About ACE MV Web Master

This author has not yet filled in any details.
So far ACE MV Web Master has created 20 blog entries.

Reflections from our Career Explorations: Language Access Facilitator, Izadora Santos

2024-06-18T14:34:52-04:00June 18th, 2024|Blog, Classes & Programs, Events|

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 process journey has been a privilege. I had the pleasure of personally meeting all of them when distributing the course materials, which allowed us to establish a connection from the start. One of the highlights was our study night, which included a wonderful dinner. This event provided an opportunity for in-depth learning and fostered a sense of community and friendship among them. The informal setting encouraged open discussions and strengthened the bonds between students and me.

To maintain continuous communication, we set up a WhatsApp group. This platform enabled us to stay connected daily, share important updates, and support each other throughout the program. The group was vital for fostering a collaborative learning environment and ensuring everyone felt engaged and supported. Additionally, 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.

Reflections from our ECE Facilitator, Deb Maher

2024-06-18T14:07:57-04:00June 18th, 2024|Blog, Classes & Programs, Events|

We are pleased to report on the progress and achievements of our ACE MV Early Childhood Education Cohort, which began in September 2022 with 10 members and has grown to include more than 25 currently active students taking courses and working towards differing individual goals. We have also helped build and develop a thriving Early Childhood Education Community network linking our emerging new ECE teachers and other support personal with ECE professionals within our Island Community. 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 exciting and successful collaborative project has involved working together with ACE MV, a grant from West Chop Foundation, MV Community Services Early Childhood Programs, and Cape Cod Community College to help grow and develop our needed workforce to help educate and support our children and families here on the Vineyard. We are very grateful for the many contributions of all our collaborative colleagues.

At the end of this school year and our second year of this project, we are very proud of all our ECE Cohort members, and want to highlight some important milestone accomplishments:

  • Olivia MacPherson, graduating senior at MVRHS this year, earned her Cape Cod Community College (4Cs) ECE Certificate Preschool during the past three years. Olivia took Dual Enrollment courses, for a total of 24 credits and became an active member of our ACE MV ECE Cohort, while being very busy and successful with high school classes and groups such as the school newspaper and creating an archery club for interested schoolmates. Additionally, Olivia has completed all the requirements to become Licensed as an ECE teacher, except for reaching her 21st birthday! She proudly marched in the 4Cs Commencement on MAY 23, and she will receive her official college Certificate after her Graduation from MVRHS next week on JUNE 9. She’ll be continuing her education toward her goal of becoming an ECE teacher at Bridgewater State this fall! Congratulations to our very motivated, hard working, and accomplished Olivia!
  • La-Moi James joined our Cohort in the fall of 2022, and has taken advantage of every course and opportunity to work toward her 4Cs Certificate Infant and Toddlers, which she completed this year and was proud to march in our 4Cs Commencement on MAY 23 to accept that Certificate in person. As we learned in getting to know La-Moi, as a member of our ECE Cohort, she is another motivated and hard working student, who began her journey in her birthplace, Jamaica, and came to the Vineyard after beginning medical studies in Ukraine. In addition to earning her ECE Certificate Infants and Toddlers these past two years, La-Moi is curently enrolling in health care courses and with the help and support of the ACE MV Healthcare Cohort, she will continue to pursue her goal to work toward being a pediatric doctor. We are proud of La-Moi, and her growth and development as a successful adult learner in our Vineyard community for now, and believe she may travel the globe to contribute to the lives of children and families.
  • Claudia Wilson was working in the food service department at MVRHS when she began pursuing her interest in ECE by joining our Cohort and taking 4Cs ECE courses in the fall of 2022. Her successes as a student and strengths as an emerging ECE teacher were recognized by the MV Public Schools when she was hired this March as an ESP assistant in the Project Headway classroom at Oak Bluffs School. We also want to acknowledge and celebrate the special contributions of two of our ECE Cohort members who have helped to deliver two new babes to our Vineyard Community of children and families.
  • Maria Hulka brought her baby boy, Oliver, into our world in April 2024, and Sabrina Scott brought her baby girl, Keziah Lovette, into the world on May 9, 2024. Both Maria and Sabrina are hoping to continue to work towards more ECE courses, as their time and energy allow, as new Moms! We welcome our new ECE learners!

