The Business Partnership program in NKC Schools expands the learning opportunities for district students by linking area businesses and community organizations with district schools and programs.  

What does it mean to be a business partner in NKC Schools? 
Business partners are able to support schools and students in a variety of ways:

• Provide incentive rewards to encourage student success (i.e. gift cards, coupons, logo items, etc.)
• Support students and school through various in-kind donations
• Serve as a YouthFriends mentor to support students academically
• Assist with building programs (i.e. science fairs, career day activities, serving as a judge for various contests, etc.)
• Host tours or field trips of business as a means for students to understand the link between the specific curriculum they're learning and how those skills are implemented in the workplace
• Provide students with real-world learning experiences through internship opportunities, job shadowing experiences or working on specific educational projects
• Display student projects at business (i.e. artwork, photography, student writing samples, etc.)
• Sponsor school clubs to support academic growth 

How many partners can a school have? 
Each school can have several partners. Some businesses choose to become partners with multiple schools. Business partners who support all students throughout the district are considered district partners and will be listed as a district business partner rather than with each individual school.

What does the school expect from their partners? 
The program exists to provide students with increased learning opportunities. Each partnership is unique and is worked out between the business and the school. The school's Partners in Education Building Facilitator will communicate with each of the business partners to determine goals that best support the needs of the school and their students. All partnerships are built on creating a mutually beneficial relationship between the school and the business.

How are partners recognized by the district? 
Once the partnership is established with the school, a partnership ceremony is then scheduled in which Athena Graham, NKC Schools Partners in Education Coordinator, will present both the school and business partner with framed partnership certificates acknowledging the partnership between the two parties. All business partners are also listed on the schools' websites as well.

Interested in becoming a business partner?
To learn more about becoming a business partner with your local school, please contact the school's Partners in Education Building Facilitator for more information. Please click here for a full list of each school's Partners in Education Building Facilitator contact information. For information regarding how your business can become a district business partner, contact
Athena Graham, Partners in Education Coordinator, at (816) 321-4696.