Learning and Living Committee
Learning and Living is a business-education partnerships in Princeton dedicated to building strong bonds between our local schools and business communities.
Our goals include educating students about the spectrum of employment opportunities that are available to them, building in them the skills needed to be successful in the world of work, and opening doors between local schools and businesses in order to better inform each about the other.
- The Career Crawl
- Internships/Service Learning/Mentorships
- Career Speakers
- Field Trips
- Mock Interviews
- OJT (on the job training) and Work Experience
The Career Crawl is an event that brings groups of teachers out into local businesses to experience firsthand the types of jobs that are involved in that business and the educational foundation that is necessary for success.
The Princeton Public Schools focus on Career and College Readiness is outlined in the Strategic Plan goal 2. As a district, our goal is to prepare 21st century students to be career and college ready. The focus for this staff development day is to tour businesses and learn what skills employers are looking for as our students enter the workforce. These are skills that can be incorporated into standards at every grade.
The purpose of the business tours is for staff to learn what are the skills, will, aptitudes and attitudes needed for the workforce and individual careers. This also includes:
- What skills (technical and soft skills) employers are looking for?
- How is technology changing businesses?
- What is the future is in the field?
Princeton Public Schools staff will work in the afternoon to share with their Professional Learning Committees what they learned and how to implement what they learned in their grade or content area.
Focus for Pre-K through Grade 2
- Staff emphasis on social emotional learning (Skill) and growth mindset (Will)
- Educate parents on the importance of social emotional learning
- Building relationships with the business community
- Introduction to careers and community by bringing careers/businesses to school
Focus for Grades 3-5
- Expose students to businesses outside of school
- Link skills/learning to what is needed in the workplace (Skills, Will, Aptitude and Attitude) and align with chart.
- Stress the importance of citizenship through volunteering
- Continue to develop a growth mindset
- Staff emphasis on the importance of social emotional learning
- Continue to engage parents
- Explore how to connect the chart with “Ramp Up to Readiness”
- Teach the chart to students
- Use Service Learning to reflect upon Skill, Will, Aptitude and Attitude
- Continue to engage parents
- Continue to build on growth mindset
- Emphasize Social Emotional Learning
- Build opportunities for experiential learning (apprenticeships, job shadowing, internships, on the job training)
- Develop a web of people tied to the chart
- Coursework emphasis tied to the chart, by working with staff
- Parents--planning for post-secondary, what is their role at this age and how is it different
- Continue growth mindset
- Integrate the chart into “Ramp Up to Readiness”
Help all staff answer student questions “Are we ever going to use this?”
This is the work we are currently doing to build capacity in our community. The focus of the Learning and Living Committee in 2017/18 will be to develop real world experiential learning for the students of Princeton Public Schools by establishing meaningful opportunities for hands on learning through mentorship. internship and service learning experiences. Stay tuned!
Relationships are the key
Our mission is to create and nurture active partnerships within our community in order to develop and foster effective two-way communication between businesses and schools, and assure relevance in learning.
We believe that education works best when learners are able to apply what they learn in school to life and work situations.
Learning & Living Committee Members
Community Ed Director, ISD# 477
(Former)Mille Lacs County Community Development Coordinator
Jackelyn Bekius (attends when Kathy isn’t available)
Volunteer & Community Coordinator, Fairview Northland
MS Counselor, ISD #477
Manager of Community Health, Fairview Northland
PHS Assistant Principal, ISD #477
Director of Student Services, ISD #477
Dean, ISD #477
Glenn Metalcraft (Retired)
Human Resources Generalist, Crystal Cabinet Works
Parent, Community Volunteer
ALC Teacher, ISD #477
PHS Agriculture Teacher, ISD #477
Director of Human Resources, Phillips Distilling
Executive Director, Princeton Chamber of Commerce
President, Steinbrecher Painting
PHS Career Specialist, ISD #477
Steinbrecher Painting (Retired)
Director of Teaching and Learning, ISD #477
Amy White Mountain
American Indian Advisory Committee
Grant Assist Consulting
Becoming a Member
Being a Learning and Living member is all about supporting the school district and the students in our community. Our goals are centered around building a skilled and competent workforce.
Our goal and our role as business members is building the workforce rather than advancing our personal businesses. We serve as a bridge to the community for career experiences. Our activities are centered on building career skills in students and building an awareness in educators of the skills needed to be successful in the workplace.
- To contribute with students best interests in mind
- To have a passion for supporting students
- To attend and participate in committee activities
- To listen in the community and report back on student readiness and literacies
If you are interested in joining our committee please fill out our very short application. We meet monthly on the 4th Tuesday of each month in the District Center from 7:30am to 9:00am. Please consider sharing your expertise and giving input on building a skilled workforce. Applications are reviewed monthly.
“Businesses Supporting Schools Supporting Businesses”