Business Education Partnership Initiatives
GBEDC prides itself on being committed to the community and to the youth in it. We feel that GETTING INVOLVED IN EDUCATION is the most important thing. We have put together various initiatives over the years and have outlined them here (in no particular order).
- Business Education Summit - our fifth annual summit was held on August 24, 2011. Our speakers this year were Alan Borsuk, Senior Fellow in Law at Marquette University Law School and Janice Brown, Executive Director at the Kalamazoo Promise. This event is done in partnership with the School District of Beloit and the Greater Beloit Chamber of Commerce.
- Speakers Bureau Pool - In 2009, we began collecting names of professional people in the area that would be willing to either go in to a classroom or speak at an assembly. These people have agreed to give information to students regarding their field of expertise. This list is updated regularly and is also linked on the School District of Beloit's website.
- Connections Initiative - for the fourth year now, we contact area businesses who are interested in having freshmen students from Beloit Memorial High School attend their business for two hours. Businesses inform the students on the careers available there and the salary ranges that can be obtained. This program will not be continued, but we plan to partner with the Greater Beloit Chamber of Commerce on their Career Fair held in November of each year.
- This year's event was held on May 5, 2011. Click here to view "In the News" featured in the Beloit Daily News.
- It was also featured in a Beloit Daily News Editorial.
- Lunch & Learn - now on it's third year, we find area business people or retired professionals who are interested in mentoring freshmen students at Beloit Memorial High School. Currently, we have 25 mentors working with mentees every Friday from 12 - 1 pm. Lunch is provided for the mentors by a Stateline Community Foundation grant. This year we began a program at both Aldrich and McNeal Middle Schools that was a great success.
- On May 13, 2011, we packaged 8,000 meals for Kids Against Hunger. Click here to view "In the News" featured in the Beloit Daily News.
- Contact us if you would like to become a mentor at any or all of the three schools.
- Reality Store - for the second year, we find area businesses willing to set up for the morning and teach students the real life situations they will be exposed to once they graduate. This includes getting a checking account, getting a home, a car, paying insurance and all of the other bills that as grown ups, we are exposed to. This allows them to understand what is to come and to see if the careers they have chosen will allow them to pay for all the necessities.
- On March 10, 2011, 230 BMHS students visited each of the business' booths. Click here to view last year's "In the News" featured in the Beloit Daily News.