March 29, 2024
BANGOR DAILY NEWS (BANGOR, MAINE

Schools, business work together in SAD 53

PITTSFIELD — An innovative program to use the resources and experiences of local businesses to help meet the needs of school children is being initiated in SAD 53. Called EP53, the Educational Partnership in SAD 53 is designed to better link skills of people in the community with the school.

According to Tamara Bryce, the business volunteer coordinator, more than 90 area businesses have already been contacted to participate. EP53 actually began during the 1990-91 school year with the formation of a Parent Volunteer Program for kindergarten through fourth grade, said Bryce. Similar programs initiated by the district include MTS (Motivation to Succeed) for all students, and the Maine Central Institute Life Skills curriculum, also started last year.

This year, said Bryce, programs that have been successful throughout the state have been combined or reworked to fit the needs of SAD 53. “We started off with something we could handle,” she said, “so that we could build on success.”

One of the programs that comprise EP53 is “Good Deed Doers.” In this program, pupils in kindergarten through grade four do good deeds are nominated by their teachers and parents for recognition. Each month, six of those pupils will choose a book to be purchased for their classroom library. The books will be purchased by businesses that participate in the program.

Another program, Business Back to School Week/Teacher Back to School Week, teams up one teacher with one business person. The business person spends one day with the teacher in the classroom and the teacher spends a day in the workplace with the business person.

Another program will match individual teachers’ requests for special materials with businesses that have discarded materials to offer for use in the classroom.

Mentor and tutor programs will match up a business person with a pupil for one hour each week during school hours. Participants in either program may spend time playing games, reading, studying, talking or working on class assignments. The needs of the pupil will determine the individual focus of the program which especially targets children at risk of failure or dropping out.

Self-esteem building programs also will seek sponsorship or recognition by local businesses by purchasing buttons, ribbons, bumper stickers and recognition plaques.

Community resource people also will be encouraged to share a special skill, hobby, interest or experience that children would like to hear about or share. Mini-courses presented by business people, as well as guest appearances, also are planned.

For grades six through 12, tours of various workplaces are planned.

At Maine Central Institute, the LIFE Skills curriculm (Learning and Integrating Future Essentials) is a one-credit course required of all MCI freshmen. The program is designed to reinforce basic skills and to better prepare students for life by exposing them to computer applications, technology education, business education, life-management skills and career exploration through association with industries and businesses in the community.

Through a sample listing of the programs and a check-off sheet, businesses are now being recruited to participate in the various programs.

Bryce encourages businesses that have not been contacted to consider joining the program. For more information, call 487-5024.


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