Happy Holidays from ACE MV!

Wishing you all the best this holiday season — and with gratitude for the strong showing of community support we’ve received during this season of giving.

Please take a moment to view our annual appeal: Celebrating Student Success!

Wishing you peace and joy in the new year — from our community to yours.

-The ACE MV Team

Alex, Courtney, Sonja, Megan & Garrett

Don’t miss out on program announcements and information! Follow us on social media to stay up to date with the latest program news:

Greetings!

The fall semester is underway at ACE MV with active cohorts across our Career Explorations programs in early childhood education, small business and entrepreneurship, wellness workforce, and the electrical program.

Scroll on to learn about upcoming courses, events, and programs with ACE!

Island Career Pathways Night

Join us for Island Career Pathways Night on November 13th, 5:00 – 7:30 PM, to explore career pathways and training programs available to you, with panel discussions including representatives from trade schools, community colleges, local training programs, employers and Island workforce scholarship providers. Students, parents & community members are all welcome!

Chat with industry leaders and local employers to learn more about the opportunities available to you!

All attendees will be entered to win a $500 ACE MV Career Pathways Education Award!

Got questions? Let us know!

Join us this Thursday to learn the basics of investing, from stocks and bonds to mutual funds and ETFs, with a special focus on Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) criteria and Socially Responsible Investing (SRI).

Chris Edgerly is a holistic coach who focuses on helping clients with financial wellness and the underlying mindset needed to help them reach their financial goals. He is a certified financial education instructor affiliated with the NFEC. He is also the force behind 5D Ventures, a socially responsible finance firm.

Scroll on to learn more about why Chris thinks investing can empower you to take charge of your financial future, and what you need to get started.

Interested in learning more? Contact Courtney!

ACE MV is the proud recipient of a Mass Clean Energy Center Equity Workforce Planning and Capacity Grant. This grant will allow us to spend time planning and developing career pathways for Island-based “Green Jobs,” with a focus on HVAC repair and other emerging opportunities related to the clean energy transition. Stay tuned for more information and a training program launch in 2025!

Prepare to get or renew your construction supervisor’s license! This is a 24.5-hour exam preparation course for the Construction Supervisor License (CSL) of MA. Classes meet on Martha’s Vineyard once a week for seven weeks.

When: Wednesdays 3:30 – 7 PM | Jan 22 – Mar 12, 2025

Location: MVRHS

Questions? Call 978-939-3435 or email NAILIT@contractorsuccess.com

Early Childhood Education Program

Interested in becoming an early childhood educator? Join our grant-funded Early Childhood Education Career Explorations program! The next semester of the ECE program begins in the spring of 2025. Got questions? Email Joanne!

Don’t miss out on program announcements and information! Follow us on social media to stay up to date with the latest program news:

Greetings!

The busiest season of the year is upon us and Islanders and visitors alike are feeling the heat—beach days, melting ice cream cones, lively restaurants, bustling streets, and all the other good stuff! Here at ACE we have been busy planning ahead for fall offerings and other exciting programs to come, while also savoring the successes of our current programs. Our CAMP! summer internship pilot program is now underway with interns placed across 12 different Island employers (stay tuned for a separate newsletter highlighting this program). Read on to learn more about what we have to look forward to in the fall and beyond!

Stay cool out there, friends!

-The ACE MV Team

ACE MV will be continuing cohorts this fall in Early Childhood Education, Wellness Workforce, Small Business and Language Access. For more information about any of these program, please email Garrett.

There are open spots for students interested in taking ACC 101: Principles of Accounting this fall, a 4-credit course focusing on the basic structure of financial record keeping, including the preparation of financial statements for service and merchandizing firms. Other topics covered include deferrals and accruals, cash reconciliation, receivables and payables, payroll accounting, internal control and accounting ethics.

Weekly work load: Three lecture hours and one computer laboratory hour per week.

This class is FREE and students will need to enroll with Bristol Community College.

Learn more about the contents of the class here.

If you would like to sign up for this class, please reach out to Garrett.

This 8 week course will prepare you for the state certification exam to become a CNA, Certified Nursing Assistant. This training covers basic nursing skills, personal care skills, and recognition for mental health and social service needs, basic restorative services and residential rights. Employment opportunities exist at hospitals, nursing homes, home health care agencies, domiciliary care and residential care facilities.

Program Structure

-Weekly lectures on Zoom | Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 4:30 – 9:00 PM

-A one week in-person laboratory

-Two week clinical rotation

Classes begin on September 23rd and end on November 22nd, 2024.

This course is free to all students (including tuition, books/materials, and travel to lab and clinical rotations.  Space is extremely limited.  Please reach out to Laura if you are interested in enrolling!

ACE MV is proud to partner with the Rural Public Health Workforce Training Network and Cape and Islands Area Health Education Center at Cape Cod Community College to make this 60-hour certification in Community Health Work available to Vineyard residents!

Community Health Workers (CHWs) are trusted, frontline workers that play a crucial role in supporting the health and wellbeing of people in their communities.  No special clinical education or training is needed to become a CHW. Community health workers have strong ties to individuals and families in their communities. Their role allows them to bridge clients to health and social services and increase access to services that their clients need. Through a variety of roles, CHWs bridge community members to better health and quality of life.

