Youth Development: Community Partnerships with Schools and Business Improving scholastic achievement, promoting career development, providing mentor-based business internships, and increasing access to higher education
 
Community Partnerships with Schools and Businesses addresses this challenge by connecting community business resources with students from area high schools.
 
Some comments from the community:
 
 “The Eleanor Roosevelt Center’s Partnership with Schools and Business is an exemplary model of collaboration among schools, businesses, and community service organizations.”
Eric Cooper, Executive Director, National Urban Alliance for Effective Education
 
 “Opening up opportunities for these individuals is a matter of social justice – that is addressing a serious gap in American education for underrepresented groups.”
Robert Watson, Superintendent of the Poughkeepsie City School District:
 
 “Teens from low-income households, foster families, inner-city schools and rural villages are gaining valuable work experience.”
James Williamson, President and CEO of the United Way of Dutchess County:
 
 “We think this is an outstanding example of thinking “outside” of the box to provide additional services to students in our area through non-traditional means.” 6/12/03
Ron Lyons, Editor, The Millerton News – an editorial
 
“It is when business and schools collaborate that everyone benefits: students become more motivated and business receives a prepared workforce.  Ultimately, our economy is strengthened.”  
Charlie North, President, Poughkeepsie Area Chamber of Commerce
 
“The future of our county will be much more positive if we address the employment needs of our young people – our emerging workforce.”
 William Steinhaus, Dutchess County Executive
 
Partners now include:
• Poughkeepsie and Beacon City School Districts, the Dover, Pawling and Webutuck School Districts (200 students for the 2003-2004 school year)
•· Community Service Organizations: The Martin Luther King Cultural Center in Beacon, the North East Community Center serving Millerton and Amenia, YMCA/NYC/‘Wherehouse’ Teen Center serving Dover Plains and Pawling
• The Poughkeepsie Area Chamber of Commerce
• Close to one hundred businesses and service organizations.
 
Program Description and Goals
Responding to a need to improve attendance and performance in the area high schools, to encourage post-secondary education, and to ensure a qualified labor pool, ERVK’s Community Partnerships established school and business partnership in 1999 with the involvement of Poughkeepsie High School, the Poughkeepsie Area Chamber of Commerce, IBM, CH Energy Group, as well as numerous local businesses. The Partnership’s primary goal is to facilitate businesses and schools working together to encourage disenfranchised youth to stay in school, attend classes, graduate, and go on to higher education and/or a career. Education administrators are concerned with student success rates and the federal “No Child Left Behind” requirements. Businesses are looking for educational and career opportunities to prepare a qualified, diverse workforce.
 
Students receive stipends through the program to work 6-10 hours a week at a business. Each business agrees to pair the student with a supervisor who will mentor the student and help the student acquire specific job skills, as well as, the “soft skills” that are essential to employment success.  At the end of the internship, evaluations are completed by the supervisor on skill acquisition and work readiness. In some instances, students receive academic credit for their participation.
 
Beyond the academic and employment benefits received through this program, the students participate in a formal orientation to the world of work - hosted and conducted by the school and by community service organizations. ‘Field manuals’ and curriculum outlines for students, businesses, community organizations and school personnel are currently under development.
Program Expansion Plans
 
I. Design Strategic Development Plan to reinforce current initiatives and determine key elements for expansion. Creating systemic change and “Building to Scale”
II. Develop procedures and manuals to enable the collaborating partners from schools, businesses and community organizations - to create and share specific curriculum and best practices during program expansion.
III. Develop rationale to enable businesses (and educators) - to understand the purpose of mentoring for disenfranchised youth: to obtain the tools for communicating with youth and maximize educational and social impact of the experience.(address literacy ‘blockers.’)
IV. Determine effective tools for communicating with school administrators, teachers, guidance counselors and parents regarding CPSB program and students’ involvement.
V. Develop linkages with specific businesses and chambers of commerce, school superintendents and directors of community service organizations for program development, endorsements and outreach.
VI. Document the impact on high school (and college) attendance, graduation rates and employment rates on students engaged in internship compared to a control group that has not had the advantage of the CPSB program.
VII. Develop alliances with organizations and institutions that are committed to changing the system of education by engaging businesses and community organizations in educating the most vulnerable youth.