South Bend Community School Corporation Superintendent wins Candice Dodson EDTECH Trailblazer Award

South Bend Community School Corporation Superintendent wins Candice Dodson EDTECH Trailblazer Award
Posted on 12/08/2021
Award ceremony

South Bend Community School Corporation (SBCSC) Superintendent C. Todd Cummings, Ph.D., was awarded the Candice Dodson Trailblazer Award at the Indiana Association of Public School Superintendents (IAPSS) 2021 Annual Meeting Banquet on December 7, 2021. The award is co-sponsored by the IAPSS and the Indiana CTO Council, a collaborative group of chief technology officers, technology directors, chief information officers, and other leaders in Indiana K-12 educational technology.

Since taking the role of superintendent in the summer of 2019, Cummings has bridged the digital divide and ensured internet connectivity for students and families in our district. He led the efforts of installing Wi-Fi on district buses to ensure students could complete assignments to and from school and extracurricular activities. This endeavor gained momentum as news of the COVID-19 pandemic reached the region. Prioritizing the health and education of all students, Cummings worked to ensure that students could continue learning remotely and receiving meals, no matter their circumstances.

SBCSC’s Wi-Fi bus initiative gained international recognition, and was featured in The New York Times, Bloomberg, PBS, and Inside Edition, among other media outlets. The story also was featured on CNN, The Ellen Show, and a Good Morning America live remote from Riley High School.

Under Cummings’ administration and through the efforts of district Chief Technology Officer Patrick Stalvey, the corporation partnered with the City of South Bend and local not-for-profit EnFocus to expand the free Wi-Fi to the entire South Bend community through the “Citywide Classroom” initiative.

Cummings thanked the SBCSC Board of School Trustees, his team, and all the Food and Nutrition Department and Transportation Department staff who made food and Wi-Fi available for all South Bend students.

Cummings also thanked the professional support he’s received from IAPSS and Indiana Urban Superintendents Association (IUSA).

Now in its second year, the award is given annually to an assistant superintendent or superintendent who has made considerable contributions to digital learning in the state of Indiana. The award was created in memory of Candice Dodson, the executive director of the State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA) before her death in 2020.

Contact: Monica Garvey, Assistant Director of Communications, [email protected], 574-850-4760