City Year Cleveland Business/School Partnership Program
City Year Cleveland’s Business/School Partnership Program establishes valuable partnerships between area businesses and the Cleveland Metropolitan School District that result in stronger schools and academically successful students who are prepared for success before, during and after high school.
Business resources – human, financial and in-kind – are targeted toward activities that improve student performance throughout K-12 education, increase literacy and graduation rates, and advance the skill sets necessary for lifelong success and citizenship.
City Year Cleveland corps members may serve as school-based liaisons that manage and measure partner activities at a particular school. Corps members may also act as corporate liaisons and work parts of the week directly in a business partner's corporate office to manage and direct resources.
Program Overview
Educators strive to provide rigorous curriculum and prepare students for achievement and lifelong success. Districts cannot accomplish their goals alone. Involving service providers - such as City Year Cleveland and the businesses and organizations through this Partnership Program - remain keys to accelerating improvements in education and the community in which we serve.
In 2007-2008, City Year Cleveland is working closely with CEO Dr. Eugene T. W. Sanders of CMSD and has adopted the Business/School Partnership Program to provide a powerful service to the community. Cleveland corps member teams are serving in four elementary schools this year – Clark, Luis Munoz Marin, Woodland Hills and Miles Park. These elementary schools “feed” Lincoln-West and South High Schools which are also served by City Year Cleveland teams. In each location, the Business/School Partnership Program has developed or is developing strategic alliances with a business partner to expand the scope and impact of City Year’s programming.
Throughout the Cleveland school system, City Year Cleveland aims to align business and partner resources on the Cleveland Metropolitan School District's 2007-2012 Strategic Plan, and, specifically, to:
Reach 75 percent graduation rate in the year 2012 and
Eliminate the early grade achievement gap for every student by the end of their third grade.
Support Provided by City Year Cleveland
- Match business partners with specific schools or projects.
- Guide and develop annual plan, assessment and evaluation.
- Design and provide tutor training sessions.
- Incorporate "Successful Partnership Practices."
- Offer insight into partnership activities at other schools.
- Communicate Cleveland Metropolitan School District priorities.
- Sponsor partnership events and gatherings.
- Develop collateral materials.
- Facilitate communication between partners-schools-City Year Cleveland.
- Recruit new partners.
Strategic Business Partner Activities
As specified on page five of our Cleveland Initiatives brochure, businesses and organizations looking to become effective partners in Cleveland's schools should focus on the following activities:
High School Partnerships - Career Education - Goal: Increase the overall graduation rate of Cleveland's schools to 75% by 2012
Guest speakers
Job shadowing
Internships
Performance incentives
Success mentors
Career/College fairs
Tutoring
K-8 School Partnerships - Literacy & Achievement - Goal: Eliminate the achievement gap for all students by the end of third grade.
Five Tools to Learn More
Click here to review brochure on what what activities businesses and organizations can sponsor in Cleveland's schools that promote high school graduation and help eliminate of the early grade achievement gap.
Click here to view the partnership list in alphabetical order by Cleveland school.
Click here to view the partnership list in alphabetical order by business name.
Many partners provide tutors to work with K-8 students. City Year Cleveland trains these business volunteers and helps manage tutoring programs in some schools. Click here to view the City Year Cleveland Tutor Handbook.
Read recent City Year Cleveland eNewsletters.
Contact the director of business partnerships, David W. Anderson, for more information via email or 216-373-3413.