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Each of the more than 60 High School/High Tech projects operating
throughout the U.S. is unique and reflects the diversity of students served
within its community, as well as the tremendous diversity of industries and
educational resources available. Subsequently, the manner in which individual
projects are funded, developed, and launched is also unique. The following
section is intended to identify key components of a rollout strategy for new
projects. Bear in mind these components may occur in different sequences.
Who is spearheading this new initiative? What agency,
organization, group, or individual has caught the High School/High Tech spirit
and wants to champion the development of a local project? This may be a
particular company, a vocational rehabilitation office, a school system, a
governor's office, a teacher, a governor, an advocacy group, a trade
association, a non-profit agency, and so forth. While this entity may or may
not ultimately be responsible for actually operating the program, its
involvement in the initial and exploratory phases is critical. Think of the
"spearheading entity" as the starter to the ignition – the one who markets
the idea to others and enlists enthusiastic support from key collaborators.
That person may be you!
Representatives from the spearheading entity will work closely
with the National High School/High Tech Office to navigate the development
process. The role of the National Office is to provide technical assistance in
any way possible.
It is important that the spearheading entity identify a
preliminary vision for the new site. What schools and students will be targeted
for participation? What activities will these students be involved in? Which
other partners should be recruited? Again, the National Office staff can
provide guidance in developing this vision.
The spearheading entity and the National Office will jointly
identify the leadership of the emerging project, that is, the organization that
will be responsible for administering all phases of the program, from start-up
to operations. Again, a lead organization may be any one of the groups
mentioned above. In some cases, a consortium of organizations may enter into a
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) outlining their shared leadership roles. (See
Appendix II for a sample MOU).
The lead organization will designate a project coordinator who,
with the support of the National Office, will be responsible for:
- Identifying potential high tech industry partners.
- Establishing a local advisory committee.
- Identifying funding sources and developing a project budget.
- Identifying program activities.
- Developing timelines.
- Coordinating logistics and guidelines.
- Marketing the program to school personnel, students, and
families, as well as to companies and the community at large.
- Recruiting and training project staff.
- Monitoring all aspects of program delivery. Conducting program
evaluation activities.
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What characterizes an ideal High School/High Tech program
coordinator?
Clearly, an effective program coordinator for this
innovative project must be an energetic individual who believes passionately in
the program's mission. The person in this role must also be someone who
develops and nurtures partnerships exceedingly well, and is comfortable
articulating program goals to business representatives, school system
personnel, advocacy groups, youth, government agencies, and other key players.
A healthy measure of creativity is also a must! |
Compile a comprehensive listing of the corporations and small
businesses that exist in your state and in the local community in which you
plan to set up your project site. Your local library will have mechanisms for
searching databases related to area businesses. Of course, your chamber of
commerce and other business groups will be able to assist you. Review industry
and trade publications, and be sure to peruse the business section of your
local newspapers.
Often we simply are not aware of the incredible business activity
that is taking place right in our own backyard. Technology has spurred
remarkable growth in the development of myriad small and mid-sized companies.
Exciting opportunities are not just found in the large well-known corporations.
The more companies you can identify early on, the more ideas you will get for
High School/High Tech activities, and the greater the pool of potential
business partners will be.
Never underestimate the value of a strong, dynamic advisory
committee! This group, if well-constructed, will be a powerhouse for your
project – and an indispensable resource for the program coordinator.
Advisory groups may look radically different from one another, depending on the
organization. They may be highly formal, with detailed by-laws, policies and
procedures – or very informal in nature. We recommend that the advisory
committee for your High School/High Tech program be somewhere in the middle,
that is, have a well-thought-out membership, clear mission and goals, and a
clear operational structure.
Membership The composition of your membership should include an
array of important stakeholders, such as representatives from business, higher
education institutions, labor organizations, school systems, advocacy groups,
the local chamber of commerce, and state/local government. Whenever possible,
it is a great idea to have students and parents represented on the committee.
Employers should represent the largest percentage of your membership, for
obvious reasons. They are the employment and training experts! They will know
the inside scoop on various industries, including workforce needs and demands,
and will provide you with the credibility you need to establish your
partnerships. From your comprehensive list of local and regional companies, you
should have no problem finding many business people, representing diverse
industries, who are eager and ready to serve on your committee.
The total number of members will vary, of course, from project
to project. We recommend your total membership consist of 10-20 individuals.
Too large an advisory group will be cumbersome and runs the risk of being
counter-productive. By the same token, a tiny group is not likely to give you
all of the potential benefits you could be receiving. A group of about 15 will
increase your chances for having a healthy turnout at your meetings. You may
want to meet quarterly or more frequently—it's up to you.
