O/N BOCES receives national award for corrections literacy and job skills program

Provided photo: Dr. Michael Weyrauch (Orleans/Niagara BOCES Director of Continuing Education, Career and Technical Education and Instructional Services), Susan Diemert (Literacy Specialist) and Colleen Osborn (Board of Education President) accept the Magna Award in New Orleans.

Press Release/Orleans/Niagara BOCES

MEDINA – The Orleans/Niagara BOCES was one of the grand prize winners in the 29th annual Magna Awards program sponsored by the National School Boards Association’s flagship magazine, American School Board Journal.

This year, the Magna Awards recognize school districts and their leaders for their innovative, out-of-the-box thinking to address district challenges. Members of the NSBA Board of Directors Awards Committee selected the winners from district submissions.

“The Magna Awards spotlight innovative programs that are making a difference for students and the communities where they live,” said NSBA Executive Director and CEO Verjeana McCotter-Jacobs. “From providing incarcerated individuals with essential job readiness training and hope for the future to preparing students for the ever-evolving landscape of careers through specialized programs, each of our grand prize-winning programs exemplifies the transformative power of education. These award winners serve as shining examples of what can be achieved when creativity and dedication intersect in the pursuit of excellence.”

There were three grand prize-winning programs and Orleans/Niagara BOCES won in the Under 5,000 enrollment.  The local BOCES was recognized for their Corrections Literacy and Job Skills: A Second Chance program provides incarcerated students and adults the opportunity to take classes and training to increase their chance of employment after release at Niagara County Jail. (You can view a movie about the jail program at this link: https://youtu.be/S24fyIe8Cac.)

Representatives Orleans/Niagara BOCES Board of Education – President Colleen Osborn, Literacy Specialist Susan Diemert and Director of Continuing Education, Career and Technical Education and Instructional Services Dr. Michael Weyrauch – were presenters at NSBA’s Annual Conference in New Orleans in April and were featured in the 2024 Magna Awards video. All winners will be highlighted in the April issue of ASBJ at www.nsba.org/asbj.

Founded in 1940, the National School Boards Association’s (NSBA) purpose is to ensure each student everywhere has access to excellent and equitable public education governed by high-performing school board leaders and supported by the community.

With members spread across the United States, the Virgin Islands, and Canada, NSBA is the only national organization representing school boards. Along with its member state associations and member public school districts representing locally elected school board officials serving millions of public school students, NSBA believes that public education is a civil right necessary to the dignity and freedom of the American people and that each child, regardless of their ability, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, identity, or citizenship, deserves equitable access to an education that maximizes their individual potential.