Recruiting Business Partners

Faculty conducts a school needs assessment and reviews school improvement plan to determine how a business partner can help the school achieve its goals.
School forms a steering committee to target a potential business partner that could meet the needs identified.
Businesses are targeted based on:
- location or proximity to the school,
- compatible business services to school needs, and
- recommendations based upon individual school needs.
School checks with Office of Business and Community Partnerships (BCP) (571-423-1225) before contacting companies to avoid duplication.
If there is interest, CEO identifies coordinator for the company.
Principal, school coordinator (if applicable), and business coordinator meet to discuss specific ideas.
Joint steering committee is formed from school and business to meet monthly. Representatives should attend a partnership training session offered by BCP.
Steering committee develops specific, measurable objectives and projected activities for the year.

School Needs Assessment Should:

Gather information about the needs of the teachers, the students, and the school community.
Identify how to utilize community resources effectively.
Establish priorities.
Determine the focus of the partnership program.
Integrate partner's resources into the school improvement plan.

What are the available resources - people, facilities, equipment - and how do you wish to use them in the partnership program?
What are the skills, both professional and personal, that the employees possess?
Which divisions of the business/military/organization, i.e., mortgage-loan department, international division, data processing, food service, etc., are willing to participate?
Does the company have recreational, cultural, and/or civic programs?
Does the partner have a training and staff development department or programs, videos, materials, etc. that would be useful for the partnership?
Can the partner accommodate students for field trips?
What resources are available for providing incentive awards? career awareness? tutoring? community service projects? club sponsorships? mini-courses?
What are the factors that will limit your program?
Will employee involvement be during and/or after normal working hours?
Which employees will be able to participate in the partnership?
Does the partner have company publications, reports, product information, strategic plan, or goals and objectives, which can be made available to the school?