A mission statement might be something like this: "This
Advisory Committee is established to assist and support the ____________High
School/High Tech program in its mission to provide enrichment experiences to
high school students with disabilities, designed to help develop career
opportunities and provide activities that will spark an interest in the
exciting career possibilities found in high technology fields, and encourage
greater numbers of these students to pursue higher education."
For example: "The Advisory Committee will provide assistance and
support to the ________High School/High Tech program through the following
objectives:
- Represent the perspective of all stakeholders (particularly
the business perspective);
- Provide assessment of local occupational and educational
trends and needs;
- Recruit additional business participation in the program;
- Help evaluate program effectiveness;
- Identify local resources appropriate to support the program;
- Support community relations activities of the program;
- Bring about education and awareness of people with
disabilities in higher education and workplace settings, and
- Link up with other advisory groups, particularly business
groups."
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A note about mission and objectives during a project's
start-up phase
If you are just in the initial start-up stages of your
local program, you may decide to have a well-focused planning team, consisting
of several business representatives, school system leaders, and one or two
other influential members. This planning team may be the core group from which
your advisory committee ultimately expands. The mission of your planning team
will be somewhat different from that stated above. It may look more like this:
"To develop the ___________High School/High Tech program
in a manner that reflects the local community and the core concepts of the
national High School/High Tech program."
The objectives might include such things as:
- Identify companies that may be interested in
participating in the program; Identify potential funding sources and assist in
applying for funding;
- Clarify the primary administrative entity of the local
program;
- Identify and recruit advisory committee members;
- Outline the program goals and potential activities;
- Identify program staffing needs, and
- Identify procedures, such as student recruitment
process, etc.
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Again, you may wish to set up more formal by-laws; however, in
most cases basic guidelines will suffice. Some of the areas you may wish to
address include the process for recruiting new members (nomination/selection
process); terms of membership (such as length of term – usually one year,
and minimum expectation for attendance at meetings); location and hosting of
meetings; identification of a chairperson (in close collaboration with the
program coordinator); establishment of committees (standing, ad hoc,
subcommittees/ work groups); meeting schedules and agendas, and
record-keeping.
We recommend you develop a one-page fact sheet that clearly
explains your program to potential advisory committee members. This will save
you a lot of time in verbally explaining the basics.
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Chances are good that many of the people from the
following places will become members of your Advisory Group:
- State Department of Education
- School Systems in the targeted geographic region
- Division of Rehabilitation Services
- Business Leadership Organizations, such as Chambers of
Commerce
- State Office on Employment for People with Disabilities
- Representatives from area colleges and universities
State Department of Labor
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As you take a look at all of the different High School/High
Tech sites operating nationally, you will notice that each site's funding and
operational budgets are diverse, just as their program activities are unique.
Funding can be categorized in a number of ways, including start-up,
time-limited, and operational or on-going. The National Office can assist you
in identifying and seeking potential funding sources. Bear in mind, there are
numerous initiatives that are currently funded within your school systems that
relate to the mission of High School/High Tech. For example, there are
school-to-work grants, Carl Perkins Vocational-Technical funds, money through
the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act of 1999, and others.
Before you begin seeking outside funding, be sure you have done an exhaustive
search of potential funding within your school or rehabilitation systems.
The money you need is related to two things: the specific
activities you plan to implement, and staffing needs. What are the costs of
these? In many cases, the cost of a project coordinator may be funded through
one source, costs associated with activities (such as site visits, lab
experiences, internships) covered through other sources, and staff through
still other sources. Don't forget that some staff may already be employees of
an organization (such as a school system or rehabilitation office) – and
your High School/High Tech activities may be a part of their job duties.
Your staffing will depend, of course, on the scope and detail of
your activities. Will you need instructors? Site visit chaperones?
Job/internship developers? Marketer? Events coordinator? Administrative
assistants?
As someone once said: "Start at the beginning!" Once you have
outlined the specific activities, identify the number and types of people you
will need to conduct each event. Ask yourself: Does the school system (or other
organization) already have staff who could be assigned to these activities? Is
there a natural link?
For each identified position, clearly lay out the specific job
duties and expectations. Identify the qualifications (minimum and ideal). You
should have these position descriptions ready to go, whether you plan to
recruit and hire staff actively, or you need to lobby an organization's leaders
to convince them to integrate High School/High Tech activities into a current
employee's job. A well-written job description will be immensely valuable to
you as you seek out the best people possible to implement your program.
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