It’s about business engagement . . . but it’s also about business benefit.
“That sweet, six year old comes running out of her classroom and gives me a big hug.”
“The fourth grader reads an entire book in the few minutes we have together. Three years of reading coaching has paid off for this young man and I know his reading skills will make a difference as he learns and grows in the years ahead.”
“That ESL (English as a Second Language) first grader who didn’t know his alphabet at the beginning of the year is reading by the end of the year.”
Ask most any One to One Reading Coach what the highlight of his or her week is and you’re likely to hear “seeing and working with my One to One student”. The challenges of the week and the work issues fall away when that adorable six year old runs to you, excited to be spending the next 45 minutes or so with you . . . and knowing that you’ll be back the next week to see her again.
“I want to be a chemical engineer.”
“I love working with my hands and have learned welding from my grandfather and my Dad.”
“I have a young daughter and want to provide a good life for her.”
“I love math and science and want to explore the career opportunities in those areas.”
These comments are from high school students who have been hand-picked from some of our local businesses as NaviGo Scholars, selected because of their interests, motivation and potential for future success in careers defined by the businesses.
The motivation is there with these students – what’s been missing are the “how-to’s” for setting meaningful goals and designing the road to reaching these goals. NaviGo provides the how-to’s and gives focused coaching and mentoring to help these students prepare for what comes after high school.
One to One Reading (for first through third graders) and NaviGo Scholars (for high school students) are just two of the many tools in the Northern Kentucky Education Council’s business engagement toolkit. And it’s all about walking the talk related to that commonly-used descriptor of what we need to do for our kids today . . . get them college and career ready.
These two programs bring obvious benefits to the students they serve. And, interestingly enough for both of these programs, there are defined benefits to the businesses involved.
One to One Reading Coaches tell of these benefits in their workplaces:
“It has helped me understand that people learn in different ways, at different paces.”
“A child can be overwhelmed by a book they don’t know how to read. When I assure him we don’t have to work about the whole book right now, that we can just take it one page at a time, I’m breaking down the barriers that overwhelm him. I realized that I can apply the same thinking to an overall work project goal that I was struggling with . . . by breaking it down in manageable steps and taking it “one page at a time.”
“Being a One to One Reading Coach has helped me be more patient when coaching my direct reports.”.
“Spending one on one time with your employees is the best way for them to build trust in you and develop.”
“If children don’t grasp the significance of good reading skills in early years, they will be behind as the years go by. Where does that leave our businesses in terms of a future workforce?”
An important element of the NaviGo Scholars program connects the student with a Company Career Coach, someone who is currently doing the job in which that student is interested. The NaviGo Coach, working with the student on a monthly basis, helps the student with communication to the Company Career Coach. Here’s what one NaviGo Coach has to say about that career connection for the student . . .
”Having a committed individual who can provide timely real-world knowledge from a professional perspective adds an invaluable dimension to the NaviGo scholar’s journey of discovery and decision-making.”
And for one of the Company Career Coaches:
“I feel like I’m helping shape the future of my company by connecting with a student and helping navigate the learning experience, helping him or her understand the ultimate requirements for a job or career and showing how what he or she learns now can be applied in the real world.”
So, while it’s about engaging business in education, it’s also about how the business benefits from employee engagement . . . .whether for struggling young readers or for high school students looking for relevancy in what they are learning.
NKyTribune columnist Helen Carroll, interim president of the United Way of Kentucky, retired from Toyota in 2014 after 27 years of service.. She is a resident of Northern Kentucky and owner of Carroll Project Planning LLC. She is also a board member of the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence. Email: Helen.Carroll@uwky.org