School Business Partnership Builds Connections

By Karen Herther, Market Dynamics

What do Facilitations, the Haartz Corporation, Workers’ Credit Union, Acton Boxborough PIP (Parent Involvement Project) and The Discovery Museums have in common?  These businesses and organizations are all members of the Middlesex West School Business Partnership Committee (SBPC). The SBPC, formed in 1993, is a partnership which gives opportunities for students, teachers, schools, and businesses to enhance and extend student learning outside the classroom through shared expertise, programs and resources, connecting and benefiting students, the schools, businesses and the community at large.   

School Business Partnership Committee members include the Acton Public and the Acton Boxborough (AB) Regional Schools and many local area businesses and organizations in fields ranging from law to banking, to promotional products, to high technology. The SBPC, winner of the Massachusetts Department of Education Partnership Award, is led by founding members Attorney Mark Scheier of Scheier & Katin P.C. and Annie Kingan, School Business Liaison for the Acton Public and Acton Boxborough Regional Schools.

School-Business partnerships help build connections between the schools and local businesses through a variety of programs including: career speakers, job shadowing, internships, work study, and school partnerships. Partnership programs and events allow students to learn about career fields and offer valuable worksite connections; applying academic learning to real-world work situations while gaining a better understanding of themselves, their career goals, and the realities of the work world.  The SBPC also assists the Acton Boxborough Regional High School (ABRHS) Academic Decathlon team (winner of 14 of last 15 state titles), Senior Seminar and other ABRHS programs with coaching and interviewing.

New this fall, the School Business Partnership (SBPC) is partnering with Acton Boxborough PIP, the Acton Boxborough Regional Schools and The Discovery Museums to bring Discover STEM November 2, 2009 to the AB Community.  A biannual event, Discover STEM is an interactive showcase of hands on Science, Technology, Engineering and Math career exploration geared to students in grades 7 to 12, their parents, and community members.  The goal of the event is to spur interest in math, science and technology careers and reinforce “real world” STEM curriculum connections.  This year’s event will include a special focus on green energy and technology career education, training, and certification as the new “green economy” takes hold.

In 2007, more than 30 exhibitors took part in the community STEM event which encouraged student participants to make tangible connections between their class work and prospective careers. More than 50 student “apprentices” assisted with the exhibitor demonstrations providing a hands-on opportunity to explore STEM career connections while earning volunteer service credit.  Kay Steeves, Student Faculty Support Advisor at Acton Boxborough Regional High School and Annie Kingan, School Business Liaison for the Acton Public and Acton Boxborough Regional Schools, see Discover STEM as a “mini” job shadow and career exploration opportunity for students who may (or may not) have considered STEM careers. 

Middlesex West Chamber and SBPC members are supporting the Discover STEM event through a combination of business sponsorships, member exhibits, and donations of professional services. Workers’ Credit Union (WCU) will showcase their Acton Boxborough Regional High School (ABRHS) branch along with the WCU financial literacy tools and curriculum and ABRHS student banking and work opportunities.  Enterprise Bank, which recently opened a new Commercial bank branch in Acton, is helping to sponsor the Discover STEM 2009 green economy and “green workforce” career showcase. Enterprise Bank recently hosted a LEED Excel Green Associate certification training (to be displayed at Discover STEM 2009) for local business and community leaders at their Acton branch.

The Discovery Museums (TDM), a lead partner, will demonstrate new green energy initiatives at the Museum along with “low technology” solutions. Denise LeBlanc, Director of Science Education & Community Partnerships for The Discovery Museums will also display a Chilean fog collector used to harvest water in developing countries.  Denise said that students are fascinated by these seemingly “low technology” solutions – which are adapted to fit the needs of local conditions. The Haartz Corporation demonstrated acoustic testing of high tech convertible materials. Facilitations, an Acton company specializing in advertising and promotional products, is donating professional design services in support of PIP and Discover STEM 2009. 

Given the importance of STEM supporting green workforce jobs to our national and regional economy, training and inspiring a well-educated workforce is key to improving the economy. Bruce Oetinger, SBPC member and Social Science teacher at ABRHS, spearheads the Alternative Career program at the school and is looking to offer a variety of career and vocational job opportunities to meet the needs of all AB students. Oetinger also coordinates ABRHS participation in the successful Women in Technology (WIT) program in collaboration with BAE Systems in Lexington, which provides a variety of school and summer internship opportunities to female high school students interested in engineering careers.

Sarah Fletcher, Executive Director of the Middlesex West Chamber of Commerce, is hoping to bring the School Business Partnership model to other communities served by the Chamber.  Contact the Chamber to see how you can get involved, support local businesses and schools, and make a difference in your community.