Another ACE MV ECE initiative to meet the needs of our growing Vineyard ECE Cohort brought 16 students from our Brazillian Portuguese community this past October to take ECE courses with Urban College of Boston. Our ACE MV ECE facilitator for that Brazillian Portugues Cohort, Sayra Guimaraes, started out as a member of our ECE Cohort in September 2022, and is now continuing to pursue her AS Degree in Psychology from 4Cs, which she expects to complete in the fall semester 2024. Sayra plans to continue her education well beyond that goal.

On behalf of our collaborative ACE MV ECE team,

Heather Quinn, Director of ECE Programs at MV Community Services
Joanne Lambert, Family Child Care Network Coordinator, MVCS Family Center
Deb Maher, ACE MV ECE facilitator and MV Outreach Coordinator for Cape Cod Community College (4Cs)

May Newsletter: program updates and more

2024-06-18T13:58:12-04:00May 4th, 2024|News|

Greetings!

Sunny days, spring blossoms and the reopening of restaurants are all signs that we made it through another Island winter and the summer season is right around the corner!

Here at ACE we have been busy preparing for the first round of the CAMP! (Community Apprenticeship & Mentorship Program) summer internship program, with a variety of opportunities with local employer partners!

  • Opportunities for high school students, college students, young professionals (20-30s), and beyond!
  • All internships are paid, including professional development opportunities through workshops and seminars, as well as other employer perks.
  • Many opportunities have flexible start dates and are part-time!

Scroll on to learn more and see other program updates!

Wishing you a happy spring!

The ACE MV Team

Upcoming Classes

Learn more
Learn more

CAMP! Summer Internships

Learn more
Learn more
Learn more
Learn more
Learn more
Learn more
Learn more

Program Highlights

Earlier this month ACE MV’s Language Access Cohort gathered together to explore the art of medical interpretation while enjoying some sweet treats at Haven.

The ACE MV cohort learning model cultivates a sense of community between students and program facilitators, providing the opportunity to gather, learn from each other & build a professional network!

A special thanks to Izadora Santos, our Language Access Program facilitator.

Come visit us at the Climate Action Fair on Sunday, May 19th!

Stop by to say hi to Garrett and Jeni, learn about upcoming programming and learning opportunities & pick up some ACE swag!

April Newsletter: program updates and more!

2024-06-18T13:57:57-04:00April 4th, 2024|News|

Spring is in the air! With warmer temperatures comes a shift in energy on the Island, and while we’re eagerly awaiting the buzz of high season (and beach days!) we’re already feeling a bit nostalgic for those expansive, reflective off-season vibes.

Luckily, you’ll have a few more opportunities to dig into some School for Offseason Survival (SOS) courses and workshops. See below for updates and upcoming events.

The big news around ACE is our newest program: CAMP! (Community Apprenticeship & Mentorship Program.) With a pilot season labunching this summer, we can’t wait to connect employer partners with high school students and young professionals for meaningful internship and apprenticeship experiences. Questions about CAMP? Looking for an intern or internship? Read on or email Sonja at sonja@acemv.org to learn more!

Happy Spring!

– The ACE MV Team (Alex, Jeni, Courtney, Garrett & Sonja)

Full Upcoming Class Lineup

Keep scrolling for more information about upcoming classes

HAPPENING TOMORROW! REGISTER NOW!

UPCOMING:

Keep an eye on this page for full listings of upcoming classes!

Upcoming Class Spotlights

TOMORROW! There’s still time to register!
CONFIDENCE BUILDING FOR ENTREPRENEURS

with Barbara Bellissimo

Are you ready to let go of the fear of asking for what you need as an entrepreneur?

This upcoming pop-up with Barbara Bellissimo will help you uncover the inner confidence needed to take the next steps to get what you need to start or grow your business!

We asked Barbara about her background and experience and learned some fun things about her…

Barbara has a rich background in marketing, fundraising and entrepreneurship in both the private and nonprofit sectors. Her work in the private sector involved leading marketing teams at Apple and several internet service providers, including being a co-founder of Privada, a global internet privacy services company. In the nonprofit world Barbara has provided strategic consulting, program management and fundraising services, as well as served as the founding executive director for two community foundations.

