G.I.V.E. Get Involved, Volunteer in Education

Businesses Working with Schools and Making a Difference

By Belinda Brinton, Parents' Source, March 20, 2000

Employers and employees play a vital role in the improvement of educational programs and policies. The level of commitment can vary - from providing grants to educational programs, to sponsoring an outreach program, to providing "flex-time" for working parents. "Today's students are tomorrow's citizens as well as our long-term investments for the future." That statement, issued by the Partnership for Family Involvement in Education, is exemplified by many businesses in Berks and Lancaster Counties. We've included just a sampling of some of the ones that responded to a poll conducted by Parents' Source, concerning business involvement in education.

UGI Utilities, Inc. has been actively involved in the improvement of public education improvement since 1991. UGI's Excellence in Education initiative features a number of activities designed to promote systemic improvement in education offered in grades K-12. Efforts are focused on early childhood literacy, workforce development, and employee and customer awareness. A few years ago, UGI launched an intensive campaign to renew employee, school, and community interest in the Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) program. In order to promote the idea of the "magic of reading," the company created a wizard character, complete with medieval costume and magic wand, who visits local elementary schools, and encourages students to increase their knowledge by reading. Company officials say "The Reading Wizard" has made a significant impact on both employees who portray the character, and children who excitedly anticipate his visits.

Park City Center in Lancaster is the proud sponsor of "Cash Back for Schools," a program designed to support area schools by rewarding them with cash prizes. Shoppers are asked to redeem their receipts for points, which are allocated to the participating school of their choice. At the end of the program, schools are awarded cash prizes, based on their total accumulated points. Schools are offered opportunities to increase their points, through perfect attendance, volunteer work in the community, and other options. This year, more than $20,000 will be awarded to area schools, which can use the cash for anything from new computers, to sports equipment, to scholarship dollars. 34 Lancaster County schools are currently registered to participate in this very beneficial program.

The Baltimore Life Companies supports the idea of Education and Business working together to build stronger youths. The participation of The Baltimore Life Companies in Job Shadow programs through Junior Achievement and The Chamber of Commerce allows local students to shadow a career of interest, and see what the job requires on a daily basis. Local students come into an office and participate in the daily activities of a career that they are interested in pursuing. This might include going on actual sales appointments with a representative, or helping to organize or participate in marketing events with the Marketing Development Coordinator. The hands-on experience gives the students a better understanding of a career and, in turn, allows the student to add a different perspective, that is helpful to the company.

Blue Ridge Cable Television, based in Ephrata, supports a variety of educational programs, including Cable in the Classroom an initiative that benefits students, teachers, and parents. Certain satellite programmers carried by the company provide commercial-free programming designed for educational use. As a community service, Blue Ridge delivers these channels to the schools at no charge, and provides teachers with schedules and other information about the Cable in the Classroom program. Teachers benefit by being able to obtain up-to-date videos dealing with issues being covered in their curriculum. Students benefit by having a different media venue to use as part of the overall learning process.

One goal of the staff at the Institute of the Arts in Wyomissing is to expose more young people to the arts. Their community outreach program "Art Goes to School," funded by the Institute, and presented in association with AGTS of the Delaware Valley, reaches more than 5,000 local public and parochial school students annually. In addition, the Institute's Frank O. Scott Outreach program provides classes in art, dance, music, and drama to young people from local elementary schools, and organizations. Executive Director Elain Bertolet says part of the Institute's mission is to serve the community, and provide young people with an arts education that they might not otherwise receive. She cites a report issued by the Arts Education Partnership and the National Education Association, which states that students "develop self-esteem, cognitive thinking, and creativity" when their basic curriculum is enhanced by the arts.

Parents of elementary school-aged students are undoubtedly familiar with the BOOK IT! Program, created and sponsored by Pizza Hut. The program, now in its 15th year, encourages students to read a certain number of books per month. At the end of the month, students who meet their reading goal are presented with a coupon, good for a personal-sized pizza at the restaurant.

In its brochure entitled "Better Education is Everybody's Business," The Partnership for Family Involvement in Education suggests that employers exercise the following options for supporting family involvement in education.

• Create and promote family-friendly policies. Offer policies that encourage employees and parents to be involved in classroom or after-school activities by providing flex-time, job-sharing, or time off.
• Partner with local schools. Work with schools to help them better meet the needs of employed parents. Support employee-led efforts that provide mentoring, tutoring, and guidance to those students who need assistance with schoolwork.
• Provide information. Support programs at the worksite or in the community that help give tips to parents and employees on how to become involved in education.
• Help students obtain work-related skills. Provide work-based experiences for high school students through internships, apprenticeships, and job shadowing.

The organization states that "any community, regardless of its size, can take steps to support parents in its workforce, and to support local education. Over 30 years of research shows that greater family and adult involvement in children's learning is a critical link to achieving a high-quality education." The businesses featured in this article, along with many others in Berks and Lancaster Counties, are shining examples of how everyone benefits, when businesses and schools work together.

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