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Making the Connection
Business / Labor / Community Leaders
Alliance for Education partners work together to create school and work based learning opportunities for students in order to provide real world applications for academic knowledge and interpersonal skills. The time spent in helping students learn about your industry or service can be a valuable investment in San Bernardino County's economic future. (Please note that in order to ensure the safety of minor children, school districts require participants to undergo a minimal screening process for most of the following partnership opportunities.)
The Speaker's Bureau: Classroom Speaking -
Classroom speaking is an instructional strategy that has been successfully used for years to bring information from the community and business/labor leaders to students in classrooms. In the classroom speaking strategy supported by the Alliance for Education, visiting business/labor/community partners incorporate how they use academics within their career field or place of work. The partner works closely with the educator prior to the classroom presentation in order to learn more about the content standards the educator is required to teach and core concepts that students need to understand to successfully achieve on standardized testing. With this knowledge, the partner incorporates some of the standards or core concepts in his or her presentation.
The Field Study Program -
The Field Study Program is an instructional strategy that successfully demonstrates to students the relevance of their academic subjects to the world of work. Through the Field Study Program business/labor/community partners demonstrate how they use academics within their career field or place of work. The Field Study Program expands upon the field trip concept, allowing students to visit a business/industry site for an organized tour of the site and participate in a demonstration of how that particular business/industry uses academic knowledge and skills to accomplish necessary work. The partner works closely with the educator prior to the field study in order to learn more about the content standards the educator is required to teach and core concepts that students need to understand to successfully achieve on standardized testing. With this knowledge, the partner incorporates some of the standards or core concepts in the field study.
Project/Problem-Based Learning -
Project/Problem-Based Learning is an instructional strategy that successfully demonstrates to students the relevance of their academic studies within an authentic, problem-solving situation. The Project/Problem-Based Learning experience allows students to tackle an authentic problem provided by a business or community leader and after researching the problem, gathering data and information, present the suggested solutions back to the partner. The partner works closely with the educator prior to the project design or determined problem-solving activity in order to learn more about the content standards the educator is required to teach and core concepts that students need to understand to successfully achieve on standardized testing. With this knowledge, the partners incorporate some of the standards or core concepts in the project or problem-based learning activities.
Internships -
One of the Alliance for Education's major objectives is to provide the opportunity for young adults to get a better understanding of the workplace, including its requirements and its challenges. Internships provide an authentic exposure to the real world of work, encourages communication skills, and demonstrates the importance of learning and further study. During an Internship, educators from local high schools work with Alliance for Education partners to allow internships for students on a part-time basis, typically lasting between several weeks to a few months. During this period, business/labor/community partners assess the work of the student, provide formative and summative evaluations of the student's work habits, and identify areas in which the student could improve.
Mentors -
The term mentor is used to describe an adult volunteer who serves as a positive role model and encourages youths' personal development. The mentor may have a one-on-one relationship with a single youth, or may act as a mentor for a group of young adults. The Alliance for Education's mentor program helps align the interest areas of young adults with caring professionals within the community.
Job Shadowing -
Job shadowing is a career exploration strategy most appropriate for middle school students. Middle school is the time for students to explore the broad range of occupations so that later on they will be able to narrow their career interests. High school students who have not narrowed their career interests by tenth grade may also find job shadowing to be a useful activity. Job shadowing students are NOT present to work. They are there to observe and ask questions. Employers involved with job shawdowing inform the student of relevant policies or regulations at the worksite, answer questions about the profession, and direct students to the areas of their career interest. |
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