How can my business help public school students?

I am so lucky to work in a community where the partnerships between businesses and schools are tangible.  You can see it all around with corporate sponsorship at foundation events, business food donations to Teacher Professional Development days and students job shadowing and interning throughout the school year and summer, to name a few.

So how can your company, big or small bridge the gap from school to work?

Well there is a need for sure. Business and nonprofit partnerships in public schools enable students to explore authentic career opportunities and expand their horizons. 

To build this relationship you can be part of the following three things.

1. Go into the classroom and share your story and mentor.

It is so important to invite business leaders into the classroom to help create curriculum that students can complete while be mentored by experts in the field.  Long gone are the days where a speaker would just come in and lecture about their sphere of expertise.  Now we create opportunities for students to apply what they learn and get instant feedback from a business leader.

• Regular Business Advisory Meetings.  Our partnerships are fluid because we continue to upgrade and change our curriculum to keep pace with what industry needs.  This regular conversation helps us develop students that have the necessary employability skills, soft skills and technical skills that our community needs to fill high wage, high yield jobs. At these meetings wants and wishes can be granted by telling the business community what labor, money and resources, a school needs, to develop our students. 
•  Offering job shadows, internships and co-op’s.  The final point in this trifecta is getting our students out into the “real” world of business and nonprofit.  Our children have a very narrow mind about the world of work and therefore it needs to be every districts charge to get every child out on an authentic career experience before they graduate.  Through the chamber of commerce, local government and the downtown development authority this task can be a reality. 

By embedding these partnerships a reciprocal relationship occurs, stimulating our economy and making schools stronger. Get in touch with your local school district today!