Rebecca Eidson Receives Barbara H. James
Consortium Director of the Year Award

CONTACT: REBECCA EIDSON, EXT. 2456

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 8/4/2000
(By Lisa Garrett)

PENDLETON --- Rebecca Eidson, executive director of the Partnership for Academic and Career Education (PACE) for the past three years, has been honored with the Barbara H. James Consortium Director of the Year Award for her exceptional leadership in the Tech Prep initiative in South Carolina. The award was presented at the second annual S.C. Business and Education Summit recently.

PACE, located at Tri-County Technical College, is a business and education consortium serving Anderson, Oconee and Pickens counties to facilitate the development of Tech Prep (PREParation for TECHnologies)/School-to-Work programs in the tri-county area.

Mrs. Eidson, who recently left the PACE office to become the College's director of Enrollment Systems and Community Outreach, was honored for planning and managing the details of the Consortium's tech prep grant, developing business partnerships, and formulating relevant curriculum support strategies. Throughout the year, she designed innovative approaches related to supporting the educational institutions within the Consortium.

"The award is quite an honor for me," said Mrs. Eidson. "It's really a reflection of the strength and creativity of the entire PACE partnership. Even though I am no longer the Consortium director, my new role enables me to help the public understand the many wonderful career opportunities provided through technical education."

Thirteen years ago, area school districts, Tri-County Technical College and other partners formed this partnership offering occupational focus for more than half of the high school students in the tri-county area. Tech Prep/School-to-Work links high school and two-year college programs by eliminating the gaps and overlaps between these two levels of education. It also provides opportunities for students to be better prepared for the world of work through career guidance, blended academic and occupational education and workbased learning opportunities.

The PACE consortium, comprised of the seven school districts of Anderson, Oconee and Pickens counties, Tri-County Technical College, local businesses and industries, community agencies and Clemson University, focuses on Tech Prep and School-to Work initiatives for all levels of education. "Joint staff development, teacher training, curriculum and career development materials for the classroom and workbased learning experiences for students are just a few of the activities we have worked on together," she added.

PACE was named the best Tech Prep program in the country in 1991 by the U.S. Department of Education (USDOE) and received one of three national awards presented by the American Association of Community Colleges. This was the first time that the USDOE and the AACC recognized the nation's best Tech Prep programs.

Mrs. Eidson joined the College in 1995 as a PACE career specialist and in 1997 was named executive director of the business education partnership. During her time with PACE, she wrote a mentoring guide which was selected for nationwide use by the Ford Academy of Manufacturing Sciences. She developed the handbook for business and industry personnel involved in the School-to-Work program.

She holds a bachelor's degree from Newberry College and a master's degree in human resource development from Clemson University.

She and her husband, Gary, live in Clemson and have one son.
-30-