More details coming soon!

Let us know if you are interested in learning more about this training!

If you are a seasoned interpreter looking to expand your skill set, ACE MV is partnering with Embracing Culture to offer two certificate-bearing trainings: Advanced Note-Taking Skills for Interpreters, and Interpreting in Behavioral Health.

Let us know if you are interested in learning more about this training!

In Person Info Session: September 12th | 6 PM

Virtual Info Sessions: September 26 + October 10

Email us here to learn more about this program.

Don’t miss out on program announcements and information! Follow us on social media to stay up to date with the latest program news:

Greetings!

As we roll into the high-season, we wanted to take a moment to reflect on a truly incredible year of off-season programming at ACE MV. Since September, we’ve supported over 200 students through Career Exploration cohort-learning programs, including community college coursework and workforce training, as well as School for Offseason Survival (SOS) workshops and professional development offerings. We introduced our very first Brazilian Portuguese Teacher Training program, and served the Island business community with customized classes including human-relations and leadership support, financial literacy and language classes.

At the beginning of the month we were thrilled to be able to celebrate our students with an end-of-the-year party at Nomans. This was an opportunity to be together as a community of learners, as well as hear from and celebrate our wonderful program coordinators and facilitators. Read on to learn more about what each cohort has accomplished this year.

We feel lucky to work with such a wonderful team of facilitators and to serve our dedicated community of learners on MV. We’re already excited about new programs and classes we’ll be launching this fall, but until then — we’ll see you at the beach!

Alex Bullen Coutts
Executive Director, ACE MV

Small Business and Entrepreneurship Certificate Program

From Program Coordinator Garrett Burt:

Launching in January of this year, our Small Business and Entrepreneurial Management Cohort, presented in partnership with Bristol Community College, successfully completed its inaugural semester in May. Our students excelled in classes that included Quickbooks, Personal Finance, and Principles of Management. Future semesters will include classes on Marketing, Sales, and Accounting, to name just a few. We look forward to our students’ continued achievements in this program and beyond!

Career Explorations: Language Access

From Program Facilitator Izadora Santos:

In my role as a program facilitator of The Art of Medical Interpretation, Advanced Note-Taking, and Interpreting In Mental Health classes, guiding our students through this journey has been a privilege. One of the highlights was our in-person study night, which provided an opportunity for in-depth learning and fostered a sense of community and friendship among all of us.

We organized a Zoom class focused on post-course opportunities, providing valuable insights into potential career paths and further education. This session was designed to help students confidently navigate their next steps, armed with the skills and knowledge they acquired during the program. The combination of specialized training, community-building activities, and continuous support has prepared our participants to excel in their future endeavors, particularly as medical health interpreters, mental health interpreters, and specialists in note-taking.

See more of Izadora’s reflections here.

Career Explorations: Wellness Workforce

From Program Facilitator Laura Edelman:

Since January, I’ve had the pleasure to work with participants in this program. I was inspired by the motivation, curiosity and engagement of the program participants. I want to give a big shout out and congratulations to the Wellness Workforce students who successfully completed CNA training in partnership with Upper Cape Tech in Bourne! These hard-working adult learners attended Zoom classes several nights a week and traveled off island for clinical hours, many while also working full-time and taking care of family members.

I am also grateful to the nurses, doctors, lab technicians, hospital administrative staff, counselors and other healthcare professionals who came to our cohort meetings and spoke about their professional experiences. Thank you for generously sharing your knowledge while offering support and encouragement to the students.

Photo by Eunki Seonwoo for MV Times. Left to right: MVCS early childhood program director, student Panecia Daniels and Oliver Osnoss, Cape Cod Community College liaison Deborah Maher, students Sayra Guimaraes, Avery Miner, and Sabrina Scott, and MVCS family childcare network coordinator Joanne Lambert.

Career Explorations: Early Childhood Education (English)

From Program Facilitator Deb Maher:

This program has grown from 10 members in 2022, to 25 active students taking courses and working towards differing individual goals. One of the most rewarding aspects of our ECE Cohort is the rich diversity of our students in terms of ages/stages, backgrounds, experiences, interests, needs, and goals. That helps make the program an enriching learning experience for all of us.

This collaborative project has involved working together with ACE MV, a grant from West Chop Foundation, MV Community Services Early Childhood Programs, and 4Cs, to help grow and develop our needed workforce to help educate and support our children and families here on the Vineyard. We are grateful for the many contributions of all our collaborative colleagues.

See more of Deb’s reflections here.

Career Explorations: Early Childhood Education (Portuguese)

From Program Facilitator Sayra Guimaraes:

As a Portuguese facilitator, I’ve had an amazing experience bridging conversations between colleges, professors, and students. My role involved facilitating effective communication in Portuguese, ensuring clarity and understanding among all parties. Whether it was translating academic materials, aiding in discussions, or clarifying complex concepts, I played a crucial part in fostering a productive educational environment.

This experience has been incredibly rewarding, as I’ve witnessed firsthand the positive impact of clear communication on academic success and collaboration. It has also sharpened my language skills and deepened my appreciation for the importance of effective communication in educational settings. I really appreciate ACE MV for giving me the opportunity to be part of this amazing program and be able to connect and make new friends for life.