Alaska Army National Guard and King Tech High School

SFC Paul Wilbanks

SFC Wilbanks has worked with King Tech High School to present medical career information specific to the National Guard. To successfully share these presentations, he has coordinated with military healthcare professionals, bringing in military medics, PA'S, and Respiratory Therapists to showcase employment opportunities through the Guard. These presentations have been interactive and included skill sessions for tourniquets, bandaging, and emergency care.

The benefit for students was the ability to learn more about employment opportunities through the Army National Guard in Alaska. The idea that students could transition into medical military careers was critical for students to understand these opportunities are available. While the military would like to have more students applying for the military; the impact on students was learning about career choices and practicing emergency skills. The combination of a presentation with hands-on skills allowed for the interaction and freeing students to ask questions to learn more.

Having a team of medical providers come to King Tech High School and answer questions has been one element of this partnership that exposed students to a variety of different career options. In addition, presenting information specific to the National Guard has allowed students to understand their transition from school to work and the benefits provided through military service. SFC Wilbanks has been very generous in coordinating many different healthcare professionals and arranging for different training equipment to provide hands-on interaction with students.

SFC Wilbanks has spent countless hours coordinating healthcare professionals and medical equipment for in-school presentations; and King Tech High School has been very receptive for students interested in military medical careers, allowing for recruitment opportunities and direct student interaction.

Alaska Dinner Factory and Polaris K-12

Linnea Cummings, Owner

Alaska Dinner Factory (ADF) has partnered with us for more than 10 years. Our teachers approached the business when it opened since the company was in our area. We have been partners ever since. Over the years the relationship has grown and developed. 

Our secondary students will go to the business as a field trip during intensives and are given an overview of the business, career opportunities and career pathways. ADF drops off food for staff often. After the earthquake the business came and brought the staff breakfast. Alaska Dinner Factory supports our staff and student community. They make food donations whenever needed and are always happy to support our programs when welcoming our students on site to prepare food for an event like prom or offering a discount for the Polaris community. Linnea provides a free meal for the Polarian award winner. Students get a chance to see how a small business works. Alaska Dinner Factory shares job opening opportunities for students. 

We recognize the business in our school newsletter, on our SBP banner that is hung during school-wide activities. We recognize our partners at events and have recognized Alaska Dinner Factory as SBP of the month. We appreciate the years of service, the delicious food and the support of Alaska Dinner Factory.

Romig Middle School and Alaska Premier Dental Group

Christina Reimers and Michaela Walker

Our partnership was originally started by Kristine Masneri, our social worker at Romig, around 2009. She reached out to Dr. Aaron Wells, to help a student with urgent dental care needs. Since then they have been donating at least one day off to come to Romig during the school day to provide dental screenings, share hygiene education information and provide follow up exams in addition to sharing dental swag. They have been helping students: learn about proper dental care and educating them on dental products, referring them out if they need more dental services than they could provide on the spot, filling cavities, tooth extractions, root canals, and sending them home with a report for their parents on services provided and recommendations. Permission slips have been created for multiple languages to reach as many students as possible each year.

As a result of this partnership our students have healthier teeth. This means students stay in school and gain better habits, which translates into better community wellness. We have found students seek out our Nurse to continue the screenings each year as well as sharing a dental information packet. We promote our business partner in our school newsletter and reference on the school website.

West High School and Fireweed Cleaners

JT Hampton, Manager

Our ROTC program here at West High School has used this cleaner for a few years for their uniforms.

They turn uniforms around for us in 24 hours for us to ensure students can wear it on the assigned days. They also have a new app that I can watch to see when uniforms are completed and ready for pickup to maximize customer’s time.

They turn uniforms around for us in 24 hours for us to ensure students can wear it on the assigned days. They also have a new app that I can watch to see when uniforms are completed and ready for pickup to maximize customer’s time.

They turn uniforms around for us in 24 hours for us to ensure students can wear it on the assigned days. They also have a new app that I can watch to see when uniforms are completed and ready for pickup to maximize customer’s time.

JT has gone out of his way to give our school and students a discount of uniform dry-cleaning.

Continue to support their business as much as we can by advertising within our school

West High School and Kaladi Brothers Coffee Company

Kaladi Coffee has been a partner of West High School for quite a few years. Kaladi has donated coffee for events held at West and participated in many fundraising events here.

Currently our life skills program here at West High sells Kaladi Coffee before school and after school to help support their program. Staff in that classroom were taken to Kaladi to get trained on their equipment and were taught how to make their signature drinks. They provide endless supplies and support to make sure that the program is successful.

Students in the Life skills classroom have been able to support their program through the coffee sales. The students have been able to go out into the community and experience things with their new funding. Students in the Life Skills class also deliver the coffee to teachers in the morning and have learned better communication skills throughout that experience.

Kaladi Coffee has contributed so much to our school throughout the years. They continue to provide discounted coffee and will donate for multiple events.

We advertise on our website, at games, and in our paper.

Hanshew Middle School and Municipality of Anchorage

Corey Allen Young, Director of Communication 

(large business 25 or more employees)

Corey has been instrumental in providing opportunities for Hanshew Students to partner with the municipality. He contacted Hanshew's principal in August 2022 and has been visible in the school.

Corey has volunteered at lunch in the Multi-Purpose Room (MPR) during student lunch. Corey helped us to set up a Career Exploration with over 35 businesses and spoke to middle schoolers about college, career, and life readiness goals. Corey is also working with Hanshew's Student Government to set up morning announcements through videos.

Students got to see Corey Allen-Young as a positive role model and see that MOA can be a positive part of our community and school. Opportunities to hear more about careers, the military, and how the government works locally. In addition, students are learning more about how broadcast news works.

