Pat Lindsey, director of education at the Cobb Chamber of Commerce, who oversees the Partners in Education Program for Cobb County Public Schools and Marietta City School Systems, said donations can be any amount. Miller said that many first-time partners underestimate the monetary needs of schools. Our whole program is based on human resources. However, after that relationship is established and the company gets involved with a school, they begin to notice the financial needs. The Atlanta Public School system opened its Department of Public Engagement last October to coordinate volunteer activities, including the already existing business partnerships in the system's 97 schools.
Principals continue to recruit partners for their individual schools.
The administrators and teachers at the school level know best what's needed at their schools. Partners in Education participants have an administrator of the program, who serves as the contact person for potential partners. While businesses can still choose the school with which they would like to partner, the administrator makes sure that all schools, including those that serve children with discipline problems, have active partnerships. Benefits can vary With credit in newsletters, on billboards and through awards programs, business owners who partner with schools are gaining much-coveted name recognition. There are tangible benefits as well.