To successfully prepare college and career ready students, we fully recognize the importance of leveraging the “It takes a village” approach! Accordingly, the Kettle Moraine School District depends on partnerships and the generous support of parents/guardians, business/industry professionals, and educational and civic organizations to help provide real, rigorous, and relevant learning experiences for our students. There are many ways to get involved (please see link on the tab the the left).

Opportunities include the following:

Career-based Challenges/Problems (We would love to begin  a program with your business!!)
These real-world projects/tasks require students to apply current knowledge and skills (collaboration, critical thinking, creativity, and communication), learn, unlearn, and relearn, as well as acquire new knowledge and skills which are then transferred to create a viable, authentic product. The students would communicate with the business partner and make workplace visits and communicate with their mentor as needed.

Student Internship / Job
An essential element of the district’s effort to provide a rapid up-skill program as well as an on-ramp to labor force participation. Internships (typically paid) / a job will afford students with opportunities to fast forward into a possible future and fully immerse themselves into a professional culture, experience and solve real world problems, observe problem solving strategies used by employees, collaborate with employees, use industry standard tools, and be mentored throughout the process. Students will develop a deeper appreciation of the business’s intricacies and how the parts fit together to order to truly deliver value to customers. An internship is a shining example of how business, community, and public education partner to create personalized, relevant learning experiences that authentically prepare the workforce of tomorrow.

Student Mentorship/Job Shadow
A career exploration opportunity for students that occurs through planned on-the-job visitations in a student selected career field. Students will be matched on an individual basis with an adult mentor working in the specific career area. This workplace learning experience can occur in one or multiple workplace settings during and/or outside of the school day. Could look like: giving a student(s) a tour conducted by the owner / a supervisor; walking and talking with various employees to get an overview of their work/responsibilities; allowing students to conduct informational interviews

Guest Instructors / Speakers
Business partners come into classrooms to teach students about a particular topic, participate in panel discussions, provide feedback to students on projects, etc. The business partner guest could instruct for one block/period, a day, or multiple days. It may also be possible for classes to go to the business partner’s workplace to receive the instruction.

Employee Mentoring (Teacher Externships)
Teachers visit the workplace of business partners to gain more insight about the content knowledge and process skills that are necessary for employees to perform in that particular environment. The externship also provides the teachers with the ability to understand what students might benefit from forming a connect with that particular business partner and/or workplace.

Focus Groups / Curriculum Influence
Our district / teachers need the input of business partners to create learning experiences that are as relevant and timely as possible. KMSD curriculum must be agile in order to equip our students with skills, knowledge and dispositions that will help them succeed in life, as well as future postsecondary and career learning opportunities.

Professional Development/Training
In order to deliver an agile, timely, and relevant curriculum, teachers need to continue to grow and acquire new content knowledge and skills. Business partners can play a key role in helping teachers acquire knowledge and skills that can be used to deliver the curriculum to students.

Equipment and Supplies
In an effort to deliver the most relevant and timely curriculum, there may be opportunities for business partners to donate value-added equipment and supplies. It may also be possible for classes to go to business partner’s workplace to use industry tools, equipment and supplies.

Site Visits / Facilities and Hosting
In an effort to provide teachers and students with the most relevant, cutting edge, and inspiring learning environment, business partners can support the district by allocating space at their workplace or financing access to better spaces. In order to ignite the most innovative and creative products from students, an off-campus learning space that matches the expectations and demands of today’s workplace is desirable.

Monetary Investment
Business partners have the opportunity to fund a variety of opportunities that would enhance the learning experience of KMSD students as well as help our work-based learning program grow and expand to meet more diverse needs.

Scholarship Support for Students
This option is for businesses/companies interested in supporting enrichment opportunities for students within a specific career cluster and/or providing scholarships for students pursuing a post-secondary education through a technical school, college, or university.

Community Leadership Opportunities for Students
Deliberately engage the voice of our youth in decisions that affect our community.