If You’d Like To Connect With Me or Book Me For a
Workshop...Harding [email protected]
(606)615-2595
Community PartnersHow to Build and Leverage Beneficial Relationships
for Your Students’ Success!
© 2019 Harding Ison-Bowman
Focus for Student Benefit:
❖ Loads of informal/holistic benefits
❖ We will get into some formal/practical possibilities
as well: postsecondary careers
Focus for Student Benefit:Holistic/Informal❖ The keynote speaker from last year talked about
the predicted future of a young person vs. the
imagined future.
❖ This community partnership work is a powerful
way to bring seeds of possibility into the student’s
life
Why People Instead of Stand-Alone Information?
❖ “Facts tell, but stories sell”
❖ The human connection inspires, encourages, and
motivates
Tony Robbins and the TurkeyWhen I was 11 years old, my
family was given a meal on
Thanksgiving from a kind stranger.
My father always said that nobody gave a d--- about anybody. But
all of a sudden someone I didn’t know, who wasn’t asking for
anything in return, was looking out for us.
Tony Robbins and the Turkey
It made me think, strangers care.
This kindness was a catalyst for what would become a foundation
of my life’s work — ENDING HUNGER for those in such desperate
need.
Who is a Community Partner?
❖ An adult who has a particular skill set, lifestyle,
vocation, or experiences that your students would
benefit from, either by short term exposure, or
from extended partnership.
Who is a Community Partner?
❖ In the marketplace right now.
❖ Part of the latest trends and methods.
❖ More up to date than even the official industry
trainings may be.
What This is NOT
❖ Taking field trips or asking people to come and
visit your classroom just to be a classroom helper
or positive influence (what I will be discussing is
much more intentional)
Why This Matters: Short Term
❖ Have You Ever Had an Experience Where…
(Mattie and Todd and the Lawn)
Why This Matters: Short Term
❖ The Novelty and Validation of 3rd Party Voices!
❖ Fresh and New!
❖ These can have more power to form a learning
connection than anything I can say or do.
Why This Matters: Long Term
❖ Short term engagement and achievement can
snowball into longer term results (grades, GPA,
self esteem, thoughts of a future story, career
interest, momentum for postsecondary goals, etc.)
Strategies
❖ Let the content or student interest drive the
connections.
❖ What’s an area of student interest? Shout it out!
Strategies
❖ If I am talking about soil composition in my
landscape class, I could reach out to a soil scientist
at the ag extension office or nearby university, and
ask them to come speak to the class.
Strategies
❖ I love the connections outside of government/
academia
❖ Small business, local people, self made,
bootstrapping
Strategies
❖ Young Erin wants to learn about being a
professional dog groomer. We will find a local dog
groomer to connect her with!
❖ [Follow along with the script for Cold Calling a Dog
Groomer]
StrategiesClassroom Phone Interview Need To Knows:
❖ Planned vs. Unplanned, Booked vs. Unbooked
❖ Leaving the “Door” Open
❖ Context of PBL (Wait Time, Independent Work)
StrategiesSo, the Cold Call...that’s one way to do it!
❖ May seem radical
❖ Everyone has access and can do it
❖ YOU may be starting from scratch
❖ Entrepreneur Spirit :)
Mindset
❖ People intrinsically feel good about reaching back
and helping a young person who’s trying to find
his or her own path.
Mindset
❖ People don’t tell me “no” when I ask for help
pouring into a young person.
❖ Story: Eric Sowers at Culver’s in Minnesota
Mindset: Big PictureWe are balancing a few things:
❖ Giving the student access
❖ Promoting the student’s independence and
communication skills growth
❖ Wisely vetting the adult contact and safely
building the relationship along the way
Mindset: Big PictureTips:
❖ Always be asking yourself, “How can my students
take on more responsibility and practice more
skills in this situation or this step of the process?”
StrategyTips:
❖ Hand written thank you notes never go out of
style (especially when written by a young person)
Big Picture Outcomes
❖ Large School or Community Event
❖ Community Service Projects- Give back, build your
resumé, get off campus,
❖ Career Fairs- Bring all the contacts together,
massive exposure for student possibilities, hosting
people at OUR house!
