Don Gamble Award

PENNSYLVANIA COOPERATIVE EDUCATION ASSOCIATION

Don Gamble Award: CO-Op Coordinator of the year

Gigi Warner, 2023-2024 Co-Op Coordinator of the Year

On behalf of the faculty, staff, students, and administrative team at the York County School of Technology (YCST), we are excited and honored to submit a nomination letter for our outstanding and esteemed Cooperative Education Coordinator, Ms. Gigi Warner. Ms. Warner has served the students and collaborated with colleagues of YCST since 1999.

Ms. Warner collaborates with our 38 Technical Teachers across our 26 Career and Technical Education Programs to manage an average of 120 students per year who are placed on technical program-related work-based learning experiences. The following phrases are repeated when talking to CTE teachers regarding Ms. Warner:

"She is a true collaborative colleague who works with each technical program, our Occupational Advisory Committee Employers, and establishing the long-term school-employer partnerships that benefit our students and prepare them for their future technical-related workforce career."

"Ms. Warner is dedicated to our students and ensuring they are placed at an appropriate and engaging positive employer site where the student can be mentored and evolve to become the next generation of technical workforce employee we need now more than ever."

"As a long-term York Tech co-op employer, I know when Ms. Warner calls, she has a student who is prepared and dedicated to the professional workplace expectations we have, and the student has the technical knowledge and skills to accelerate into their role as a respected employee among our team."

"She is downright amazing! Annually, she manages over I 00 students at employers throughout York, Lancaster, and Adams counties. She is dedicated to our students and ensuring they have an amazing cooperative education experience."

"As an alumni, I would not be where I am without the Cooperative Education experience I had while at York Tech. Ms. Warner and my Technical Teacher really looked out for me and found me an employer I could work with my Senior year and continue working with after graduation. I am still working for them. Thank you, Ms. Warner."

It should also be noted that Ms. Warner plays a significant role with our Occupational Advisory Committees, serves on the York County Alliance for Learning Board, the YCST Job Shadow program, the YCST Senior Graduation Committee, and also leads the event coordination of our annual YCST Cooperative Education Employer Appreciation Dinner. As noted previously, Ms. Warner started at YCST in 1999. She plans on retiring this year, and awarding her the Pennsylvania Cooperative Education Association Cooperative Education Coordinator will enable her to (Cue Prince Music now) celebrate like it is 1999 for the 2023-2024 school year.

Thank you to Ms. Warner for your dedication and service to the Educational Community of York Tech and the employers of York County and South-Central Pennsylvania.

*Dr. Scott Rogers, Administrative Director

(*former Cooperative Education Coordinator, Baltimore County Public Schools, 2000-2005)