Wolfe receives 2016 Outstanding ESU Staff Member Award from NRCSA

From the ESU 2 web page

Diane Wolfe, digital learning director for Educational Service Unit 2, received the 2016 Outstanding ESU Staff Member Award from the Nebraska Rural Community Schools Association March 17 during its spring conference in Kearney.
The award recognizes individuals who have demonstrated creative leadership in promoting quality rural education in Nebraska; have attained the respect and support of board of education members, administrators, teachers and fellow ESU staff members; and have been a staff member at least five years. Wolfe, who is in her 19th year of service to schools, was nominated by Bancroft-Rosalie Superintendent and Elementary Principal Jon Cerny.
"An individual who is able to help schools financially attains the respect and support of administrators and board of education members," said Cerny, citing her experience with the Schools and Libraries program of the Universal Service Fund.
Commonly known as "E-Rate," the program provides discounts to assist schools and libraries with securing affordable telecommunications and Internet access. Wolfe has not only aided school districts in the ESU 2 area but has also been readily available to assist her service unit staff counterparts in Northeast Nebraska (ESU regions 1, 2, 7, 8 and 17) throughout the seven-step, time-sensitive application process to qualify for benefits.The Federal Communications Commission modernized the E-rate program in 2014; Wolfe attended briefings in Washington D.C. and assisted with statewide orientation sessions.
Wolfe's recent creative teaching and learning initiatives, inclusive of project funding, are:

• State-of-the-art video conferencing technology that allows rurally isolated schools to connect students to museums, authors, science centers, performing arts centers, and historical locations where students are able to interact with professionals from across the globe; and a program of virtual field trip experiences for 2015-16.
   
• A comprehensive professional development opportunity for Nebraska history teachers providing online graduate-level American history content classes and  technology to develop digital media-rich instructional units for blended learning.

Wahoo Public Schools Superintendent Galen Bold characterized Wolfe's commitment to quality education: "One of her most defining features is the driving determination to stick with the processes necessary to provide opportunities for those things that are always in the best interests of our students … and make learning exciting and relevant."
Said ESU 2 Administrator Dr. Ted DeTurk: “On behalf of all ESU 2 team members and the Board of Education, it is easy for me to state that Diane is an integral member of the ESU 2 team; we take great pride in calling her one of our best.”