. 2017 ANNUAL REPORT . . 2. A Partnership That Works | Berks Business Education Coalition | Annual Report 2017 CHAIRMAN’S REPORT John P. Weidenhammer Chairman, Berks Business Education Coalition Much is happening in education in Berks County and at the Berks Business Education Coalition MISSION: (BBEC) we are pleased to be part of it. As you will The mission of the Berks Business read in this report, a focus around the county is on Education Coalition is to develop and points of transition. to coordinate programs within the business and education communities The newly formed Berks Early Learning Coalition which improve the competencies of (BELC) advocates for programs and resources for students and ensure that they have children in the Pre-K learning years. We can all agree the aspirations, skills, and knowledge that these formative years are the building blocks to plan appropriately for their lives for learning all the years through high school and after high school. beyond. The Berks Business Education Coalition is GOALS: pleased to be an active partner in this advocacy. 1. Promote career awareness and Two Berks Business Education Coalition programs, development programs for Students Interacting with Business and Higher students in Berks County. Education Campus Visits, provide ninth graders a first 2. Support member schools in the look into the culture and expectations of business and effort to improve basic academic higher education during the first year of high school. performance. The past two years, BBEC has been instrumental in 3. Promote appropriate, differenti - helping schools develop internship placements for ated interest in pursuit of post juniors and seniors to explore possible career interests secondary education. after graduation. 4. Facilitate continuing dialogue between, with, and among Making good, informed decisions is what life is all K-12 and higher education. about. At the Berks Business Education Coalition, we 5. Provide for the viability and are excited to be active partners with the schools and sustainability of Coalition the business community to support students to engage programs and services. positively in this process. John P. Weidenhammer Annual Report 2017 | Berks Business Education Coalition | A Partnership That Works 3. Students Interacting with Business The Students Interacting with Business program engages S students for the better part of one day in class size groups for a “boots on the ground” experience with a participating Berks County business. The day starts with a morning assembly program presented I by a business professional focusing on the factors that employers value in a good employee. The students then travel by bus to a W business to learn about that business and the array of employment opportunities available at that business and within Berks County more generally. A big “tip of the hat” Brandywine Heights Area High School ninth graders Seventeen of the 18 Berks County enjoyed the sweet taste of success at R. M. Palmer school districts participated in 2017, to these businesses B Company, September 29, 2017, under the guidance sending 3,833 ninth graders, September for their engagement. of Steve Weltman, Director of Human Resources. 25 to 29, to 26 Berks County businesses. Alcon Research, Ltd. BB&T Berks County Agricultural Center Brentwood Industries Cambridge-Lee Industries LLC Carpenter Technology Corporation Dollar General DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel East Penn Manufacturing Co. EnerSys Fleetwood Industries Met-Ed, A FirstEnergy Company Penn State Health St. Joseph Penske Truck Leasing Quadrant Engineering Products Reading Eagle Schuylkill Valley students weathering a rainy day Reading Health System Higher Education visit with the Penn State Berks Lion, April 4, 2017. R. M. Palmer Company Campus Visits Sealstrip Corporation Berks County is fortunate to be the home public school districts have partnered for the SFS intec, Inc. for five colleges and universities. Albright past 14 years to bring ninth grade students Steve Moyer Subaru College, Alvernia University, Kutztown early in their secondary school experience University, Penn State Berks, and the Reading onto the college/university campuses to expe - UGI Energy Services Area Community College offer a spectrum of rience directly the culture and expectations of UGI Utilities, Inc. programs suitable to every possible need and the college environment. In 2017 the higher Unique Pretzels interest of post-secondary students. education institutions welcomed 4,435 ninth graders in class size groups, providing informa - Weidenhammer Systems The five schools, the Berks Business Educa - tion, a campus tour, and culminating, not Corporation tion Coalition, and the 18 Berks County least important, with lunch! WORLD electronics 4. A Partnership That Works | Berks Business Education Coalition | Annual Report 2017 The Internship Experience Recently I attended the 30th more possible career directions transitional experience, one level reunion of the Class of 1987 of post high school. of endeavor to another. For high