Career Education Programs - School to Career

PURPOSE - The purpose of the Adopt-A-School program is to form partnerships between businesses and schools in Santa Barbara County to encourage interactions between students, faculty, and business people which result in student learning experiences relevant to the working world and career choices.

SCHOOL/BUSINESS PARTNERSHIPS - Both the school representative (principal, advisory council member, faculty member, or designee) and the business partner meet and make an individualized, mutually agreed upon support plan stemming from a school need matched to a business resource.

SUGGESTED PARTNERSHIPS/ACTIVITIES/EVENTS - Successful partnerships, just like friendships, grow out of a mutual sharing of expertise, a working together to accomplish a common goal through collaboration, a matching of resources and needs, and always out of an enthusiasm focused on the enhancement of the core learning in the local school community. Some ideas to brainstorm follow.

· A creative idea coming from the need of a school matched with an individual or business.

· Junior Achievement Program mentors.

· Student motivation and recognition programs
(www.presidentialserviceawards.org).

· Adopt-A-School Breakfast.

· Groundhog Job Shadow Days at your school; individuals or a whole class “shadow” a business. See www.jobshadow.org for Brochure, “How to Guide”, and Virtual Job Shadow.

· Internships for high school students. Externships for teachers.

· Day of the Teacher (usually in May)

· Principal for a Day (usually in March)

· Helping to provide equipment and or supplies to support curriculum for a school, a department, a grade level, or even a classroom.

· Classroom Speakers/Career Day Speakers.

· Create your own events and celebrations enhancing curriculum and successes.

HOW ARE SCHOOLS AND BUSINESSES MATCHED? - Partnerships are formed by schools and businesses that want to share in building a better community. A call to the Career Education Office (964-4711, Ext. 4400) by a school or a business can often produce a partnership. Let your needs and resources be known.

RECOGNITION - When an Adopt-A-School partnership forms, report it to the Career Education Office. Certificates for both partners will be issued as well as recognition at Santa Barbara Partners in Education Board meetings. But the greatest recognition of all is the “thank you” expressed in the students’ faces.

For questions, email careers@sbceo.org or call
964-4711, Ext. 4400.

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Adopt-A-School Specific Program Suggestions & Program Activities

National Groundhog Job Shadow Day Homepage