The Tech Edvocate is pleased to produce its “Trailblazers of Edtech” series. This series profiles the top edtech influencers in the world. To create this series, The Tech Edvocate editorial team exhaustively researched the movers and shakers of edtech. To frame our methodology, we decided to define the term “edtech influencer” broadly. In this series, you will find administrators, bloggers, journalists, policymakers, researchers, innovators, businessmen, activists, etc. who are transforming the edtech space as we know it.

The influencers that we chose are all active in the area of edtech, doing something influential in edtech, well-known throughout the edtech landscape, and making an impact globally. We are excited to witness how these influencers continue to change the world this year, and we are anxious to see who will stand on the shoulders of these giants, and as a result, become a part of this series. In this installment of “Trailblazers in Edtech,” we will profile Carol Ribeiro, CEO of the Virtual High School.

Carol Ribeiro

CEO of the Virtual High School

What Her Current Focus Is: As the President & CEO of VHS, Ribeiro is passionate about providing students with equal access to quality education, and has dedicated the last 17 years to helping shape The Virtual High School’s online learning program. The collaborative program has expanded from its initial cohort of 30 schools to its current participation of more than 600!

How She’s Transforming the EdTech Space: Carol is transforming edtech through her work at the Virtual High School (VHS Inc.), an online learning pioneer. For the last twenty years, the nonprofit organization has set the standard for quality online education. VHS provides courses taught in global online classrooms for secondary school students and online professional development for educators. VHS design and delivery standards are the model used by the National Education Association in their recommended standards for online learning.

What Her Background Is: Carol is senior executive with more than 20 years of experience in education management, operations and human resources, systems development, and online education. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Systems from Bentley University and an MBA from Clark University.

What May Surprise You About Her: Carol is an online learning pioneer, but she’s not the first in her family with pioneering spirit – she’s related to legendary pioneer Daniel Boone! During Ribeiro’s time at VHS, the organization has won numerous awards globally, including the Stockholm Challenge Award for Global Excellence in Information Technology, and is a three-time winner of the United States Distance Learning Association’s (USDLA) award for Excellence in Programming and Excellence in Best Practices. Carol Ribeiro, was named a finalist in the Leadership category of the 2017 EdTech Digest Awards program.

Twitter: @carolannriberio

Email: cribeiro@TheVHS.org