Increasingly, schools are forming partnerships with businesses to gain additional funding for special programs and activities, in-kind donations, and volunteers, but what are businesses gaining from these relationships?
Move over Starbucks—there's a new kid on the block. Through a partnership with Beanetics Coffee Roasters, the enterprising teens of Falls Church High School (FCHS) in Fairfax County, Va., have created their own blend of coffee called Jaguar Joe.
This innovative project is about more than just a great cup of coffee; the business venture also provides students an exciting authentic learning experience that spans content areas and raises funds to support the school's technology program.
Schools like FCHS seek partnership opportunities for a variety of reasons. During this time of dwindling resources, many administrators are looking for new ways to garner financial contributions for equipment, extracurricular activities, and academic programs. But, even more than monetary gain, business partnerships can supply schools with volunteer tutors, mentors, and other positive role models to support students.
Partnerships between schools and businesses range in scope from informal agreements between local employers and classroom teachers to formal partnerships between national employers and school districts. According to a survey conducted by the Council for Corporate & School Partnerships, U.S. schools are joining forces with businesses at higher rates than ever before. InGuiding Principles for Business and School Partnerships, the Council reports that nearly 70 percent of the school districts surveyed engage in "some form of business partnership," which is a 35 percent increase from 1990. The Council's report also shows that partnerships "contribute an estimated $2.4 billion and 109 million volunteer hours to the schools."
For some educational stakeholders, the thought of a school partnering with a business raises eyebrows and even more concerns, but this growing trend has gained strong support from both school administrators and business representatives interested in finding creative ways to boost student achievement.
Brewing a Business Partnership
As part of FCHS's Business Partnerships Program, the school began a partnership with the Annandale Chamber of Commerce in October 2007. Through this relationship, FCHS administrators were connected with David Starr, co-owner of Beanetics. Starr has taught students the ins and outs of the coffee business.
"The students are learning everything from manufacturing to marketing through the partnership," says FCHS Assistant Principal Michael Brooks.
To get the venture started, Starr visited a culinary arts class at the high school to discuss the science behind coffee roasting. He also explained the history of the coffee production process, throwing in some quick geography and economics lessons to illustrate how the coffee industry has affected the global market. Culinary students then went to Beanetics to create their own blend, using science and math lessons to make decisions about the percentage of beans to mix and to determine the type of roast that would deliver the taste they wanted. After hours of taste testing, the students had created the perfect blend: a smooth, dark-roasted mix of Sumatra, Guatemalan, and Brazilian beans with hints of chocolate and vanilla.
But the learning didn't stop with just the culinary arts students. A cross-section of students from different classes and clubs are involved in running the Jaguar Joe business.
Photography students documented the whole process, snapping shots for the Web site, ads, and sales campaigns, while the marketing classes developed a business plan and a strategic marketing plan, which includes media outreach to the local TV stations. Also, the visual communications class held a competition to pick the winning logos for the coffee bags, posters, flyers, and Web site designs. Across content areas, students have gained new skills through the partnership.
Brooks sees the Jaguar Joe project as a worthwhile investment because it provides students with authentic learning experiences. "Authentic learning is the key to learning. Students can say, 'I'm not just learning this to be learning something; I can use this.' It allows them to take [a lesson] and make it real," says Brooks.
Finding a Common Goal
In the United States, partnerships like the FCHS and Beanetics collaborative are on the rise. The Council for Corporate & School Partnerships, which was founded in 2001 by the Coca-Cola Company, encourages schools and businesses to join forces.
But why do corporations have a vested interest in education? For one reason, research shows that an emerging skills gap could create great problems for American employers.
"If you look at it from strictly a business perspective and if you use information from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce around workforce development and projected shortages in the workforce, they're projecting some 10 million jobs that will not be filled with the expertise that they need in as little as three years from now," says Jay Engeln, resident practitioner for school/business partnerships with the National Association of Secondary School Principals. Engeln is an advisor for the Council for Corporate & School Partnerships.
While employers are facing some serious workforce development needs that they hope to resolve by working closely with educators, according to the Council's survey of business representatives, it's not always about the bottom line when partnering with schools. Interviews with business leaders show that they also view partnerships as a means of "boosting employee morale through work on altruistic issues," "improving the academic achievement of students," and "creating better schools to contribute to the economic health of the community." For local businesses especially, acting as a good neighbor also provides strong motivation for linking up with schools.
In the case of FCHS, Starr seized the opportunity to impart his knowledge to a new generation of entrepreneurs. "He is constantly involved with us," says Brooks. "He is often speaking to the kids about entrepreneurship."
During his tenure as principal of William J. Palmer High School in Colorado, Engeln oversaw more than 100 business partnerships. He cautions educators to always seriously consider the benefits of any potential partnership before signing an agreement. "There are companies that may come to you with a proposal that really does not focus on your vision for the school," says Engeln. "In every partnership, the school and the school district's vision and mission must be first and foremost at all times."
Planning, Planning, and More Planning
- Establish a clear mission for the partnership.
- Determine mutual needs that can be met.
- Secure buy-in from the highest levels of both the business and school leadership, as well as other stakeholders such as school board officials, parents, teachers, and others who will be integral to implementation of the project.
- Set realistic short- and long-term goals.
- Determine measurements for gauging the success of the partnership.
- Communicate openly and regularly.
- Create ongoing monitoring and evaluation systems.
When planned and monitored properly, these partnerships can not only support students but also help teachers, explains Engeln. At William J. Palmer High School, the partnerships provided teachers with additional resources and garnered community support for the school and its students. "I think when teachers saw how much the community was interested in the school, it really impacted [their teaching] because they felt like people were interested in what they were doing. And it gave us the resources to allow the teachers to do what they do best," he says.
Watch a <LINK URL="http://www.myfoxdc.com/myfox/pages/Home/Detail;jsessionid=1347AA218520CE3978DBA30CBF0B8D1D?contentId=5910423&version=1&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=VSTY&pageId=1.1.1&sflg=1">video clip</LINK> about Falls Church High School's Jaguar Joe coffee business partnership.
The Council for Corporate & School Partnerships' <LINK URL="http://www.corpschoolpartners.org/index.shtml">Web site</LINK> provides survey data and planning tools for partnership development.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Business Roundtable established the <LINK URL="http://www.biz4achievement.org/">Business Coalition for Student Achievement</LINK>, which represents business leaders from every sector of the economy, to focus efforts on "improving the performance of the K–12 education system" and to support the No Child Left Behind initiative.
<LINK URL="http://www.asdk12.org/depts/sbp/">The Anchorage School District</LINK> celebrates its many business partnerships and offers resources and partnership planning tools.
Newport News Public Schools maintains a robust business partnership program. Its <LINK URL="http://sbo.nn.k12.va.us/BizEd/action.htm">Web site</LINK> includes news about the program and a video illustrating the work of volunteers from local military bases and businesses such as Northrop Grumman.
This <LINK URL="http://www.northjersey.com/news/aroundnj/Name_that_field_or_auditorium.html?c=y&page=1">article</LINK> discusses New Jersey schools considering selling their naming rights.
This Wall Street Journal<LINK URL="http://s.wsj.net/article/SB120476410964115117.html">article</LINK> discusses schools using curricula developed by Lockheed Martin Corporation, Intel Corporation, and other corporations.
