Volunteer and community recreation councils in Carroll County evaluate education programs before they are offered to the community.
“They get a number of resumes, ask them to submit an outline, and they have to let us know what their teaching experience is,” said Jeff Degitz, director of the county?s Department of Recreation and Parks.
The Howard County Department of Parks and Recreation puts programs through a rigorous review.
“We have our staff analyze a program to see if something is needed,” said Laura Wetherald, bureau chief of the Howard County Department of Parks and Recreation. “Vendors have to prepare proposals, and we review them. Also, at the end of every season, we conduct evaluations with the staff and participants.”
Danielle Hilliard, owner of COMPUTERTOTS/COMPUTER EXPLORERS, a Columbia-based business that provides computer technology programs to young children, said Howard County reviewed her program before agreeing to offer the program last fall.
“They wanted to know about the curriculum,” she said.
In a market saturated with educational programs, Hilliard said hers stands out because of its quality.
“More than half of the 15 people who work for me are educators, meaning they have a bachelor?s degree in education and/or teaching experience,” said Hilliard, who has operated the business for more than two years.
Hilliard said many students don?t understand how to properly shut down a computer without losing pertinent information. She also said students don?t comprehend proper technology vocabulary.
Regional officials who assess programs offered at their sites said they must undergo a review before they are offered to the community.
In Harford County, recreation councils evaluate community programs, said Paul Yanney, chief of recreation for the county?s Department of Parks and Recreation.
