VRHA

Rural Summit 2024

Date: October 24, 2024
Time: 8:00 am - 3:30 pm
Location: SWVA Higher Education Center, Abingdon, VA

The Annual Rural Summit provides professional development, policy insights, best practices, and networking opportunities for leaders and practitioners. The 2024 Rural Summit features Virginia Secretary of Education, Aimee Guidera, and will explore how educational opportunity creates economic opportunity for children, families, businesses, and the community.

This year, we are offering over 20 different workshops across 3 sessions throughout the day. Subject matter experts in Early Childhood, Mental Health, Education, and Workforce will deliver these engaging workshops. Our keynote speakers this year will be El Brown, Ph.D.and Jim “The Rookie” Morris.

Jim “The Rookie” Morris made his Major League Baseball debut at the age of 35, playing pitcher for Tampa Bay for two seasons. His life story inspired the film, “The Rookie”, and is a shining example for us all to strive to be our best. His keynote outlines the difference between the dream makers and the dream killers in our lives and the effects that they had on him in his life.

Hear From El Brown, Ph.D. as she outlines the significance of nurturing potential, the value of perseverance, the power of community support, the crucial role of Head Start, and the generational influence early childhood educators achieve.