently under development, will be an interactive web-based database enabling the local school systems, business and industry and students to coordinate their school-to-career activities across the region's jurisdictional lines.

Program Contacts

Henry Smith, PREP Coordinator - (202) 962-3278
Jeff Aron, PREP Consultant - (202) 962-3270