WORK SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMS

Question 3 addresses how business linkages can happen wherein industry and education can work hand-in-hand.  The concept of "work Scholarship Programs" is not a new concept--originally developed on the East Coast (NY, PA, etc.) by Weggmann's Super Store Chain and initiated through the Urban League.  Here, we have a win-win situation.  Industry and education reaching out to "at-risk" student populations in urban areas in which "student adocates" (funded by industry) mentor a cadre of students on a campus--assisting them, in cooperation with school counselors, both academically and through career enhancement.  Students directly participate in this program which could easily be incorporated into existing ROP's here in California and do, in essence, community classroom or CVE in industry as part of their school curriculum--and, at the end of the rainbow is their scholarship to post-secondary based on a variety of factors wherein students select their post-secondary institution while continuing with their "industry partner."

Today, one of California's premiere retailers, Raley's Super Markets and Drug Centers, has commenced research on bringing such a program to California--incorporating scores of their "vendors" into the mix.  Accelerating industry involvement in such a business/educational alliance should be given a clear green light in the Master Plan.  Raley's envisions a multi-million dollar commitment in reaching out to "at risk" youth in such a program--we in education cannot treat their intentions as superficial in light of the oustanding success story of such programs in upstate NY and in PA.