| |
The Partnerships in Education program, which began in 1984, was the second
program initiated by the West Virginia Education Fund (the original name
of the Alliance). The Fund was the first statewide education nonprofit in
the country when it was formed in 1983.
The program’s original purpose was to provide opportunities for public
schools in West Virginia to interact with local businesses by establishing
mutually beneficial partnerships. In 1999, Partnerships in Education
became the first program of its kind in the nation to link 100 percent of
public schools in a state with at least one business partner. Today, the
mission of the program is to nurture and strengthen existing partnerships
in order to provide the students of West Virginia with unlimited
opportunities in the 21st Century.
Between 1984 and 1999, Partnerships in Education focused its attention
on developing partnerships between businesses and K-12 public schools in
West Virginia. The program initiated its first two school-business
partnerships in 1984. By 1993, the Alliance had established 750
partnerships in all 55 counties. In 1999, the Alliance became the first
organization in the country to link at least one business with every
public school in a state. The Alliance received national recognition for
this remarkable achievement.
In 1993, the Alliance established an Advisory Committee for the program
and an awards program recognizing exemplary partnerships was begun. The
Partnerships in Education Awards program was sponsored until 1998, when
the program was redesigned and renamed as the Gold Star Awards.
In 2000, the Alliance topped the 2,000 partner mark for the first time.
Today, with over 2,100 partners, only a few schools across the state
(estimated to be fewer than 5-10 at any given time) do not have business
partners due to downsizings, business closings and other reasons. While
the Alliance strives to find these schools partners when their
partnerships falter, the Partnerships in Education program is now focusing
its efforts on nurturing and strengthening existing partnerships
throughout the state.
|
|
