MAKING IDEAS HAPPEN

ANNUAL REPORT 2014 2. A Partnership That Works | Berks Business Education Coalition | Annual Report 2014

John P. Weidenhammer Chairman, Berks Business Education Coalition Looking Ahead As we complete the 23rd year and we share our gratitude for their in- nesses for a one week summer intern- since the founding of BBEC, much sight and thoughtful leadership. ship, providing participants with a real has changed. We elected a new world look at today’s business environ- This year, BBEC continued two slate of officers to lead the Coali- ment and exposure to the skills being important programs targeted to Berks tion and expand initiatives. What sought by local employers. We had 23 County ninth grade students. We has not changed, however, is the educators representing 13 school districts organized visits to our five Berks County mission of BBEC to foster collabo- and Berks Catholic High School en- colleges and universities. Students ration, conversation, and under- gaged at 14 businesses and organizations. obtained a first-hand exposure to college standing among the business and Each teacher received a $500 stipend and learned that there is a place in post- the education communities of from the Coalition. Berks County. The Coalition con- secondary education for everyone. tinues on solid financial footing due We also arranged visits to Berks busi- We welcomed three new directors to to the ongoing support of our prime nesses to expose students to the culture, our Board this past year: Jeannine constituencies and the efforts of expectations, and opportunities in the O’Neill-Rohrbach, CPA, Corporate prior leadership toward ensuring workplace. The overall object of both Comptroller, Brentwood Industries, Inc.; adequate financial reserves. programs is to jump-start students’ Khalid Mumin, Ed.D., Superintendent, thinking about their future and to Reading School; and, Jill Hackman, Isaac Newton, in his letter to consider their life path and plan. Ed.D., Executive Director, Berks County Thomas Hooke, said “If I have Intermediate Unit. We are delighted seen further than others, it is by We are fortunate to have a new, with their willingness to serve. standing upon the shoulders of strong slate of officers guiding BBEC as giants.” Newton, of course was well as a very capable executive director With a new Governor referring to the other scientists, in Sol Lausch. New officers include: Jill we may see changes in the funding philosophers and visionaries that Hackman Ed.D., vice chairman, Execu- model for public education. BBEC will had prepared the framework for his tive Director, Berks County Intermedi- monitor changes at the state and advo- life and work. Likewise, the BBEC ate Unit; Jeff Rush, treasurer, Senior cate for fairness and equity. Additionally, is successful today because of the Executive Vice President, Fulton Bank; we will explore our potential role in ad- work done by its founders. As your and, Al Ottinger, secretary, Quality vocating for expanded pre-K learning new chairman I cannot sufficiently Investment Castings, Inc. We thank options, particularly for at-risk students. thank the founders for their contri- John George for his service to the We are grateful for our financial sup- butions. Marlin Miller and Paul Coalition. John resigned after many porters, including those contributing a Roedel retired as officers of BBEC years of service to assume his new role portion of their EITC funds to BBEC. at the end of 2013 respectively as as Executive Director, Montgomery chairman and treasurer. While County Intermediate Unit. Good luck, One small step at a time BBEC is many have consistently contributed John, in your new endeavor. making a difference. Our important to our success, Marlin and Paul de- work could not be accomplished without In 2014, we again worked with the serve special mention. Our commu- the generous support and friendship of so Berks County Intermediate Unit to nity has benefited from their efforts many in our community. place Berks teachers with local busi- John P. Weidenhammer Annual Report 2014 | Berks Business Education Coalition | A Partnership That Works 3.

