Joining Forces

Relationships that prosper and endure may take vastly different forms, but they tend to have some sound practices in common. Whether a parent, businessperson or school principal initiates it, a partnership must meet a genuine need. It must have specific, agreed-upon goals as well as benchmarks to determine whether it's on course to meet them. It should have top-level support from the business and the school, an orientation to acquaint teachers and volunteers with the undertaking at hand and someone to co-ordinate their efforts. A signed agreement is useful not only to clarify the intent and terms of the partnership but also, and perhaps more important, to celebrate its initiation.

Like healthy children, good school-business partnerships tend to grow. "It usually starts with employees or an individual getting involved in the life of a child in school," says Merenda, "and as they become more involved and see the needs of the school and understand the complexities of education in today's world, they draw on the resources of their organization or company to get more involved." And typically, what may have begun as a task undertaken to solve a problem becomes a pleasure pursued--just for the satisfaction it brings to everyone involved.