Meet our new Executive Director, Alex Bullen Coutts

Hello!

I am thrilled to have joined the team at the Martha’s Vineyard Center for Education and Training as Executive Director. It’s been a whirlwind first month on the job – I’ve loved getting to know the team, meeting with community partners, and dreaming up new ways to grow programs and continue to serve the island community with exciting opportunities for career development, higher education and personal growth.

A few weeks back I was honored to be interviewed by the Vineyard Gazette – if you missed the article, read it here  – where I shared a bit about my history, my passion for working with young adults, and my commitment to lifelong learning.

A few hot takes, if you’re into that kind of thing…

  • I’ve been working in nonprofits and education on the Island for about a decade, most recently at the MV Charter School as a community outreach coordinator. Before that, I worked at the Island Wide Youth Collaborative, developing programming for young adults. You may have seen a weekly newsletter and instagram account I managed, called Oyster MV.  It’s my dream to bring some of that same sense of community-building and social engagement to MVCET.
  • I strongly believe that our career paths don’t have to be linear. In my twenties, I was a yoga teacher, waitress, and wrote novels for young adults. In my early thirties, I was home with my kids. Sometimes the road to a job you love is long and winding; sometimes there are switchbacks and hairpin turns. You may decide to  jump tracks completely. At MVCET, it’s our goal to be here for you, wherever you are in your journey to meaningful employment.
  • I can’t wait to meet and hear from you! Our mission at MVCET is to serve learners and job-seekers of all ages, living year-round on Martha’s Vineyard. If that’s you, give a shout!  What would you like to see offered at MVCET? We have so many exciting new programs in the works – from nursing to small business support, computer programming to early childhood education. What are we missing? Drop a line, send us a DM, or stop by our new office to say hello.

Lastly,

Be sure to give us a follow on Instagram if you haven’t yet, and stay tuned for more newsletters and a fresh new look. We’ll be sharing lots of photos of programs, events and behind-the-scenes glimpses of summer so far.

Here’s to a happy, productive season – with lots of beach breaks, time in the garden, meals with friends and fun in the sun. 

Excited to be on this journey with you all,

Alex

2023-07-28T15:07:58-04:00June 8th, 2023|In the News, News, Top News|

MVCET receives “Non-Profit of the Year” Award from SCORE

This October, the SCORE Cape & Islands Small Business Awards selected Martha’s Vineyard Center for Education & Training (MVCET, formerly ACE MV) as Non-Profit of the Year!

This recognition is for a nonprofit on the Cape & Islands that demonstrates the use of sound business principles in the execution of its mission.

SCORE’s 29th annual Awards Breakfast was held Wednesday, October 26 at Family Table Collaborative South Yarmouth, and the award was accepted by MVCET Executive Director Holly Bellebuono.

Watch SCORE’s video about MVCET

2022-11-14T17:29:38-05:00November 14th, 2022|Events, In the News, News, Top News|

ACE MV’s White Paper on Island Youth

Next Steps for Martha’s Vineyard: Recommendations to Expand Opportunities for Youth and Young Adults

ACE MV is pleased to provide you with the Final Report “Next Steps for Martha’s Vineyard: Recommendations to Expand Opportunities for Youth and Young Adults. This research report stems from our UMass Chan School of Medicine Rural Scholars project, sponsored by the Dukes County Health Council. Our focus was to identify service gaps, barriers, and needs of the Vineyard’s disconnected youth and young adult population, and we worked with dozens of community stakeholders to develop these comprehensive and formal recommendations.

We hope these recommendations will be embraced by you, your organization, and our community partners as we all strive to improve the lives of our Island’s youth. Please share this with your team and refer to it when making decisions about planning, equity, inclusivity, education, economics, housing, workforce, and community health. Your feedback is welcome.

Click here to view and download.

2022-02-16T17:43:59-05:00February 16th, 2022|Blog, Career Connections, News, Top News|

ACE MV Wins Workforce Training Grants

Reprinted from The Vineyard Gazette Jan 5 2022:

ACE MV (Adult and Continuing Education of Martha’s Vineyard) has been awarded four new grants to support education and training for Island workers and youths, according to an announcement from the organization this week.

Grants from the MV Bank Charitable Foundation and the MV Community Foundation will fund ACE MV’s Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) Program. The bank’s charitable oundation also provided funding for an additional Medical Interpreter Course, to train bilingual Vineyard residents in ethical and effective interpreter services for hospital, clinic and Covid site language needs. These grants will significantly lower the cost of tuition for each student who enrolls, according to the announcement.

A grant from the Couch Family Foundation will support ACE MV’s Youth Workforce & Career Pathways programming for the Island’s high school youth and young adults. And with a grant from Santander Bank Foundation, ACE MV will continue working closely with the high school, the charter school and young adults up to age 26 to provide free workshops and learning opportunities, especially in financial literacy and career readiness.

2022-02-04T16:18:19-05:00January 7th, 2022|In the News, News, Top News|