MOA gave students and staff an opportunity to be open and transparent by being visible in our programs and events. Additionally, students got to see Corey as a positive role model in the anti-bullying video.

Hanshew gives back by featuring MOA and Corey in our anti-bullying video. In addition, Hanshew also promotes the MOA's activities and partnership on our website. Additionally, we will start internships in fourth quarter to give back.

Hanshew Middle School nominated NECA/IBEW Local 1547

Dora Wilson 

(large business, 25 or more employees)

Principal Hodge and Dora Wilson of the IBEW 1547 initiated the partnership in 2018 to support students in the school and inform them about careers available in the trades represented by the NECA/IBEW 1547. IBEW has been invited to school events and fairs and participated. In addition, they volunteered to be guest speakers in SBP class, applied tech class, and computer science class.

Over the years NECA/IBEW has provided students in need with backpacks full of school supplies and gift cards to help the students and their families get off to a successful start of the school year. Just prior to the start of the holiday break the IBEW assembled boxes of food for students in need. During office staff appreciation week, the IBEW provided a catered lunch for Hanshew's office staff. In previous years, IBEW Local 1547 gave all the students going on the Close-Up trip to Washington D.C. travel blankets for their trip. The IBEW has also participated directly with the SBP class by providing speakers for the class each semester. Ryan Andrew and others have come to the class to discuss the opportunities in careers such as electricians, power linemen, communications installation and repair, and other fields that work with electricity. A field trip by the SBP class to the IBEW 1547 Apprenticeship School is planned for later in the year. In previous years across the district and at Hanshew the IBEW has reached out and provided tours of the IBEW Apprenticeship School to all middle school applied tech teachers.

This partnership has benefited Hanshew's students in two important ways. First it has helped provide some of the most economically disadvantaged students at Hanshew with materials and moral support to be successful as students. Second the IBEW 1547 has provided information on career options outside of the traditional college track. The IBEW 1547 has provided successful role models in the school for students to interact with as they begin to explore their own futures.

IBEW has supported our close-up trip to Washington, DC this year (March 2023). They have also helped SBP class with career exploration, mock interviews, and CTE resume and job application support. In addition, IBEW came and participate in our Career Fair in December 2022.

I believe that the most outstanding characteristic of the partnership between Hanshew and the IBEW 1547, is the opportunity to show students a variety of career paths and to have successful role models in the school. These role models are not only demonstrating financial success but also the importance of giving back to the community they live in.

Students got to get more exposure to other career options from IBEW during the career fair. Additionally, School Business Partnership students actively reach out to IBEW for employable skills and workshops such as resume building, mock interview, etc.

IBEW is very patient and friendly with our students. In addition, they are always reachable when it is needed. We value IBEW for all that they do for Hanshew.

School Business Partnership class learn more about IBEW and the students actively reach out for more support with highly needed job skills. Additionally, School Business Partnership thank them for everything they do and we happily display our partnership for all to see. Hanshew gives back by saying Thank you and hopefully providing the IBEW 1547 with new apprentices in the future.

Goldenview Middle School and Steam Dot

SteamDot has been a partner of GVMS for 7 years. It originally began when Jonathan's girls attended GVMS, but he has gone above and beyond a simple partner. This has blossomed into a full school partnership.

The Sun’s Cafe places all of its orders for coffee supplies (beans, syrups, smoothie mixes, cups, lids, etc) through SteamDot. SteamDot provides the supplies to our class at retail prices and delivers them. They also maintain the Sun's Cafe espresso machine and grinder at no cost. This year while the teacher was out for surgery, SteamDot sent a barista to train many of the 75 new students on how to make espresso drinks. Any time the SBP teacher needs something, Jonathan is just a text away ready to help any way he can. Jonathan himself comes in each year and talks to the students about the coffee industry, how a business works and the requirements for future employment. Jonathan (in addition to other employees) also comes every semester to help with our mock interviews. SteamDot has also helped us in "emergency" supply situations allowing the teacher to pick up lids, straws, etc at the local coffee store instead of waiting for an order/delivery. SteamDot supports GVMS’ Video Productions with donations of coffee cards/gift cards and free drink coupon. Jonathan has also donated coffee and supplies to school functions. I have never seen Jonathan decline a request. 

The benefits and impact of this partnership are countless as support is abundant. SteamDot has hired several former Sun’s Cafe students to work in the SteamDot coffee shops in Anchorage. Jonathan consistently models how a good business is run to the students. For example, he regularly greets the students in the community and says hello. In addition, SteamDot has welcomed our class on field trips  to their warehouse/roasting facility to see how coffee moves from plant to cup.

Dependable, willing to help in a crisis, supportive, generous.

We advertise in our cafe with the SteamDot Logo. It is present during school hours as well as during community concession events and school rentals. The SBP program creates commercials for SteamDot and shows them on the announcements. SteamDot has a logo canvas on our SBP wall. SteamDot is listed as a SBP in our printed fliers. SteamDot is featured on our Suns Cafe Logo Project and I encourage students to choose SteamDot when buying a drink in our community.

West High School and West High Alumni Association

Rob Larkey

The West High Alumni committee is composed of a generous and thoughtful yet thorough group. The committee truly cares for their alma mater and the current and future students of West High. They want what is best for the community and students. West High School has over 1700 students, a huge variety of educational programs, clubs, and sports. The alumni association helps all 1700 students by generously giving thousands of dollars each year which in turn benefits all students. Each month the Alumni Association meets to review alumni grant applications from various programs, teachers, and coaches from West High School. Once the alumni grant applications are approved by the board, the program/teacher/ coach receives that money and then is able to purchase what was asked for. The school gives back by honoring their contributions to our students. Students are made aware about what our alumni does for them and the community. The alumni association is well known with the student body.