Pennsylvania School Performance Profile

Berks County School Districts 2013-14 School Year 2013-2014 School Year The Pennsylvania Department of Education has SCHOOL DISTRICT PERFORMANCE developed the Pennsylvania School Performance PROFILE Profile (PSPP) for each public school and each 70.5 publicly chartered school in Pennsylvania. Pursuant to Act 82 of 2012, the PSPP became Boyertown Area School District 87.2 fully operational in December 2013. Brandywine Heights Area School District 81.2 Conrad Weiser Area School District 81.2 The profiles are smartly organized and present an array of useful information for the inter- Daniel Boone Area School District 81.8 ested, discerning reader. The Pennsylvania Exeter Township School District 84.5 School Performance Profile website is readily Fleetwood Area School District 79.0 accessed and easy to navigate. Governor Mifflin School District 83.8 Each school’s profile is presented as a score Hamburg Area School District 80.7 ranging from 0 to 100. A score of 70 or higher I-LEAD Charter School 33.5 is satisfactory. The score is the cumulative Kutztown Area School District 83.7 calculation of seven weighted indicators. Two indicators, academic achievement and a Muhlenberg School District 72.9 measure of academic growth constitute 80% of Oley Valley School District 75.1 the score. Other indicators, including cohort 60.9 graduation rate, attendance rate, and a measure of closing the achievement gap for historically Schuylkill Valley School District 79.6 underperforming students, constitute the Tulpehocken Area School District 81.0 remaining 20% of the profile score. Twin Valley School District 80.9 86.2 The information at right is for the 18 Berks County school districts and the I-LEAD Wyomissing Area School District 83.8 Charter School in Reading. The district “performance profile” is the mean average of the building level scores for each of the FIND OUT MORE AT: schools in the district. paschoolperformance.org 4. A Partnership That Works | Berks Business Education Coalition | Annual Report 2014 2014

Ninth graders om Muhlenberg Middle School donned protective gear as they toured and interacted with employees at Carpenter Technology. YEAR IN REVIEW Students Interacting with Business As students enter high school, the reality that adulthood looms in just a few short years begins to set in. But they are still only 14 or 15 years old, with all the insecurity and fledging surety that marks these years.

This program should be in every school in For the adults in their lives, these can the country, not just the county. It is a prime be challenging times but opportunities example of people and groups connecting present also. We have the responsibility as toward prosperity and leadership. This parents, as teachers, and as community program is one of the quadruple winners. members to provide guidance, insight and It’s a winner for the school. It’s a winner for a foundation for a satisfying adulthood. the businesses. It’s a winner for the Keeping with its founding charge 23 years community. But most especially, it’s a ago, the Berks Business Education winner for the students. Coalition focuses much of its energy on supporting programs which foster career exploration. This past September 23-26, Dr. C.J. Rhoads 2014 the Berks Business Education CEO Coalition facilitated the second annual HPL Consortium, Inc. Students Interacting with Business program. More than 4,000 ninth and tenth graders from 15 of the 18 Berks County school districts and the I-LEAD Charter School engaged in a set of activities throughout the course of one week to learn first-hand about how a business operates and about the attributes an employer looks for in a prospective employee. Annual Report 2014 | Berks Business Education Coalition | A Partnership That Works 5.

Boyertown Area Senior High School tenth graders visited Sealstrip Corporation on Students Interacting with Business day.

The weeklong event is truly a 65 professionals leading 100 Students community-wide endeavor: 18 afternoon review sessions; and morning assemblies, each presented hundreds of teachers, counselors, Interacting by a business professional; 70 site administrators and business with Business visits to one of 21 businesses, in employees engaged otherwise groups ranging from 30-80 students; to make each day happen.

