The following items outline just a few of the many Options and Opportunities for participation of Business/Community Partners in the College-NOW program:

Identifying Real Problems

Providing the College-NOW faculty and students with real problems is one of the most critical roles for our College-NOW Business/Community Partners and also one of the easiest opportunities for engagement. Just present a statement of the problem you want the students to work on. The problem can be a current situation you on which you working, one you have experienced, one that exists but has not yet been addressed or even an imaginary situation that you think might be of interest and/or value to our students. If we use your problem in the program, students and faculty will contact you to discuss the situation details and gain insights. You will be notified with the results of the student's work on and any resolution of your problem. Current Business/Community Partners can submit authentic problems via this electronic form.

Site for Student Visitation

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a student visit to Business/Community Partner locations is invaluable for understanding the context for the application of the learning objectives in the College-NOW curriculum. Visitations can be arranged for a class or for individual students (accompanied by College-NOW faculty) depending upon the curriculum requirements and according to the terms, conditions and circumstances of the Business/Community Partner.

Site for Student Internship

Business/Community Partners are encouraged to provide opportunities for limited and short term internships for select College-NOW students. An internship is most often an unpaid work based learning experience whereby students serve as an assistant gain first hand experience and knowledge of the skills, qualifications and attitudes required in his/her field. College-NOW faculty will arrange and supervise all student internship experiences.

Site for Job Shadowing

College-NOW Business/Community Partners can participate as a host for student job shadowing. This one or two day experience permits the student to follow an employee to gain an in-depth perspective of a particular job or career. Often students select a career and complete the educational requirements without ever having seen what that occupation or career requires in skills and its environment.

Serve as Mentors/E-Mentors

Business/Community Partners can make individual staff available to mentor College-NOW students on specific academic aspects of the program, required projects and technical advising. This mentoring will be coordinated by College-NOW faculty and can be arranged on a face to face or electronic (e-mail) basis.

Lunch With the Leaders Guest Speaker

Each month College-NOW hosts a Lunch With the Leaders event where students have lunch with a variety of successful business/community leaders from the community, the state or the nation. Students will have the opportunity to interact directly with these leaders and learn what it takes to be a leader, the importance of academic achievement in a career and the attitudes/behaviors of successful individuals. See the Goals of the Lunch With the Leaders event here.

Advisor to College-NOW

Maintaining a direct and current connection with experts and leaders in the field is very important to the success and vitality of the College-NOW Program. You are invited to contribute your knowledge, perspective and recommendations for improving this problem based learning approach. In addition, your advocacy for the program will be appreciated as the program expands, changes and faces organizational and educational challenges.