A growth in the School to Business Partnership Program with the St. Joseph School District has the district looking at a higher level of community participation.
“it’s just a positive thing,” said SJSD Partnership Coordinator Mike Buckler. “That way you get people from the community actually in our doors and they see what’s going on.”
The Business Partnership Program has been a part of the school district for around 15 years. Partnerships include many activities from employees taking part as volunteer mentors, internship opportunities for students, financial assistance for field trips, and student rewards. Currently the district has 157 business partners which Buckler said is an increase of 16 from last year, nine of which signed up in the past three weeks.
“The very first thing that I never do is go out and ask for money,” said Buckler. “We want businesses to be involved with our students and our staff by their time with mentors, their efforts in coming by and reading to our kids over lunch or doing field trips out to their businesses.”
Buckler said there’s many opportunities for businesses to become a business partner with the district. Buckler said he’s always looking for business partners.
“The nice thing about our business community is they step up and help out any way that we ask,” he said.