CWA Blog Archive-Welcome Our New Routesetting Education Consultant

Welcome Our New Routesetting Education Consultant

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The CWA introduced Foxman McCarthy-James as its new Routesetting Education Consultant, joining Heather Reynolds in continuing to innovate the organization's certification offerings. Her path to the role is distinctive. Foxman began her education journey as a professional violist, teaching violin and viola and even illustrating a book for younger students, an experience that shaped her interest in teaching material in ways that meet an audience's specific needs. She started routesetting in 2015 and quickly moved into teaching it, first to female-identifying routesetters and eventually to a broader audience across the country. Her stated focus is the nuance of tailoring instruction to the intended audience, a through-line from her music teaching into setting education. In 2021, alongside Justin Wright, she co-founded Vortex Routesetting as a research project compiling routesetting program data from across the US. She has found the work deeply rewarding, describing the feeling when someone tells her the research helped improve their work environment, and she's excited to keep growing the project. That research brought her closer to the CWA: she gave two presentations at the 2022 CWA Summit about the data project and soon joined the CWA's Work at Height Committee and Routesetting Committee, where she developed curricula and education pathways and learned from other committee members, work that led directly to this position. Foxman is enthusiastic about connecting her education experience to the professionalization of an industry that has given her so much, calling the CWA's certification and standards work exciting. Outside of work she paints, tattoos, and gardens. Her hire signals the CWA's continued investment in building rigorous, thoughtfully designed routesetting education led by people who understand both setting and how adults actually learn.

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The CWA welcomed Foxman McCarthy-James as Routesetting Education Consultant. A former professional violist turned setter and educator, she co-founded the Vortex Routesetting data project and served on CWA committees developing curricula. She brings a deep focus on tailoring instruction to its audience to the CWA's certification work.