PARTNERSHIPS (CC 5)

This critical component, defined in Table 1, includes “Students connecting to business/

industry/world of work via mentorships, internships, or projects that occur within or outside the normal school day/year.”

We get so much help from our partners, community partners, business partners, to let them [CHSAS students] know that you don’t have to be on a tractor in Mattoon, Illinois to be involved in agriculture. It’s not just farmers; you can be in food science here at Hillshire brand. You can be in food science at Eli’s Cheesecake. You can be in animal science at McDonald’s. We had a job share last year with their vice president of American operations, but he took students from all pathways—from ag finance, from food science, from animal science--and he says, ‘Listen, there’s opportunities at McDonald’s from all of these pathways’ and they [the students] get an understanding that agriculture isn’t just farming. (Principal Hook)

3.5.1 Design

CHSAS had a robust system of business and internship partnerships, formally organized into a Business Advisory Council of some 60 members. Additionally, CHSAS had a strong relationship with the University of Illinois, described by the Principal as the school’s “oldest and strongest partner.” The school’s academic partnerships with the University of Illinois and other

37

universities with agricultural programs are described in the section on Early College-Level coursework, but University of Illinois stood out also for the research apprentice program through which many CHSAS students participated in research internships during the summer. Other university summer programs that CHSAS students attended included the California Polytechnic University at San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly), the University of Colorado at Boulder, as well as several Midwestern universities with agricultural programs.

3.5.2 Implementation 3.5.2.1 Business Partners

The Business Advisory Council was founded and co-chaired by two staunch supporters of the school, the president of Eli’s Cheesecake Company and the Chicago Parks Commissioner. The Council met twice each year, once at the school and once at the Garden and Flower Show, where members toured the exhibits of CHSAS students and held a meeting. These meetings, besides functioning as meetings to raise financial support, also provided opportunities for the businesses to request job shadows or interns as well as to make donations to the school. For example, business partners had donated horses, tractors, and mulch in the past. Many of the business partners hosted CHSAS students for job shadowing or internships, and some provided college scholarships. The Parks Commissioner used the Garden and Flower Show as an opportunity to publicize and obtain resources for the school from local businesses. The extra resources raised during this event enriched the school beyond the normal funding provided by CPS which

accounted for the majority of the school’s funding. As a working farm, CHSAS also benefited by money raised from selling farm products. Eli Cheesecake was involved in some aspects of this entrepreneurial activity, which is described in the emergent themes section titled World of Work.

Community support in the form of donation and funding was not the primary focus according to Principal Hook who explained that CHSAS instead sought direct interaction with students:

I don’t need their [partners’] money. We’ll make do with what we have. We’ll sell our produce in the farm stand and we’ll use that money. We want their time. We want their expertise. We want the students to benefit from their experience. We want the job share. We want the internships. We want that kind of thing.

Specific business internships mentioned by the Principal included mainstays such as Eli Cheesecake, the Chicago Park District, Sara Lee, and the Brookfield Zoo, as well as new opportunities with McDonalds in Animal and Food Sciences, and with veterinarians for Animal Science pathway students.

The Principal was very clear in distinguishing between the support its business partners provided and their impact on the academic program:

It’s not the case that this is an industry mouthpiece; multiple people have reinforced the fact that they [students] hear all sides of issues. They are hearing the consumer side. They are thinking about the social implications of some of these things like the ethical implications of urban

agriculture and organic farming. So, it’s not like Kraft U at all. It really could be like that, so it’s noteworthy that it’s not.

38 3.5.2.2 University Partners

CHSAS had developed relationships with a number of universities that had agriculture programs.

The University of Illinois was one university partner where some CHSAS students had the opportunity to participate in the Research Apprenticeship Program. Iowa State was another university partner that accepted approximately 40 CHSAS students a year to participate in their summer program. The school’s academic partnerships with the University of Illinois and other universities with agricultural programs are described in more detail in the section titled Early College-Level Coursework (CC 6).

3.5.2.3 Career Exploration

Career days occurred frequently at CHSAS. Pathway teachers organized these events in their areas of specialization and brought in speakers from partners and others they knew to inform students about career opportunities and answer their questions. As described by the Instructional Leadership Team at CHSAS, agricultural majors are one of the most sought after majors at colleges and universities:

We try to make them aware of all of the careers out there for them. We always try to tell the students that, no matter what kind of career you decide you want to go into, it can always apply to agriculture. We have a student graduating Friday from medical school. When she left here she went into food science, but she knew she always wanted to be a doctor.

The principal stated in the questionnaire before the site visit that there is a need for qualified workers in agriculture and a shortage of underrepresented populations in agricultural careers. He noted that industry interest is based on this realization and businesses look to agricultural schools as an approach to meeting that need.

The University of Illinois also provided strong support for CHSAS students to explore careers and college majors. Each year CHSAS took busloads of students to the University of Illinois to spend half a day looking at each of two pathways they might be deciding between, to see what each would look like at the college level and in careers, so that the students could make informed decisions.

3.5.2.4 Staff Professional Development

Business partnerships also extended to teacher professional development. Each year a different company hosted all of the CHSAS teachers for a professional development session. Teacher professional development is connected to industry. According to the instructional leadership team:

At the beginning of school, we have three days of professional development [and] teacher preparation… We spend a day on [a university] campus and then [another day] at an agricultural business so the teachers have an idea of how it all integrates together.

Individual teachers also maintained strong connections with industry, especially pathways teachers who mostly came from industry. The University of Illinois was especially strongly

39

connected with the food science program. As the food science teacher noted, “I really go by what they do at U of I—I work closely with them and have lots of access to their materials.” A

University of Illinois representative confirmed their strong relationship, which had even led to publications for the Journal of Food Science Education.

3.5.3 Summary

The school was intimately tied to agricultural industry, and this was reflected in the nature and number of industry partners listed by the school. A large and active business advisory council served as a source of academic enrichment, funds, and career opportunity for students. The political and sometimes controversial nature of these partnerships (e.g., genetically modified foods) is discussed in classes and the school puts a great deal of effort into remaining balanced.

Teachers maintained active ties with industry and in the case of pathways teachers, come from the industry they teach about. They drew from this experience in developing the curriculum, giving examples, and forming connections for students. Teachers worked actively with college partners to align curricula and formulate joint programs that made sense.