STUDENTS INTERACTING WITH BUSINESS This experience really helps SEPT. 22-26, 2014 the students to realize how PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS PARTICIPATING BUSINESSES they should be preparing in Antietam Middle-Senior High School Alcon Research, Ltd. order to be successful in the Boyertown Area Senior High School Brentwood Industries world of work. It’s very Brandywine Heights High School Cabela’s beneficial for them to hear Conrad Weiser High School Cambridge-Lee Industries LLC firsthand what an employer is Daniel Boone Area High School Carpenter Technology Corporation looking for when they are Fleetwood Area High School East Penn Manufacturing Co. going to hire someone. Governor Mifflin Senior High School EnerSys Hamburg Area High School Met-Ed, A FirstEnergy Company I-LEAD Charter School National Penn Kutztown Area Senior High School Penske Truck Leasing Co. Pottstown Medical Center Quadrant EPP USA, Inc. Beth Burnham Reading Intermediate High School Reading Eagle Career Counselor Schuylkill Valley High School Reading Electric Muhlenberg School Tulpehocken Junior-Senior High School Reading Health System District Twin Valley School District Remcon Plastics Sealstrip Corporation SFS intec, Inc. St. Joseph Medical Center UGI Energy Services UGI Utilities, Inc. 6. A Partnership That Works | Berks Business Education Coalition | Annual Report 2014

YEAR IN 2014REVIEW This summer I had the opportunity continued to “intern” at Weidenhammer Systems Corporation. I worked with staff who represented many aspects of Weidenhammer Systems including educational software, business/ technology consulting, cloud services, application development, and network infrastructure. As a result of my experience, I wanted to bring into my classroom skills that would not only help my students be better scholars, but help them to develop competencies that will lay the groundwork for inside Berks business BASD Science Teacher Brandy Solomon their future. This long standing program, with Weidenhammer employees at their Wyomissing location. One indispensable skill, brought presented jointly by the Berks Business Education Coalition and the Berks up more than one time at Twenty-three educators, representing County Intermediate Unit, places Berks Weidenhammer, that every teacher 14 school districts and Berks Catholic County educators in a weeklong sum- High School, participated in the can work to develop … the positive mer internship program with participat- program this year at 14 businesses. impact of a quality handshake. ing businesses and organizations. When meeting a prospective Experiences ranged through the nuts employer or client, a warm greeting Through this program the educators and bolts of manufacturing, the health gain enhanced awareness of workplace with a firm handshake is the basis care system, media communications, expectations outside of education and information technology, to raptor of a positive first impression. they take with them specific knowledge conservation. Special thanks to the which they can translate directly into businesses and organizations who classroom instruction. participated this year.

Brandy Solomon 7th Grade Science Teacher Participating Businesses and Organizations Boyertown Junior High East Berks TV Packaging Corporation of America Centro Hispano Daniel Torres Penn Werner Hotel East Penn Manufacturing Co., Inc. Quadrant EPP USA EnerSys Reading Eagle Hawk Mountain Sanctuary Reading Fightin Phils Lynx Computer Technologies Reading Health System Met-Ed, A FirstEnergy Company Weidenhammer Systems Corporation Annual Report 2014 | Berks Business Education Coalition | A Partnership That Works 7.

Students om Schuylkill Valley High School toured Albright College, including the Center for Computing and Mathematics.

College Visits Choices Program 2014 marked the ninth year that In May 2014, the Greater Reading Our students BBEC, Albright College, Alvernia Chamber of Commerce and Industry really enjoyed University, Kutztown University, Penn partnered with the Reading School Dis- the college State University/Berks, and Reading Area trict to bring the nationally recognized visits on Community College joined together to Choices Program to the 1,200 eighth February 28. bring ninth grade students from across graders of the Reading Intermediate The information the county onto their campuses to learn High School. Working in teams of two, provided at directly about the culture and expecta- nearly 100 volunteers engaged students each university tions of post secondary education. in two fast paced, 45-minute sessions, and the exposure to the campus Two thousand six hundred students from exploring the immediate and long term and dining hall was a valuable 13 of the 18 public school districts par- consequences of decisions made now as experience for our students. ticipated, receiving specific information they approach their high school years. Thank you for providing such a about enrollment criteria, touring a One of the most telling exercises was worthwhile program. campus, and not least, enjoying lunch in how quickly a 16-year-old ran out of a collegiate setting. Each participating money before month’s end when he district provided for the cost of trans- dropped out of school to the allure of portation and teacher chaperones. The minimum wage employment. Another Dr. Timothy Dietrich colleges and universities arranged pro- exercise, Time of Your Life, placed stu- Associate High School grams specific to their campuses, and the dents on a time line, birth to age 80, Principal, Governor Mifflin BBEC and the colleges and universities with discussion about what lies ahead Senior High School provided the funding for the lunches. for them in the stages of life, making The higher education campus visits the point graphically, that their actions Congratulations to the Greater complement the Students Interacting now will lay the foundation for the rest Reading Chamber of Commerce with Business program. Together the of their lives. and Industry, and in particular, two programs provide students a direct Four months later, these same eighth Gail Landis, vice president of set of site based experiences, during the graders experienced another reality Government and Community first of their final four years of secondary check when they participated in the Relations, for spearheading this education, gaining insight, into the BBEC-sponsored Students Interacting initiative and bringing the Choices expectations before them upon leaving with Business program for ninth graders. Program to Reading. high school. continued on page 8 8. A Partnership That Works | Berks Business Education Coalition | Annual Report 2014

