ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, July 21, 1996 TAG: 9607220011
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: NARROWS
SOURCE: LISA APPLEGATE STAFF WRITER
Last year, Hoechst-Celanese Corp. invested $40,000 in people who don't even work for the company. Most of them, in fact, aren't even considered adults yet.
The Celco plant has contributed everything from equipment to training for Giles County pupils. Last month, the company - Giles County's largest employer - contributed more than $31,000 to help upgrade the Giles High School science lab.
For years, businesses across the New River Valley have informally donated time, money and expertise to schools.
"It enhances our position in the community," said Katy Kirk, director of human resources for Columbia Pulaski Community Hospital. "And, our involvement has an impact on the viability of the community in terms of the students we produce. It can only complement the schools."
Recently, as federal and state funds dwindle, school systems are becoming more savvy about developing sophisticated relationships with businesses.
Giles County Superintendent Bob McCracken calls the partnership a "mating dance."
"Instead of the schools always taking from the businesses that always give," he said, "we want a give-and-take relationship."
To do that, school administrators developed the Partnership for Excellence Foundation, an alliance of businesses, local governments and community groups.
The foundation, McCracken said, provides an organized way for businesses to contribute to school projects. And the benefits to school kids are obvious.
High school students can earn a food-handling certification or a license in wastewater operations. They can volunteer in the community or benefit from one of three "mini-grants" given to teachers each year.
Teachers gain from employee expertise. Several have spent time at the the Celco plant and ask, McCracken said, "What should we be teaching the children?"
Bill Batson, a manager with Celanese and the education liaison, said employees would like to keep their children in Giles County after they graduate. The only way to do that is to provide good jobs to well-educated young adults.
When it comes to the bottom line, he said, education simply makes good business sense.
"When you have 1,800 employees, supporting Giles County schools is supporting our future employees," Batson said. "The better the education, the better opportunities we have for future business."
More and more, businesses have input into how students - particularly high school students near the age of employment - are educated.
Superintendent William Asbury, who helped develop a similar partnership in Pulaski County, said businesses had some specific ideas about what they needed in future employees. Often, employers were seeing students who didn't have adequate thinking skills - ones who might have taken the easiest math, science and English classes possible.
"We're talking about kids who may have taken the least resistance that are probably knocking on those businesses' door," Asbury said.
The schools have tried to change that. Beginning this year, every student must pass the regular English requirement, instead of taking a more simplified class. That may mean taking a review course - and giving up an elective credit - to graduate.
Kirk, with Pulaski Community, said having input into what kids learn ensures a secure future for the hospital.
"We're better served if people have an inkling of what they're getting into," she said. "If we turned [students] away we would regret it down the road if people lost interest in health care."
As part of its contribution, the hospital invites high school students to shadow doctors or clinicians and see if they'd like to study medicine.
Kirk said the biggest company sacrifice is employee time. Most enjoy the interaction with students, though, and view the time as a benefit.
J.C. Callahan, principal for Falling Branch Elementary School in Christiansburg, said the influence from businesses is a positive one.
Generally, he said, they don't shower students with free gifts or advertising, but provide funding and information essential to the school. In return, Callahan said his students invite them to lunch, or perhaps send them thank-you cards.
Even little things can send messages of good will out to current - or potential - customers, according to Greg Wade of Wade's Supermarkets.
His company, for example, gave second- and third-graders Mother's Day recipe cards. Students created a recipe that described their mom.
"You know, one cup love, two cups kisses .... My secretary got 10 cups computer work," Wade said. "We got some positive feedback from teachers."
As a local chain, he said, enhancing education not only benefits the community's future, but it may give a slight edge over the competition.
"We don't see any increase the next week in our sales but over the long run we hope people will realize that we do contribute to the community," he said. "Maybe they'll patronize us instead of some businesses that maybe put their money somewhere else."
LENGTH: Medium: 99 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: GENE DALTON/Staff. Bill Batson, education liason forby CNBHoechst-Celanese Corp., in one of the Giles High School labs, which
will soon receive new equipment thanks
to his company's support. color.