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October 16, 2003 CBIA Education Foundation Kicks Off State Scholars Initiative Businesses and Educators Team up to Prepare Students for the Future
CBIA is one of just 12 state business organizations nationwide, selected by the Center for State Scholars to receive a $300,000 grant, to start-up this program. The association has teamed up with The United Illuminating Company as its lead business partner for the program, which will target eighth-and ninth-grade students. The CBIA Education Foundation, a non-profit affiliate of CBIA, will pilot the State Scholars program in two Connecticut cities: Danbury and New Haven, as well as in the state’s vocational technical system. According to Lauren Kaufman, CBIA’s vice president of Education and Job Training and executive director of the Education Foundation, “Rigorous coursework in high school is the best indicator of college and workplace success. We selected Danbury and New Haven to participate in the pilot program because of the school districts’ willingness to work toward improving core academic areas to better prepare their students for a successful future.” The State Scholars Initiative will be implemented in all of Danbury’s middle and high schools. Danbury Superintendent of Schools, Eddie L. Davis says, “We believe that impressing the need to work hard and offering a more rigorous course of study will better prepare students to enter college or the workforce.” In New Haven, the program will initially be offered at Fairhaven Middle School and Wilbur Cross High School. New Haven School Superintendent Reginald R. Mayo says, “Encouraging the students to participate in the program and offering more challenging courses will provide them with a sound academic foundation for success.” The Danbury and Greater New Haven Chambers of Commerce will help identify business volunteers for the program. The business volunteers will address students just before they make their course selections for high school, impressing on them the importance of selecting rigorous courses and the pivotal role higher level math and science classes play in future career opportunities. “We are committed to ensuring that our future workforce is highly skilled and productive,” said Kaufman. The partnership teaches students that the choices they make today will have an impact on their ability to go to college and secure jobs that are rewarding and pay a good wage. This program is unique because business leaders deliver the message directly to students that high school coursework matters to future academic, career and business success. “High level success in high school is the first step toward economic competitiveness. It is therefore crucial that our students exceed the basic high school requirements in order for Connecticut to be competitive on a global level,” said Nathaniel Woodson, chairman and CEO of UIL, the parent company of the United Illuminating Company. The State Scholars Initiative began when concerned business people, educators, and researchers noticed that many high school students were not enrolling in or completing essential academic courses such as intermediate algebra, chemistry and advanced English. Through business-education partnerships, the initiative encourages high school students to complete a sequence of rigorous academic courses that will prepare them for future education and workplace success. The core courses of study include advanced classes in english, math, science, social studies and foreign language. CBIA is Connecticut’s largest business organization, with 10,000 members.
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