Building Business Building Business PartnersPartners

Presented by: Tara Madden

TDHS-NOPS

Information from the following books was used to create this presentation:

1) Creating and Sustaining Small Learning CommunitiesGrace Sammons, 2000.

2) Career Academy Toolkit, Sandy Mittelsteadt and Diane Lindsey Reeves, 2001.

Objectives:• Participants will become familiar with

guidelines, common pitfalls and steps to building business partners.

• Participants will develop and practice a ‘sound bite’ that describes their academy in a concise manner.

• Academy teams or working groups will work together to generate a list of potential business partners.

• Academy teams will identify 3-5 ways that business partners can support their academy.

What makes a career academy?

3 defining characteristics•Core College Prep Curriculum with Career Electives

•Small Self-Contained Learning Community (own space, faculty, students, administration, and support team)

•Business Partners for Advice and Student Career Experiences

Establishing an advisory board is an important step in creating a career academy.

1. Clearly define partnership roles.2. Create a meeting schedule.3. Elect officers.4. Put operating practices in place.5. Establish the board as an independent

501©(3) non-profit – This would allow it to attract grants and scholarships to the program independent of school funding.

Resources: CASN and NAF website

Why do we need business and community partners?

“Teachers face major challenges, a fact that impacts teacher training, recruitment and retention. Without support from the community at large, including businesses, all our students will suffer.”Ms. Becton, Verizon

Why do we need business and community partners?

“Business and community partners provide students with the sense that there are caring adults throughout the community who want to see them succeed.” Dr. Mildred Musgrooveprincipal Anacostia HS, Washington, DC

“Some studies point out the 90% of school business partnerships fail within the first year. Part of that failure is due to lack of understanding of the nature of partnership and part of it is due to a failure to understand the very different worlds of school and business.”Creating and Sustaining Small Learning Communities, 2000.

Understanding

Businesses understand:Time-sensitivityValue-addedFinancial sensitivities

Schools understand:Very rigid schedulesUnder-equipped buildingsLarge numbers of young people

Take time to get to know each others organizations, their needs and their resources.

A business partnership is NOT about money.

“First you friend raise, then you fund raise.”

Rev. Bill ByronCatholic University, Washington, DC

The 3 keys to partnership building…

1) Identify what you need to accomplish. Set a goal.

2) Identify the knowledge, skills and abilities you need to establish and then set out to build your partnership team.

3) You do not have to forge partnerships on your own.

1) Assess the current partnerships for your school and build a computer database of your current resources.

2) Designate one person within your school to deal effectively with business partners. OR schedule periodic meetings (monthly) where academy leaders can meet and discuss business partners and best practices.

Guidelines for establishing business

partners

Guidelines for establishing business partners

3) See if you have an ‘in”- a parent, alumni or spouse who works at that site. If not, start with the Community Relations Office. If the company is small try the personnel office.

4) Take the time to learn about each other’s needs and interests then develop a common vision and shared responsibility for education.

5. Don’t “over ask” for things, items or support. Find the right match for potential partners’ interests and your needs and you’ll get the ‘yes’ you need to build the partnership.

6. Take the time to develop a team attitude. Build an understanding of two very different cultures – school culture vs non-school work environment.

Guidelines for establishing business partners

Guidelines for establishing business partners

7. Have clear, honest communication about challenges, pitfalls, problems and successes.

8. Say “Thank You” often and in a variety of ways.

Working with a partner, ideally someone from

your school.

Introductions

Picture yourself at a nice cocktail party or leaving church, in line at the store or at a coffee shop

Someone new comes your way and strikes up a conversation…

Hello, what do you do?

How can you describe your small learning community in such a way that this person will immediately understand without boring them with too many details?

The Sound Bite

That succinct, cut to the heart of the matter description that gets listeners curious about the story behind the statement.

Clear, concise and catchy

Your task:1. Grab a partner.2. Take turns.3. Each person should give their sound

bite a try.4. Work out the kinks.5. Add some polish.6. Prepare to share!

What do we want from our business partners?

Remember…

“Some studies point out the 90% of school business partnerships fail within the first year. Part of that failure is due to lack of understanding of the nature of partnership and part of it is due to a failure to understand the very different worlds of school and business.”Creating and Sustaining Small Learning Communities, 2000.

And remember the 3 keys to partnership building…

1) Identify what you need to accomplish. Set a goal.

2) Identify the knowledge, skills and abilities you need to establish and then set out to build your partnership team.

3) You do not have to forge partnerships on your own.

What do we want from our business partners?

1. Read through the “Dictionary of

Employer Enrichment Options.”

2. With your academy team or working

group, discuss the options.

3. Identify 3-5 ways that a business

partner could support your academy.

4. Be prepared to share these selections

and why you decided on those 3-5.

Identifying Potential Employer Partners

Using the Toolkit Portfolio Assignment 5.2

From: Career Academy Toolkit

Getting Commitments from Business Partners

9 Helpful Hints9 Helpful Hints A handout

Next steps:

1) Meet with any other academy members.2) Share what we did today.3) Add to your list of potential contacts.4) Assess your academy members strengths.5) Select the best-suited someone or some

ones to make the business contacts.6) Prepare brochures or marketing materials.7) Make the appointments.8) Follow-up with thanks!

Information from the following books was used to create this presentation:

1) Creating and Sustaining Small Learning CommunitiesGrace Sammons, 2000.

2) Career Academy Toolkit, Sandy Mittelsteadt and Diane Lindsey Reeves, 2001.

Questions