Baltimore City College (High school seniors, it provides an Similar programs are emerging School). The class was 350 strong. informed step into adulthood. here in Berks County, led by the I was their principal. A senior year long standing program in the Twin Transition points on every option for the students was the Valley School District. Thirteen level of a child’s education are practicum experience, placing stu - (13) of the eighteen (18) Berks important. Pre-K to kindergarten; dents for two hours each day, five County public school districts grade 3 to grade 4; grade 4 to grade days a week for the semester have internship (practicum) 8; and grade 8 to grade 9. Setting and/or year at a business or other programs in place at some level. milestones, points of attainment, professional site to gain an Internships as part of the high academically, emotionally, and informed perspective for their post school curriculum, primarily physically creates standards for high school plans: 90 of the stu - senior year, have increased from assessment. dents, or 25% of the class chose three, just three years ago to 13 in that option. They thrived in that For the high school senior, the the 2017/2018 school year. The “real world” experience while still internship experience can be life thirteen districts reported a total under the guiding, supportive changing. The student can verify of 222 external and 129 in district umbrella of their school. They (or not, equally important) that a placements as of November, 2017. developed an enhanced perspective perceived career interest is really The number of students will be of the world that awaited them, what he/she wishes to continue augmented by additional place - they acquired a greater sense of to pursue and in so doing, have ments in the spring, 2018. themselves, and importantly, they formed a basis for informed life learned in depth about one or The internship experience is a decisions after high school. Solomon Lausch BERKS COUNTY HIGH SCHOOLS INTERNSHIP PLACEMENTS First Semester 2017--2018 SCHOOL SENIORS EXTERNAL INTERNAL Boyertown Area Senior HS 547 6 10 Brandywine Heights Area HS 114 20 5 Conrad Weiser Area HS 245 15 -- Exeter Township Senior HS 361 4 6 Fleetwood Area HS 200 10 0 Governor Mifflin Senior HS 355 17 7 Hamburg Area HS 173 4 1 Kutztown Area Senior HS 114 10 4 Oley Valley HS 145 1 1 Reading HS 831 -- -- Schuylkill Valley HS 159 0 11 Twin Valley HS 312 72 68 Wilson HS 520 63 16 TOTALS 4,076 222 129 Annual Report 2017 | Berks Business Education Coalition | A Partnership That Works 5. Our thanks to Intern Andrea Landrum, participating businesses Wyomissing Area SD, and organizations: shared her experience with the group. Alvernia University East Penn Manufacturing Co., Inc. Greater Reading Convention & Visitors Bureau In partnership with the Berks County Intermediate Hawk Mountain Sanctuary Unit, the Berks Business Kautter & Kelley Architects Education Coalition Make the Road PA placed 27 Berks County educators at 18 participat - Met-Ed, A First Energy Company ing businesses and Nolde Forest organizations for one Packaging Corporation of America week this past summer. The educators gained Penn Werner Hotel direct insight into the Quadrant Engineering culture, expectations, and Reading Public Museum employment opportunities at that business or Reading Eagle organization and Reading Fightin Phils developed teaching Reading Health System materials to be used with their students in Safe Berks the classroom. (formerly Berks Women in Crisis) TOMPKINS VIST Bank United Way of Berks County White Star Tour & Travel Center insid eBerk sbusiness provided relevant, first-hand experiences to 23 educators in Berks County this year. Connie Skipper (BCIU), Solomon Lausch, and Lori Gerber (BCIU) introduce the educators as they share their experiences with the iBb program. 6. A Partnership That Works | Berks Business Education Coalition | Annual Report 2017 OUR ROLE IS MISSION AWARENESS, To promote Berks County business ADV OCACY, partnerships and community & ACTION . connections that support pre-kindergarten early learning. The Berks Early Learning Coalition children in formal Pre-K programs working as teacher aides in Pre-K (BELC) formed in 2016 to focus on and to improve the quality of the programs which serve students mostly the issue of Pre-K education. Co-chairs instruction the students receive. On of lower income Latino heritage. The Julia H. Klein , Chairwoman and the latter point, it can be a constant program includes small group and CEO, C. H. Briggs Company, and struggle to find and keep high quality one-to-one mentoring. For the aides, Alan J. Ottinger , CEO, QIC, Inc., are Pre-K providers, teachers and aides. a $1,000 salary bonus is provided each also governor appointees to the state- The problem is often of money, with of two years upon completion of wide Pennsylvania Early Learning teachers able to command higher certain milestones. The program also Investment Commission. salaries in the public and private provides funding for persons who are The research is clear on the school K-12 programs.