Partnerships between public schools and businesses are powerful, and bring experiences which deepen students' understanding of how their learning applies to the real world. Ultimately, these partnerships can result in students being more prepared to enter college, the workforce, or technical training after high school. 

Partnerships can be difficult to develop.  Businesses and schools both have full plates and limited resources.  Neither can afford to take on one more commitment, particularly if it doesn't add much value to their own enterprise.  Good ideas take time to plan and implement, and time is in short supply all the way around.

Partnerships can and do gel under the right circumstances.  When they come together, great things can happen.  I'd like to share with you some exciting examples that have taken shape in the Mount Vernon School District over the last several months.

·        The Mount Vernon Chamber of Commerce's Business-Education Partnership has developed and trained a speaker's bureau for the purpose of bringing business people into middle and high school classrooms.  As part of this program, the Chamber recently collaborated with the school district, Northwest Workforce Development Council, Skagit County Youth and Family Services, and the Northwest Educational Service District to access grant funding to develop a drop-out prevention program.  Among other things, the grant will link and train mentors from the business community (identified by the Chamber) with participating students over their four years of high school.

·        The Mount Vernon High School Career and Technical Education (CTE) Department has partnered with Skagit Valley College's Marine Maintenance Technology Department and Northwest Center of Excellence for Marine Manufacturing to build a radio-controlled twin-engine model boat.  Additionally, CTE teacher Richard Spink has involved his students in a larger boat building project.  Several businesses from the marine industry have donated significant time, materials, and expertise to help students learn the design and manufacturing process.  Composites One has donated all of the composite materials for the project.  Airtech Advanced Materials Group is supplying all of the vacuum infusing materials and will be on site to supervise the vacuum infusion process. 

·        CTE students are also collaborating to design and build an aluminum boat, using materials donated by Alaska Copper and Brass. Specialty Marine is providing a design, cutting files, and electronic model. The knowledge and experiences these students gain will form the foundation for further training in marine manufacturing and technology – one of the fastest growing fields in the northwest.

The District's partnerships with the Mount Vernon Chamber and businesses in the marine industry represent just two examples of how well planned and implemented collaborations make learning relevant for students and begin to prepare them for life after high school.  We can and want to do more in this area.  If you have ideas, please feel free to call me at 428-6110 or e-mail me at cbruner@mv.k12.wa.us.