Dive Brief:
- Ohio education officials are putting $10 million into a Community Connectors program, which aims to create partnerships between students and potential role models.
- Community organizations and faith-based groups have been encouraged to create alliances with eligible school districts and businesses and then apply for funding — up to a maximum of $500,000 in state grants.
- To be eligible, districts must also have a high number of low-income students who are not graduating on time.
Dive Insight:
Finding ways for students to have mentors and partners is not unique to Ohio. While Iowa's using a slightly different format, 40 of the state's K-12 superintendents met in June with leaders from the University of Iowa's Teacher Leader Center to consider areas where education and business could come together. The goal of the meeting was two-pronged: to find ways that better prepare young people for the job market and to create a support network for superintendents and schools looking to increase entrepreneurial activity on their campuses. That entrepreneurial activity could involve mentors, similar to the goals of the Ohio initiative.
In Arizona, a mentorship program aimed at foster students is being pushed. In September, Foster Ed: Arizona asked state legislators to expand a pilot program that would pair foster children with "education champions," who monitor their progress and make sure they get access to the education resources they need.
