1. Real-World Project Based Learning
Through Organizational Partnerships
Marissa Reynolds
Business Teacher & Work-Based Learning Coordinator
Marion Central School District

2. Topics Employability Skills/ Career Readiness
Senior Seminar Group Projects
Becoming future ready
Student run
Speed Bumps
Professional Communication
Budgeting
Rubrics
Marketing/Sales Project
Department responsibilities
Social Responsibility
Project Management & Sales
Financial Records (Accounting Class)

3. Features & Benefits: Students
Features/Skills
Benefits
Collaboration (strategic group placement)
Learning to work with people they might not normally work with, learning to deal with other members not contributing
Leadership
Possibly trying something outside of their comfort zone, understanding what makes a good (and poor) leader, understanding how to delegate tasks
Reflection & Evaluation
Practice doing a self-evaluations to ensure workplace readiness, mastering reflection skills
Authentic Projects
Students feel that this project is important because it is for something “real”
Student Ownership
Mostly student led class, the teacher is a facilitator, students learn to take control, manage their time and create new and innovative ideas
Project Management
Able to see a project through in it’s entirety
Formal “Pitch” Presentation
Dress professionally and deliver a 5 minute “pitch” to the organization (invite admin etc.)
Professionalism
Professional communication, etiquette etc.

4. Benefits to the Organization
Free exposure!
Free research!
Useful ideas and insight (from a younger generation)
Potential future customers
Career insight for students

5. Partnerships & Projects
Clark Patterson Lee (Architectural & Design Firm)- had students create new and updated recruiting materials for them to bring to career fairs 

6. Clark Patterson Lee All students were able to relate to the task
Practiced creativity
Professional correspondences with the firm (professional s)
Budgeting skills

7. Partnerships & Projects
Microsoft- had our students research and create different ways to market a new product (Microsoft 365) to students, teachers and administrators
MS Task

8. Microsoft Challenging task for most students
Students were outside of their comfort zone
Had to do a lot of outside research
Interviewed people from all three target markets (students, teachers and administrators)
Exercised professional telephone and communication
Time management skills
Didn’t interest all students

9. Partnerships & Projects
Mama Lor's Café- had students research and present their findings of entering the food truck business
Had students create recipes to be sold on the potential food truck **Mama Lor’s ended up featuring many of their recipes as specials!

10. Mama Lor’s Cafe Food applies to everyone!
Great project for all interests and abilities
Mechanical, culinary, marketing, design, finance, logistics students etc.
Contacted outside organizations to conduct research (phone & )
Budgeting
Created and executed menu ideas (taste test competition)
Were able to see some of their recipes on Mama Lor’s social media pages (some visited the restaurant to try their creations in person!)

11. Partnerships & Projects
Fleet Feet Sports- “Get Marion Moving!”- students were free to create different ways to get Marion (entire community or just the school district) moving.
Some students created events, races, social media campaigns etc.

12. Testimonials
“This was truly a great experience for me to be a part of.  It was valuable insight as to how this generation thinks about our business and business in general.  I learned valuable information as to how students and our future community members interact with social media, print ads, and other mediums.” –Barb Boutillier, Fleet Feet Sports

13. Testimonials

14. “I really enjoyed doing this and I’m glad the principal was happy as well…cool on the forum announcement! As a pilot project it was a big hit!”
-Bill Slowig- Clark Patterson Lee