Local Businesses and Ideal School

When one thinks of local business activity in community schools what comes to mind is their advertisements tied to chain link fences during sports games. Generally, businesses play a more of an "invisible hand" role in fundraising or sponsoring certain programs in schools, being present mainly through their funding, in return for advertisements in the school bulletin or elsewhere. There is also the aspect of internships, as well, but those generally come in secondary schooling, such as in late junior high or high school. So how can they be more involved in our elementary school?
In creating the Ideal School I think it is important to invite local businesses to take a much more active and visual role in our curriculum and community center. We can draw on these professionals to strengthen our everyday curriculum and draw parallels between the concepts the students are learning in class and their practice outside in the real world.
This would essentially mean asking local business employees to come into the classroom and provide demonstrations on technologies and procedures the students are learning. After completing a Biology unit that discusses the role of bacteria in breaking down material, a local septic service employee could come in an discuss the role of bacteria in the septic process. Upon completing a journalism unit, a worker from the local paper could come in and discuss the importance of moral writing in their job, etc. The prospective combinations are endless.
Schools that already do this on a small scale note that it is beneficial for both the students and the businesses. This is mainly because in teaching the students, local businesses are investing in their future workforce and ensuring they build skilled employees with a true interest in their fields. Not only that, but these professionals would be active role models for those professions, as well as good examples of people who take interest and invest in their own communities, influencing our students to be participating members of society in the future (AAAS).
Businesses could also pay employees, particularly bilingual ones, to come in and teach both in the classroom and the community center, providing information in both settings. In the community center, this could come through mini workshops on things like car maintenance, healthy eating from nutritionists, budgeting from financial centers, etc. So while the community learns more about a specific topic, the companies in turn will provide a personal face and small business way of advertising that would benefit both their own profits and the community. Who knows, maybe it could even end up creating more morality- based business practices!
This could also tie in with our group's push for more parental involvement. If parents do not have to give up a day's wages to come in and teach, and are instead encouraged by their employers by being paid their regular wages to come in and teach for a day, the range of parent teacher socioeconomic statuses would increase. Businesses could even take this one step further and sponsor a program where money can be pooled to pay parents who do not have "on the books" jobs to come in and work in the classroom. This funding would go towards stay at home mothers or fathers who could come in and simply volunteer, or even teach on topics such as cooking, gardening, etc. This, once more, would encourage and enable a wider range of parents to come in and be active in their child's education.
Either way, drawing in local businesses has profound potential for the sustainability of our Ideal School. These are just a few ways they can move away from simply being an "invisible hand" in the school, and instead take on a more active role that creates a more intact community.