WESTFIELD — Superintendent Stefan Czaporowski said this year’s monthly Westfield Education to Business Alliance meetings will focus on different themes and ways that area businesses and organizations can interact in a meaningful way with the schools.
WE2BA is a dynamic partnership between Westfield Public Schools and the Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce that creates opportunities that support students, empower educators and strengthen Westfield’s business community.
One of the topics at the WE2BA meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 16, from 8-9 a.m. in Tiger’s Pride at the Westfield Technical Academy, 33 Smith Ave., will be on how businesses or individuals may “adopt” a classroom.
Superintendent Stefan Czaporowski said in the Adopt-a-Classroom program, businesses or individuals in different professions get involved by sharing their expertise or learning with a classroom of students. “It’s not necessarily financial, we’re looking for your time and talent,” he said.
For example, the science department at Westfield State University has worked with elementary and middle school students on a real-world study of erosion, with hikes to the Westfield River. Mestek professionals have worked with high school students entering the science fair on how to hone in on presentation skills to get a point across, and the Chamber of Commerce has worked with them on how to build resumes and on interview skills.
Otis Ridge has had an ongoing program with students at Highland Elementary on how to run a business that includes a field trip and tour of the ski area, and some fun in the snow.
Professionals who participate in Adopt-a-Classroom do not have to have experience in the classroom, as they will be guided in their lesson plans by one of the content supervisors at Westfield Public Schools: Mary Keane, English Language Arts; Kate Perez, Mathematics; Christina Smith, science and technology; and Lindsey Ayers, K-4 STEM coach.
“We want to encourage any business or someone who works for a business to be involved. Adopt-a-Classroom helps to provide authentic, real-world learning experiences for our students, and our partnerships with businesses help to accomplish that,” Czaporowski said.
Other topics at the meeting on Dec. 16 will be on how to participate as a judge in the upcoming high school science fair and on the Westfield High School student web-design program.
At the next WE2BA meeting on Jan. 18, 8-9 a.m. at Tiger’s Pride, the focus will be on student internships, job shadowing and cooperative education.