“As an entrepreneur and small business owner, I know how hard it is to ask for help. It took me decades to get over my fears of asking, and I don’t want others to have to wait that long.”

When not creating a new cohort of superheroes, you can find Barbara making art, knitting, sitting on the beach or indulging in pretty much anything with bacon in it.

REGISTER NOW

BRAZILIAN PORTUGUESE BASICS

with Maria Angela Moreira

April 4-May 16 IN PERSON

Are you interested in learning Brazilian Portuguese?

Join our 6-week Conversation Basics for Beginners class to learn the essentials for everyday conversation, including greetings, getting to know someone, and sharing a bit about yourself. You will also learn bits and pieces about the Brazilian culture along the way! Instructor: Maria Angela Moreira, founder of Moreira Education Solutions.

This class is intended for beginners.

REGISTER HERE

FINANCIAL WELLNESS IN A SEASONAL ECONOMY

with Jim Curran

April 10, April 24, May 8 (Hybrid)

FREE

Are you looking to be proactive with your summer income and finally put a system in place that helps you prepare for the seasonality of life on the Vineyard? ACE-MV invites you to join us on April 10th, 24th and May 8th, for a three-part financial wellness workshop offering a step-by-step approach for budgeting, debt reduction, credit repair and long-term saving strategies.

Guided on your financial journey by Jim Curran, Financial Know-How Program Manager from Cape Cod 5, you will learn simple and effective (but not always easy) habits we can all put in place to take control of our financial wellbeing.

This class is a FREE offering in partnership with Cape Cod 5!

CAREER EXPLORATIONS UPDATE

CAREER EXPLORATIONS: Wellness Workforce

The ACE MV Wellness Workforce Spring 2024 is up and running. A dedicated group of students meets for monthly cohort meetings and weekly Zoom sessions, led by fabulous cohort facilitator Laura Edelman. Students are pursuing independent or group coursework and training, including a Medical Terminology course at Cape Cod Community College, CNA training at Upper Cape Tech, and a new Community Health Worker Training hosted in partnership with CCAPE. Many thanks to our partners at MV Hospital and Island Health Care for helping to support this group of future health-care professionals!

Interested in learning more about the ACE MV Wellness Workforce career explorations program? Contact Laura at laura@acemv.org.

CAREER EXPLORATIONS: Language & Interpretation

In partnership with CAP (Community Ambassador Partnership) and CCCI (Cross Cultural Communications Inc.) the ACE MV Language & Interpretation cohort brings trainings, community support and professional development to bilingual Brazilian Portuguese-English speakers on MV.

Learn more on our website or contact Izadora Santos at izadora@acemv.org.

CAREER EXPLORATIONS: Education

For the second year, ACE MV is supporting students pursuing education and certification in Early Childhood Education, in partnership with Cape Cod Community College and with support from MV Community Services.

If you are interested in beginning a career in early childhood education, or have questions about the program, please contact Deborah Maher at deb@acemv.org

ACE MV is hoping to once again partner with Fitchburg State College to offer a hybrid-model Master’s in Education program. We are seeking feedback and interest from current and aspiring Island educators.

If you might be interested in joining a cohort of Island students in the Fitchburg MA in Curriculum and Teaching program, please email Courtney Daly at courtney@acemv.org.

CAREER EXPLORATIONS: Small Business & Entrepreneurship

The ACE MV cohort of students participating in the Bristol Community College small business certificate program are well into their first semester of coursework. Classes will continue through summer of 2025.

ACE MV will offer a second certificate program beginning in Fall of 2025. If you are interested in Computer Programming, Information Technology or Web Design and would like to provide feedback about upcoming certificate programs, please contact Garrett Burt at garrett@acemv.org.

CAMP: Community Apprenticeship & Mentorship Program

ACE MV’s pilot study of the new Community Apprenticeship & Mentorship Program is now underway! The mission of CAMP! is to cultivate enriching career development & mentorship opportunities for all Martha’s Vineyard community members, with a particular focus on young adults. The 2024 pilot program goals include the development of a summer internship program working with employer partners across the Island, as well as the creation of long-term apprenticeship opportunities for community members.

Keep your eye out for more internship/apprenticeship postings coming soon on the CAMP! website!