Durham, N.C. – The Social Institute today announced Chris Valada has joined the company as Head of New Partnerships, leading a team of representatives from across the country to bring positive social media and tech education to more schools. Valada spent his career in EdTech sales and has worked across K-12 and Higher Ed.
“Chris joins us at an important moment for our company,” said The Social Institute Founder and CEO Laura Tierney. “Forward-thinking educators know that social media goes hand-in-hand with student well-being — and now that students are online more than ever, the need for positive social media education has never been greater,” she continued. “Chris has the background, skills, and experience to lead us into 2023 and beyond.”
The Social Institute also announced that Andrea Jenkins has been promoted to Director of Partner Success. In this role, Andrea will lead the Partner Success team with the goal of continuing to expand district partnerships. Jenkins, a former educator, has been with the company for nearly two years in the sales department.
“Andrea has gone above and beyond to explore new segments of the education market, coach and support the team, and become a recognized thought leader at major education conferences,” said Tierney. “Her thoughtful approach to building productive, professional relationships with schools and her deep knowledge of education will make her a tremendous teammate and leader in this Director position.”
Last year, The Social Institute rolled out a new offering to its innovative #WinAtSocial Curriculum. The offering, called #WinAtSocial Insights, delivers powerful, real-time insight into school culture and student experiences to help school communities make the best decisions for their students.
The Social Institute has increased staff by 50% this past year to meet the increased demand for positive social media education, especially among public schools. “We are ready to head into a new year empowering even more students to shape their futures and use social media to explore their passions and impact change in their communities — whether at home or across the globe,” said Tierney.
To learn more about how The Social Institute is improving school culture and empowering the emotional well-being of students, visit TheSocialnstitute.com.
About The Social Institute
The Social Institute is the leader in understanding student experiences and the creator of #WinAtSocial, a gamified, online learning platform that equips students, educators, and families to navigate social experiences — online and offline — in healthy ways. Our unique, student-respected approach incorporates topics like social media, technology use, and current events that significantly impact student well-being. Lessons teach life skills for the modern day to inspire high-character decisions that support students’ health, happiness, and future success while capturing data that provides insights to school leaders to inform school policy and communications and enable high-impact teaching and a healthy learning environment. For schools, our turnkey technology allows for easy implementation and a comprehensive game plan to support the well-being of school communities.
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