The Virginia Education Wizard has once more cast its spell on the Commonwealth, winning  a 2014 Governor’s Technology Award in the Innovative Use of Technology: Education category for the Virginia Education Wizard Mobile App. The special award ceremony was held at the annual Commonwealth of Virginia Innovative Technology Symposium (COVITS) in Richmond on Sept. 3, 2014. The Wizard app was developed as a native app available for both iOS and Android platforms, and designed for both phone and tablet platforms.
“The development of the mobile app was to ensure the greatest usability for the greatest number of users, particularly the increasing number of users for whom mobile devices are their primary access to the internet,” states Director of Student Support Technologies Chris Pfautz.
VA Wizards Erika Poindexter and Chris Pfautz showoff invisible technology award
The Wizard app simplifies the often overwhelming process of gathering information about occupations and colleges. With a free account, users can access supply & demand for numerous occupations in the user’s area, median salary for occupations, and colleges in Virginia offering relevant college programs of study), college details (admission criteria, application closing dates, application & tuition fees, average per-student cumulative undergraduate indebtedness, & more) for colleges across the U.S., and a cost calculator to compare the cost of attending Virginia’s community colleges with four-year colleges, demonstrating to the user annual savings and transfer savings.
The Governor’s Technology Awards were presented to honorees in nine categories. Winners were determined by a panel of government information technology (IT) experts. You can find a list of the other winners and finalists on the COVITS website, http://covits.virginia.gov/winners.cfm. Contact the Man-Behind-the-Curtain, Director of Student Support Technologies Chris Pfautz, for more information on the Virginia Education Wizard.
