How do you partner with organizations for school goals?

The old "start with the end in mind" is key. What results or benefits are you looking to see from each partnership? Are you building a new program? Adding to an existing program? How will you measure success and ROI? In my experience, school/districts will often seek out based on cost rather than quality. Budgets are tight, and so financial stewardship is always top of mind. I absolutely agree with asset mapping/needs assessment. Identification and prioritization helps to focus your search for partners that provide services that give you the most bang for your buck.

Consider connecting with your local economic development alliance to work alongside you as well as potential industry partners in not only identifying current gaps but highlighting what future growth looks like within your area and workforce.

Although I am an educator I also operate a non profit. I understand totally the importance of needs and assessments, I implement stem components in many schools and identifying needs is paramount when I solicit services. Connecting with the vision of a campus and the needs of the scholars are essential. Fortunately in my organization’s mission which is exposing populations of underserved students to STEM components makes my purpose a viable option

The terms vision and mission are important for decision-making, planning, and communication. An organization's vision outlines future goals for education, performance outcomes, and success, reflecting values and impact. Having a mission provides clear direction and understanding to stakeholders about its purpose and values.

In my experience the needs assessment is the best starting point alongside a well defined SMART goal that the leadership stands behind. This sets up the staff, team and partnerships for transparency, purpose and performance indicator evaluation.

Identifying a shared value, passion and mutuality defines the context for the partnership and serves to anchor present and future work.

Strategic partnerships offer a wealth of resources and expertise that can enrich the educational experience. These collaborations can range from local businesses and community organizations to governmental bodies and non-profits. To formulate an effective partnership strategy, schools must have a clear idea of their objectives and areas of improvement. This could be anything from needing additional resources for the STEM program, seeking community engagement for environmental projects, or requiring expert support for career guidance initiatives.

There are so many resources available today. Don't box yourself in just thinking within your sector. Networking, researching, asking for demos can all provide you with more knowledge, user experience, and effectiveness of goods and services for the problem or issue you are trying to solve.

However, the work doesn't end with forming the partnership. Building a robust, sustainable relationship is key to long-term success. Regular communication is fundamental to ensure both parties are aligned in their objectives and satisfied with the partnership's progress. Schools should also be flexible and open to feedback, constantly refining their approach based on the inputs received from their partners.

In my experience evaluation, results and outcomes can all be benchmarked and established as progress monitoring goals. When the partnership has stability, communication and transparency.

Once you have identified the partner(s) you want to engage, and you have written your proposal, you must immediately begin the work of planning for the event they accept the partnership. When you visit with the organization, you will be asked specific questions about how you will implement a sustainable program through this partnership. They need to believe in your strength as a program manager, and if you do not have any idea about how you will proceed, they won't be joining you.

When you go into negotiations with a clear plan of what your wants and expected results are from the partnership, then it should be an easy discussion with any rep. I would expect they ask questions to truly get to the meat of what my needs are. Then, at minimum, I would expect to have a meeting where they've outlined how their product/service is customized to my needs and expectations. Then, we can look at refining and customizing further until we come to an agreement that defines all details of the partnership.

Data analytics has come a long way and you can produce high quality graphics, analysis and outcome presentation with excel and googles related suite.

There has to be a clear plan for implementation, any iterations, and how measurement data will be collected. Collecting and analyzing as much data (both quantitative and qualitative) is key. The partnership has to work in concert to ensure quality and efficacy.

In our experience, we found our industry partners value efforts to highlight and recognize the collaboration taking place between us. We utilize social media platforms, local media outlets, along with press releases through our district to showcase their efforts to create a pipeline of future workforce ready students.

Acknowledging the contributions of your partners plays a pivotal role in fostering a healthy relationship. Additionally, recognition in various forms, such as simple thank-you note to public acknowledgment in school events or newsletters can go a long way to strengthen your relationships and expand your network with other organizations and stakeholders.

Recognition, reminds us to value the partnership, remain grateful for what has come and what is yet to come. Gratitude serves to foster support and maintain relationships when challenges arise.

Celebrating wins, both big and small, shouldn't be just at the end. If we are monitoring, collaborating, and iterative along the way, the relationship becomes more successful and sustainable. And sometimes, it may highlight that the partnership may not need to continue because it's not beneficial to each party. This should happen sooner rather than later. Successful partnerships can expand and solidify as the relationship matures.

As soft skills such as social etiquette, empathy, and intercultural awareness are highly desirable skills for employers, schools can help students by partnering with an NGO in Canada called IITTI World Civility Index. They provide a micro-learning system where students can earn "points" by reading articles, watching videos or attending webinars. The World Civility Index is somewhat like a person's credit rating, except it doesn't measure a person's ability to pay bills, but a person's soft skills. The World Civility Index is a part of UN Sustainability Development.

AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to closing the opportunity gap by preparing students for college and career success. It has had a significant impact on traditionally low-performing schools and districts. AVID introduces a college-going culture in the school district. Students participate in college tours, engage with guest speakers from different professional backgrounds, and have access to college and career counseling. The program also emphasizes rigorous coursework, encouraging students to enroll in advanced courses, and offers tutoring sessions to support these endeavors, resulting in increased high school graduation rates and college enrollment rates in many districts.

Parents are also your networks What I recommend and I have done in the past as a teacher was to her parents permissions to collaborate with them on nearly every school invent. Parents who own companies can sponsor the school on certain topics and events, parents who work 9-5 can lend their expertise when needed. We can also have help is to network with organizations that can help our students find their place quickly in the society. This is particularly helpful to high school and universities.

If you are adding an external partner program that is going to impact all facets of your campus/district, you have to include a diverse group early on in all facets—parents, teachers, community advocates, school board members, business owners, etc. You want diverse perspectives, and you also want champions of the program/event that are out in your school community. This is especially true when you are looking to serve specific groups or special needs.