Authentic+Learning

Misson Control 4 will bring a more authentic and creative feel to learning. Our students will learn directly from a company located in their own communities about how a company is run and what it takes to be successful. Collaborating with our own classroom teachers we will create an enviornment that will allow students to see how things they learn everyday can translate into a successful career. We hope that these efforts will not only be benneficial for our students, but for the industry as well, as they can help to mold a more prepared workforce.

When businesses engage in collaborative partnerships, they look for benefits that affect their operation, productivity, and profit line--elements that enable them to be competitive in a changing society. Such benefits as improved public relations, better prepared entry-level employees, decreased training costs, increased productivity, and heightened potential for local economic development will all affect their "bottom line." Hall et al. (1993) note the following advantages realized by businesses partnering with the Springfield Public School District #186 (p. 2): 1. Corporate image is enhanced. 2. The organization has a greater visibility in the community. 3. Organizations can observe how tax dollars prepare students for the future. 4. Individual participants within the organization derive personal satisfaction from assisting in the development of productive citizens. 5. The relationship helps prepare future employees. Whatever the type of business and education partnership, the benefits must be realized by all partners or the arrangement is not a partnership (Grobe et al. 1993). In successful partnerships, the benefits radiate from one partner to another, resulting in rewards for all constituencies--business, education, higher education, parents, and communities. For example, education's gains of increased access to new technology, enhanced opportunities for professional growth and development, and increased staff morale and student success that reduces such problems as violence, truancy, suspension, and dropout rates all contribute to the gains realized by business. A better prepared work force, increased public confidence and support for education, and an improved quality of community life heighten the potential for local economic development and improve the economic health of businesses and of the entire country. []