A Mission Can Make a Family

 Special Needs Community  No Responses »
May 292012
 

Most people know that PCI Education develops and publishes materials for students with special needs and learning differences.  What many people do not know, is that we employ individuals with special needs as well.  Over most of the past 20 years, Janet and Nicole have been working in product assembly and Janet even illustrated a catalog cover several years ago.  They are treated as part of the team, we laugh and talk about the weekend over coffee. They also enjoy participating in as many company events as their schedules will allow.

PCI was also a vocational training site for a school for special needs located very close to our facility on the north side of San Antonio.  This program allowed students to try different aspects of our business – from filing in the Finance Department, sales kit assembly in the Marketing Department and basic computer work in the eCommerce Department.

As with all relationships, we learn something new about someone else.  The opportunity to work with the  individuals we are committed to serve has afforded us rich learning experiences and keeps us focused.  One young man in particular, has captured our hearts for his resilience despite tremendous tragedy.

Christoper S., interned with us last summer for a few hours each day. He is shy until he get’s to know you, then he shares his wonderful sense of humor. He went to Camp CAMP (7-Day overnight program)  last summer—his mother was trembling but Christopher thrived and had a wonderful time.

Shortly after school began last year, Christopher’s father, a Sergeant in the Bexar County Constables Office, was killed in a tragic auto accident. A few weeks ago, Christoper was invited to a ceremony at the White House for family members of fallen officers and took this great photograph with President Obama.

Christopher and President Obama

Now that school is ending, Christopher is looking for a new internship opportunity. If you have an indoor/ air conditioned office environment in the North-Central to USAA area, give us a shout and we will put you in touch with his mom, Tanya.

In closing, I have to say that my personal mission statement has been 100% in line with this organization since I came to work here.  Is YOUR personal mission statement in line with that of your company? Is it really close?  If not, maybe you should consider embracing the human impact of the mission, or maybe you should make a change.

 

 

 

In Your Shoes

 PCI Company Culture, Special Education Classroom, Special Education Resource, Teaching Tips  No Responses »
Mar 222010
 

by Leslie Buteyn

A customer called me this week to ask a few questions about some of our products. After we discussed several different titles, she told me how much money she had to spend and asked what I would buy if I were her. What a great question, and I was thrilled to answer it! I loved the opportunity to put myself in the shoes of a middle school language arts teacher working with a group of students reading significantly below grade level; those are the very shoes I wore before I came to work at PCI!

One of the things that I love about working in PCI’s product development group is that our content team is comprised of educators. We have all spent time working in the classroom, and we know what it’s like to be in your shoes. That knowledge and experience drives the development of our products. I hope that you can see and feel that each time you use a PCI product in your classroom.

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Leslie Buteyn

Leslie Buteyn is tasked with developing products from the idea phase to the marketplace and is responsible for managing the development of many of PCI Education’s bestselling products. She has developed products for students from preschool age to adult in all subject areas.

Prior to her career at PCI, Buteyn was a middle school language arts and reading teacher in San Antonio. She holds a Bachelor’s in English and a Master’s in Teaching. Both degrees were earned at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas.