Business & Community
Company Participation
Levels in Stem
Career Exploration
As a local company, you are probably interested in what your local schools are teaching: are young people learning the right skills? Do youth know about local career options? Are the schools preparing a workforce that will meet your needs now and in the future?
There’s no better way to answer those questions than to get involved with STEM-based career exploration. When businesses get involved, teachers better understand how their lessons connect to the real world of work. Students better understand why their school work is important. In short, schools need your expertise and students want to hear from you. And you get to see the future of your workforce.
There are many ways to get involved, as the chart below shows. It is organized based on High, Medium, and Entry levels. You can choose ways to get involved that match the amount of time and resources you have available.
Scroll down to see activities within each level and click to find out more.
Teachers are the front lines of your workforce development. Host a teacher to show them how you use STEM to further your organization. They will take what you teach them to the classroom to better the students’ learning. Check out our partnership with Randy Rhodes of SMI to discuss Aerospace Engineering with Elementary educators and how it applies within the classroom.
Help give students the opportunity to apply their skills in the workplace. Internships are a wonderful exposure opportunity for youth to learn from when they are planning for their career and academic futures. Many educators are looking for meaningful partnerships that challenge the students.
How did you know what career path you wanted to embark on? Did someone help you light the path? If so, be that person for our students. They are curious to how their learning will apply outside of the school environment. Many aren’t aware of the opportunities lying at their feet. Be a coach or join an event to give students the opportunity to connect with you around what it means to be a STEM professional. Connect with us to know what opportunities are available.
Sponsor an educator award to recognize regional rockstars.
Providing real-world context for learning and soft skills of complimentary careers and skills.
We partner with a variety of organizations to promote STEM careers within our community through exposure events like Manufacturing Day, MiCareerQuest, Take a Student to Work Day, etc. These events are typically a one-day event that allows for students to see careers in action. Highlight your careers in front of your potential employees at events like these to show and have students learn from you what it’s like to work in STEM.
There are a number of ways to get involved with our schools. From volunteering in a classroom to bringing students into your business. We will help you engage with education. We have taken the liberty of providing a few ideas below.
Community Partnerships
Innovation Day at Traverse Heights Elementary
Community members hosted hands-on workshops for all of TCAPS Traverse Heights students where they got to create stomp rockets, mix paint, explore the cement mixer truck and so much more. Each student walked away with an understanding of STEM and careers to explore!
High School Internships
Joseph Farley is a second year Architectural Drafting student at Petoskey High School. He aspires to study Architecture at Tulane University after he graduates in 2020. After completing the architecture program at PHS, Joe received an internship with a local architecture firm, White & Liebler Architecture. “Interning with White and Liebler Architecture was a great way to gain some experience in the field before I go to college. It was a good way to learn about AutoCAD and residential architecture in general.” – Joe Farley
Classroom
Bring your expertise into the classroom with hands-on activities to showcase how STEM is used in your field and company. Educators are looking for speakers to help drive the understanding of the application of the concepts taught in the classroom. This is an excellent way to get engaged without dedicating a large amount of commitment.