Chapter 9: Strategies for Creating Successful Corporate Partnerships - John Richards

1. Chapter 9: Strategies for Creating Successful Corporate Partnerships - John Richards found in Technology in its Place: Successful Technology Infusion in Schools edited by John F. LeBaron and Catherine Collier Wayne Knepp ITEC 545 University of Mary Washington

2. Goals of Schools and Businesses • The main goal of school is to prepare students for their life (give them job skills, the ability to use their minds, and make them into model citizens. • The main goal of business is to make money. • While these two goals are highly different, they are not mutually exclusive.

3. Reason for school/business partnerships • Businesses may make partnerships to build brand, become good corporate citizens, or sell product. • The first two reasons are considered acceptable according to guidelines from the National Education Association and Consumers Union while the third reason is not.

4. What is business? • Business is not a single entity with only one motivation • Businesses with products marketed for education • Businesses which conduct research • Businesses with financial interest in education market • Businesses with pro-social motivation • Businesses which market products toward students

5. Foundation for Partnership • Schools prepare students for the workplace. • Businesses need workers who are proficient in basic skills, critical thinking, and problem solving. • While this makes it seem that a partnership between the two entities would be perfect, a number of problems can arise.

6. Possible difficulties • Students may be exploited by businesses (products allowed in school receive implied endorsement) and negatively impacted by commercialism and marketing • Differing concepts of time (schools generally plan on long-term implementation while businesses try for quick implementation

7. Possible difficulties cont. • Lack of school buy-in. Any type of business partnership needs complete endorsement from all levels of school administration. • Mutual need. Any program started needs to meet the needs of the school. • Businesses may not have a good understanding of the education profession. • Educational institutions may not understand the goals and needs of businesses.

8. Build on strengths • In order to make a partnership work, it must work toward the strengths of educational institutions and the businesses. • Example: Students seeking “real-world” applications in school. By their nature, businesses produce a number of materials or situations that can be used in project based learning and show the relevance of educational experiences.

9. Partnerships should… • Have real educational value • Reinforce school curricula • Advance educational goals • Allow participation decisions to be at the school level • Be open to students who choose to participate

10. Partnerships should not… • Offer trips, gifts, or prizes for promoting products in the classroom • Discriminate against groups of students • Impede instruction time • Require the purchase of a product • Require promotion of a commercial product

11. Videos • Diploma – This video highlights one program that helps link business and education • The Spotlight: Hy-Vee Wright Business Partnership – This segment from Channel 12 News demonstrates a successful business partnership in a Des Moines elementary school