Professional Edge

Quarterly Professional Development newsletter providing resources
and education for K&B professionals

“Adapting to New Learning Norms”

Since early Spring 2020, colleges and universities throughout North America have been tasked with a “trial by fire” method of teaching. While the pandemic unexpectedly thrust the world into quarantine, educators and students endured a massive transformation in learning with little to no preemptive planning.

Read Full Story →

Important Dates

Important Dates

Dec. 10     Designing a Millennial Friendly Kitchen & Bath Showroom Webinar
Dec. 15    
Wholistic Wellness – Healthy Families in a Healthy Home Webinar
Dec. 17     What’s Driving the Home Improvement Market Webinar 
Feb. 9         KBIS 2021 Virtual Opens
Feb. 11      Kitchen & Bath Design + Industry Awards 

Certification & CEU’s

Certification & CEU’s

Certified designers demonstrate expertise in the planning and execution of residential kitchens and baths with an emphasis on the technical skills and competencies necessary to succeed in the industry. If you’re interested in earning an NKBA Certification, click here.
Did you know that you can report your CEUs directly from your mobile device? Don’t get caught short at the end of the CEU reporting cycle which runs through June 30, 2022. Simply log in to your home page at nkba.org. Click on your photo to view the drop down menu, and choose “Report CEUs.” From there you can get to the CEU reporting form. You no longer need to wait until you get home from KBIS, a chapter meeting or vendor training to report your CEUs.
The NKBA recognizes providers of quality continuing education coursework through our CEU Provider Program by offering  workshops, seminars, training programs, conferences, institutes and short courses relating to the kitchen & bath industry. To view a list of CEU programs, click here.

If your company is interested in becoming a CEU Provider, please click here to review the benefits and requirements.

Professional Development

Professional Development

The NKBA is now offering a new 60 Ed Hour CKBD Bundle Package, which includes access to the Knowledge Base, on-demand courses, and the Certification study guide, as well as the cost of the application and exam fees. For more information, please click here

The NKBA provides a number of professional development opportunities for members, from novice to master. Check out our offerings to find one that fits your needs by visiting the NKBA Store

Webinars

Webinars

NKBA members are now able to earn 0.1 CEU on previously recorded webinars. If you are NKBA certified, you can enter the CEU using the online submission form found under your NKBA profile. To view a list of past webinars, click here.

The theme of the month is Architecture + Design and we have three great webinars left this month. Here is a look at what’s left to come. You can register by clicking on the links below.

December 10 | 12:00 PM ET
Designing a Millennial Friendly Kitchen & Bath Showroom

December 15 | 12:00 PM ET
Wholistic Wellness – Healthy Families in a Healthy Home

December 17 | 12:00 PM ET 
What’s Driving the Home Improvement Market, How It’s Changing, and Key Strategies to Adapt

Specialty Badges

Specialty Badges

The NKBA Specialty Badge program is a micro-credential system that allows a professional to stay current with the latest information and demonstrate a depth of knowledge in a specific K+B area. For more information on the NKBA Specialty Badge program, click here.

To learn more about the NKBA Specialty Badge program, please download our flyer here.

Affiliated Schools

Affiliated Schools

“The NKBA Affiliated Schools Program celebrates inclusivity, diversity in teaching and learning, and collaboration. The program champions all schools who celebrate our industry specializing in kitchen & bath design.”

— Nowell Vincent, CMKBD, Program Coordinator at Front Range Community College

More about the NKBA Affiliated Schools Program 

The NKBA recently announced the winners of the 2019-2020 NKBA Student Design Competition. Charged with creating a kitchen and bath for a fictional couple, Olivia and Liam Taylor, the designers needed to blend Olivia’s shabby-chic style and Liam’s eclectic tastes and preference for mixed materials in their projects, while keeping consistent with the home’s contemporary exterior. Both winners emphasized sustainability and smart-home technology as well as natural elements to capture the essence of the surrounding canyons and vistas. You can read the full article here.

“The competition gives students something to work towards and helps apply real world scenarios. I have had an amazing experience learning about Kitchen and Bath design, all thanks to the NKBA and my instructor.” – NKBA Affiliated Student Max Milner

“The Affiliated Schools Program is an invaluable resource for teachers devoted to preparing future kitchen & bath designers in our local communities [providing] us with resources [and connecting] us with ‘best practices’ in education for our work. The NKBA Affiliated Schools Program celebrates inclusivity, diversity in teaching and learning and collaboration. The program champions all schools who celebrate our industry specializing in kitchen & bath design.”
         – Nowell Vincent, CMKBD, Program Coordinator at Front Range Community College

To learn more about the NKBA Affiliated Schools program, please click here.

To learn more about the NKBA Affiliated Student program, please click here.

Contact Professional Development
1-800-843-6522

Johanna Baars
Sr. Manager, Professional Development
Jbaars@nkba.org

Andrew Mackenzie 
Program Manager, Certification
Amackenzie@nkba.org

Natalie O’Neil
Program Manager, Higher Ed & PD Resources
Noneil@nkba.org

Debby Mayberry
Program Manager, Educational Webinars 
Dmayberry@nkba.org

Lindsay Franco
Program Manager, Specialty Badges 
Lfranco@nkba.org