What To Expect: Big EventsYour students will tap into a new performance mode
when given the opportunity to honor and serve their
new adult connections. Can you think of one of your
students who would love to help with….
❖ Hosting, Greeting, Check In Table, Signage, Event
Set Up and Tear Down, Hospitality Room, etc...
Big Picture OutcomesMentorship/Internship
❖ Can be a holistic, whole child thing for the student.
OR
❖ It can be a career readiness thing!
CTE General Program Standards Section 3. The content of the instruction in secondary career and
technical education programs shall be: (1) Aligned with state or
national occupational skill standards that have been recognized by
business and industry to include an understanding of all aspects of
an industry; (2) Developed and conducted in consultation with
employers and other individuals having skills and knowledge of the
occupational fields or industry included in the instruction;
Section 5. A secondary career and technical education program
shall provide opportunities for students to participate in high
quality work-based learning experiences related to the program in
which they are enrolled and shall comply with 705 KAR 4:041.
These work-based learning experiences may include the following:
(1) Job shadowing; (2) Mentoring; (3) Service Learning; (4)
School-based enterprises; (5) Entrepreneurship; (6) Internships; (7)
Cooperative education;
Section 12. A career and technical education program area shall
have an active program advisory committee comprised of business
and industry representatives, parents, education representatives,
and, if applicable to the program area, labor organizations
representatives to assist in planning, implementing, and evaluating
programs.
Can we actually...Help Erin graduate with a legitimate pathway focus
on professional dog grooming??
❖ Maybe. There is an “Exceptional Work
Experience”
Exceptional Work Experience2. Establishing Exceptional Work Experience: All items (a-f) must completed by the student. a. Document
completion of 500 hours of experience within a single career field. Hours must be completed between the time of
entering the 9th grade and graduating high school and may include hours worked in the summer. b. Demonstrate
growth over the course of the experience by assuming additional responsibilities on the job. c. Provide evidence of
an individualized professional achievement or recognition. d. Provide a minimum of two professional references.
This should include one letter from the employer and one from another person (e.g., principal, counselor, or
customer). e. Provide credible evidence of ability to collaborate, adapt to change, communicate, think critically,
and demonstration of foundational academic skills. f. Provide documentation of
alignment of work experience to the standards contained in the
relevant industry-recognized certification (as defined by the KWIB)
or CTE End-of-Program Assessment.
Other ResourcesNational Center for College and Career Transitions
www.nc3t.com
❖ Mapped out guides for recruiting employer
partners, setting up advisory boards, etc.
Recruiting Partners
❖ Some contacts may end up long term partners.
❖ Some may even host and train vocational skills at
their own site.
❖ Whether holistic and informal, or formal and
certified, it’s worth it.
Recruiting Partners
❖ They can validate what you’re already saying…
❖ And they can say a whole lot you can’t...
Recruiting Partners
❖ Career fairs, student work showcases, charity
events all require a village of passionate adult
supporters
❖ Some may start interest groups and clubs, or
become subs or volunteers for the school.
Strategies
❖ You don’t want your students to get in front of
community partners and fall flat.
❖ What are they supposed to bring to the table?
Strategies: Too Old For Show and Tell!❖ To share their vision with an audience of
community partners, students need to do more
than research a career path- they must reflect on
their thoughts and their learning process to
develop the STORY of their interest, their
concerns, their developments, their goals.
Strategies
❖ Don’t forget the power of verbal processing
❖ What are some other ways to help kids “dump”
their stories out of their heads?
Strategies
❖ To show up strong and maximize the opportunity
of meeting potential community partners, what do
your students need to do and ask, how do they
need to act? What end goal could they have in
mind depending on who they want to meet? Let
me hear from you...
Parting Shot: Mentors
❖ You may have your students asking if they can
invite these folks to their graduation.
❖ Raise Your Hand If You’ve Had a Mentor
❖ It’s their turn, now!
If You’d Like To Connect With Me or Book Me For a
Workshop...Harding [email protected]
(606)615-2595