Forming Successful School-Business Partnerships: Finding the Best Partner For Your School
The value of forming a structured and productive school-business partnership cannot be over-stated. Selecting your first business partner is the most important step in the beginning of this process. Other partnerships can spin-off of the first if this selection is made carefully. The right match pays big dividends and the partnership will continue to grow and become stronger.
Normally, personnel from the school select a partner from the business community. This certainly does not preclude a business from contacting a school, but educators usually make the first move. When a business makes the initial contact it is often because the school has already established a successful partnership with another company and the new business becomes aware of the mutual benefits of this program. Construct your first partnership well and others will follow.
To launch your partnership successfully and choose the best potential partner for your school, address the following guidelines: Location, Number of employees, Type of business or agency represented. Let’s take a detailed look at each of these guidelines.
Location: Preferably the business you identify as a potential partner will be located relatively close to the school. It is not necessary for it to be located within the school’s attendance boundaries. There are other exceptions to this local proximity rule. Some large companies may have their corporate offices located several miles away, even out of town. Company policy may require this office to be the designated partner. Additionally, some schools are located in areas that lack business and industry. Don’t let distance become a barrier. There are many successful partnerships described in the book Facing the Future Together that are far apart yet very productive. If the business or industry you seek as a partner meets the other two guidelines, go for the partnership!
Number of Employees: Available support is an important consideration when you are selecting your first potential partner. A business or agency with a relatively large number of employees may provide more human resources to support your partnership. Time is a valuable commodity in the business world. A large business with a greater number of employees is likely to spend more time and be more involved in your educational programs. However, there are also exceptions to this rule. Never exclude a small business from your list if the management and employees show a strong commitment to partnership as the following true example illustrates.
Linda’s Hair Styling Salon was basically a two-person operation but Linda provided tremendous volunteer support for a school in her area. She served on planning teams, the site council, and was a strong force in dropout prevention through her work as a mentor for students. Linda became a cheerleader for school-business partnership and helped to recruit additional business support.
Type of business or agency represented: Your selection of a potential partner must include the kind of service represented. Ask yourself the question – “What do I hope to accomplish through this partnership?” For example, if your goal is to expose your students to crime prevention ideas, then a variety of law enforcement agencies (FBI, Highway Patrol, Police, Sheriff’s Department) could make up your partnership. Some law enforcement agencies have already established a relationship with schools. That’s great!
By forming an official partnership you will diversify and strengthen this relationship. Or your goal may be to communicate the benefits of higher education to your students. Form a partnership with a public or private college, university, or technical training institution. Establish a partnership with a specific department within these institutions (Life Science, Math, English, Agriculture). These institutions may already visit your school but resources and benefits for your students will grow by formalizing the relationship.
There is no limit to the number of businesses, organizations and agencies that will make great partners. As you identify a potential partner and your plan develops your decision may change. Use the information provided in Facing the Future Together to help you make the best decision and guide you through the partnership process using key strategies described in the Twelve Commandments for forming successful school-business partnerships.
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london business school video
Help answer the question
School business?
Anyone have any ideas for good businesses around my high school? No drugs, alcohol or bakery please. (I'm pretty sure I'd be expelled for the first two and the third is not allowed because of our cafeteria)
school business
Tags: business, education, harvard, Learning, Partnerships, Public, school, Schools
This entry was posted on Friday, October 16th, 2009 at 5:29 am and is filed under business. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
October 16th, 2009 at 5:38 am
October 16th, 2009 at 6:15 am
5 STARS
October 16th, 2009 at 6:46 am
chances are you high school will not allow you to conduct a business on school grounds or in the school proper during the school day. Before or after school, your business would have to be a certain distance from the school. A coffee shop, a bakery, or a school supply store would be good.
October 16th, 2009 at 6:31 pm
You will need to look for bigger schools in larger cities or vocational/specialty schools. These schools tend to have more than one business class or business teacher. They are out there you do need to start looking early. Like January the year before you intend to start teaching. In what state are you going to be teaching? Crazy doesn't count.
October 16th, 2009 at 9:15 pm
You can pretty well adapt any literature to fit business English. In Georgia, we had a program called Applied Communications which was basically business English.
I have adapted copies of Jane Eyre that I used with my seniors. From that I made them write a resume for Jane Eyre. Develop memos that could have been exchanged between Mrs. Fairfax and Jane. They had to write a personal letter from Jane to Rivers St.John or from Jane to her uncle Eyre.
An adapted Beowulf could be used to teach "team building" exercises and again, I had them write Beowulf's resume and practice interview skills by determining which warriors Beowulf would take with him to fight Grendel. They had to research Anglo-Saxon warriors and determine which skills they would need as well as writing their own cover letter, resume, and interview follow up letter thanking Beowulf for the interview.
If they're on an 8th grade reading level, I would suggest young adult novels. I'm guessing that having them read something is far more important than having them read "the classics". You can adapt almost any novel or play in the same way. One play that I might suggest would be "12 Angry Men." F. Scott Fitzgerald's _The Last Tycoon_ might be equally appropriate.
October 17th, 2009 at 3:59 am
I did house keeping and book keeping while in high school. Made enough money to buy not one but two cars.
October 17th, 2009 at 4:07 pm
contact ur state drivers bureau.
contact insurance company
contact bonding company
contact car dealer.
have lots of money for above.
October 17th, 2009 at 10:19 pm
I'm not familiar with other state requirements, but you can prove subject matter competency in California through the CSET exams — that's proving your qualification to teach Business. In terms of acquiring your teaching credential, you need to take and pass the CBEST exam (an English/Math basic knowledge test), and you do need teacher credential courses (usually 1 – 2 years) to earn a preliminary credential.
Again, in -California-, demonstrating subject matter competency, passing the CBEST, and completing a teacher credentialing program will allow you to get a teaching job. For other states, you can probably find detailed requirements at their state department of education websites. Good luck.
October 18th, 2009 at 9:08 am
I would personally try to find a fad that you could make everyone want to do. If your not trying to be moral then maybe something that people could do during class. I remember my days at school and I was always looking for a distraction during class.
October 19th, 2009 at 2:18 pm
Your business sells the artwork that is produced by local high school and college artists. Right now all that art ends up in storage rooms and basements. You sell the art and split the proceeds 50-50 with the artists. This takes care of your inventory at no cost to you. That is a big big advantage to a new business. Usually the inventory eats up all your money.
Tell your teacher that you are really going to do this business and he will look at you differently. He doesn't expect you to really be able to open a business..