Ready . Set . READ! The United Way of Berks County has undertaken an ambitious program to bring 90% of all students county- wide to grade level in reading by 2023. The program engages trained, volunteer tutors to provide planned, supplemental reading instruction to identified first, second, and third grade students. In 2014, more than 300 volunteers worked with nearly 450 students in 25 elementary schools within 10 school districts in the second year of the program. United Way reports, “School administrators, teachers, parents, and students have all shared their excite- ment around the initiative, noting improved reading skills and the strength YEAR IN of the bond formed between the tutor and student.” REVIEW Kudos to the United Way of Berks County for this fine program. • The Berks Business Education Coalition, Greater Reading Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Greater Reading Economic Partnership, and the Berks County Workforce Investment Board jointly sponsored a second annual sym- posium on education, November 20, 2014 at Stokesay Castle. Attended by 200 people, the focus was on ideas for internships and apprenticeships. • BBEC developed a working relationship ALSO IN 2014 with the World Affairs Council (WAC) of Reading with the intent to engage • BBEC engaged with the YMCA of more students in the monthly programs, Berks County, the Olivet Boys and including sessions with the program Girls Club and the Reading speakers in a school setting prior to Recreation Commission to develop the WAC noon programs. programs focused specifically on seventh grade at the four middle • BBEC initiated paths for direct schools in the Reading School communication with staff at the Hawk District. Structured in part on an Mountain Sanctuary in northern Berks adopt-a-school model, the ultimate County. The Sanctuary is a world class goal is to enroll at least half of the center for raptor (birds of prey) research seventh graders in each school in and presents superb opportunities for a program offered by one of the science-based field trips and small group three organizations. study for Berks County students. Annual Report 2014 | Berks Business Education Coalition | A Partnership That Works 9.

Financial Statement – Calendar 2013 and 2014

OPERATIONS 2013 2014 Operating Income: Business 80,800 67,800 Education 18,000 16,600 Foundations 15,000 17,610 Interest on Savings 17 60 Total Operating Income $113,817 $102,070

Operating Expenses: Salaries and Benefits 77,620 78,082 2013 Other Operating Supplies & Expenses 29,897 30,578 Total Operating Expenses $107,517 $108,660 OPERATING INCOME Operating Gain (Loss) $6,300 ($6,590)

PROGRAM 2014 EXPENDITURES 2013 2014 OPERATING Direct Payment to Schools 27,078 15,983 INCOME inside BERKS business 11,500 11,500 Ninth Grade College Visits 5,087 3,152 Other 2,350 Total Program Expenditures $46,015 $30,635

Financial Position Total Liability and Equity $202,255 $175,523 10. A Partnership That Works | Berks Business Education Coalition | Annual Report 2014

