O’Connell Robertson Earns Second Employers for Educational Excellence Award
For the second time, O’Connell Robertson has received an Employers for Education Excellence (EEE) Award from the State Board of Education in recognition of the Firm’s “outstanding support of Texas public schools. ” The EEE award was established in 2007 by the Texas Legislature to honor Texas employers who encourage and support staff participation and voluntarism in the public schools. O’Connell Robertson previously received the award in 2011; companies are eligible to apply again after three years. Only seven firms statewide received EEE Awards in 2015.
“I congratulate these seven outstanding employers for their ongoing support of our Texas public schools,” said Donna Bahorich, chair of the State Board of Education. “These companies and their employees are to be commended for helping our students with their time, expertise and support.”
O’Connell Robertson was honored with a Silver Level award, which recognizes companies with policies that support employees who attend parent-teacher conferences and encourage employees to volunteer in school activities. More than 50 percent of the firm’s employees regularly participate in school activities, serving as campus volunteers, mentors, job shadowing and intern hosts, organizing school supply drives and serving as campus and district committee members. O’Connell Robertson’s architects, interior designers and engineers also regularly participate in curriculum-connecting activities that provide “real world” design opportunities to help students understand the skills and education required in the A/E profession. A teacher externship program the Firm initiated was also cited in the award notification.
“O’Connell Robertson was founded 65 years ago with a commitment to designing facilities that make a difference in the communities they serve,” states Amy Jones, a Principal with the Firm. “That focus has remained steady through the years as we continue to participate in educational initiatives to gain a better understanding of how our work impacts students and teachers, as well as to support our clients and community. Our commitment to education is an integral part of our Firm’s culture.”