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Focus on Women of the Zone Like every classically successful entrepreneur, Suzanne Klein saw a need and filled it. She was teaching elementary school in Michigan and realized that as a "generalist" - spelling at 9 am, English at 10, math at 11, umpiring kickball games at recess, etc. - she needed new tools to help her do her job better - especially when it came to writing and grammar. "I needed a better solution, one that was both teacher and student friendly," Klein said. "It needed to take advantage of new and emerging technologies, be engaging for students, and eminently teachable." So she created one. And then another programme. And then another programme. And she started sharing them with other teachers. And WriteSteps was born. That was 2007 and by 2010 Klein's teaching technologies had spurred phenomenal company growth. "We went from three employees to 50, from just in Michigan to all 50 states and five other countries," WriteSteps CEO Klein said. One of the driving forces behind WriteSteps is the simple fact that the craft of writing itself is in peril, particularly by social media. "With the abbreviations, the shortcuts, the almost complete lack of proper grammar in social media postings we are creating a generation that will not be able to communicate and/or properly express themselves in writing," said Klein. "We have to teach the craft of writing as early as possible or our children will become discouraged in high school, flounder in college, and be unintelligible in the workplace." WriteSteps offers a number of award-winning programmes that combine video and digital technology, daily writing exercises for students, daily lesson plans for teachers, and even a fascinating "peer to peer" aspect that truly motivates students. "Children in one class will see writing samples - anonymous of course - from other classes, either halfway across the state or the globe," Klein said. "That way they can see what other kids their age are doing, how they can improve their own skills, see what doesn't work, and see what really captures the imagination." An advantage of the WriteSteps programmes is scalability. They can be used to teach an entire class, part of a class, or even just a single student, such as home-schooler, someone who simply wants to better their skills on their own, or a student learning English as second language. Part of the reason for the growing success of the company is their location in the Science and Technology Park of the Special Economic Zone Cayman Enterprise City, Klein said. But how did Klein get from Michigan to the heart of the Caribbean? It wasn't just the weather. "I always had a dream to live on an island, so about three years ago I decided to see if I could make that dream come true," Klein said. She actually visited (and studied) 13 different islands in the region before deciding that the Cayman Islands - and the CEC - were the perfect choice. "The Cayman Islands are safe, secure, and stable and CEC made the transition cost efficient and simple," Klein said. From the almost small town cooperative - yet professional - feel of the CEC ("The networking with other like-minded entrepreneurs has been enlightening" Klein said) to the lifestyle advantages, she couldn't have picked a better place to make her island - and business - dreams come true, said CEC CEO Charlie Kirkconnell. "It is such an easy place to live and work," Klein said. "I've taken up diving and my French bulldog loves the beaches. I literally pinch myself every day to make sure it's not just a dream" About WriteSteps In 2007, WriteSteps Founder and CEO Suzanne Klein committed herself to creating teacher friendly writing lessons after her school decided to prioritize writing due to low student outcomes. The writing and grammar programs she developed - WriteSteps - was so successful in raising test scores and student confidence that the company launched nationwide in 2011. Since then, WriteSteps has expanded its offerings with digital eWriteSteps, Engagers, SMART Interactive whiteboard writing and grammar lessons, and the soon to be launched Captivation Station, a blended learning platform for 3rd-5th grade students. WriteSteps is the recipient of the 2013 LEARNING MAGAZINE Teacher's Choice Award, 2013 eLit Gold Award, 2014 EdTech Cool Tool award finalist, 2014 and 2015 DISTRICT ADMINISTRATIONS Readers Choice Top 100 Products Award, 2014 and 2015 REVERE award finalist and 2014 and 2015 CODiE award finalist. For more information, visit WriteStepsWriting.com

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