GOALS: I. Promote career awareness and development programs for students in Berks County. II. Support member schools in the MISSION: effort to improve basic academic performance. The mission of the Berks Business MEMBERSHIP III. Promote appropriate, differenti- Education Coalition is to develop and Albright College ated interest in pursuit of post LIST coordinate resources within the business Alvernia University secondary higher education. Antietam School District and education communities to promote Berks Career & initiatives which improve the competencies IV. Facilitate continuing dialogue Technology Center of students and enhance their aspirations between, with, and among Berks County Community for continuing education. K-12 and higher education. Foundation V. Provide for the viability and Berks County Intermediate Unit Berks County Workforce sustainability of coalition Investment Board programs and services. Berks Technical Institute Brentwood Industries Boyertown Area School District Brandywine Heights Area First Energy Foundation M&T Bank Riverview Bank School District First Priority Bank Marlin Miller Family Foundation Rolf D. Schmidt Carpenter Technology Corporation Fleetwood Area School District Muhlenberg School District Schuylkill Valley Connors Investor Services Inc. Fulton Bank National Penn School District Conrad Weiser Area Giant Food Stores Oley Valley School District Susquehanna Bank School District Governor Mifflin School District Penn State Berks College Tompkins VIST Bank Customers Bank Greater Reading Chamber Penske Truck Leasing Co. Tulpehocken School District Daniel Boone Area of Commerce and Industry Quadrant EPP USA Twin Valley School District School District Greater Reading Economic Quality Investment Castings, Inc. UGI Utilities, Inc. Diocese of Allentown Partnership Reading Area Community College Weidenhammer Systems East Penn Manufacturing Hamburg Area School District Reading Electric Corporation Co., Inc. Catherine V. & Martin W. Reading Muhlenberg Career Wells Fargo E. J. Breneman, Inc. Hofmann Foundation & Technology Center Wilson School District EnerSys Kutztown Area School District Reading School District Wyomissing Area School District Exeter Township School District Kutztown University Reinsel Kuntz Lesher Annual Report 2014 | Berks Business Education Coalition | A Partnership That Works 11.

www.berksbec.org board 2014 members directors Richard Bashore Reading Electric officers emeritus James M. Connors CHAIRMAN Connors Investor John P. Weidenhammer Carolyn H. Holleran Services Inc. President Jerlyn Foundation Weidenhammer Systems John D. Craig John F. Horrigan, Jr. Corporation EnerSys, Inc. (retired) Dr. Paul B. Eaken VICE CHAIRMAN Horrigan American, Inc. Fleetwood Area Dr. Jill M. Hackman Dr. James E. Morrell School District Executive Director (retired) Dr. Richard Faidley Berks County Muhlenberg School District Boyertown Area Intermediate Unit Dr. Gust Zogas School District (retired) TREASURER Reading Area Dr. Thomas F. Flynn Jeffrey R. Rush Community College Alvernia University President Dr. Philip J. Fromuth Fulton Bank Diocese of Allentown Dr. Randall Grove SECRETARY Conrad Weiser Area Alan J. Ottinger staff School District PA Precision EXECUTIVE Cast Parts, Inc. Brian Hard DIRECTOR Dr. Solomon Lausch Penske Truck EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Leasing Company Dr. Solomon Lausch EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT Ellen T. Horan Berks Business Paris Ann Smith Greater Reading Education Coalition Chamber of Commerce & Industry Steven P. Keifer Hamburg Area School District Paul R. Roedel Bruce G. Smith William Long, Sr. Wyomissing Foundation National Penn Bank M&T Bank Dr. Rudy Ruth Dr. Anna Weitz Marlin Miller, Jr. Wilson School District Reading Area Norwich Ventures, Inc. Community College Roger Schmidt Chester M. Winters Dr. Khalid Mumin E.J. Breneman Reading School District Reading Area Rolf D. Schmidt Community College Jeannine O’Neill Rohrbach Performance Brentwood Industries, Inc. Sports Apparel making ideas happen

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