going. If they want to go out into the workforce, those credentials and their knowledge base will help them. And they have the work ethic and some of those soft skills, so that they’re ready to go.” A COLLABORATIVE APPROACH Danbury Public Schools’ success is reliant on its extensive network of partnerships with local businesses and organizations. Donovan reports that the school has developed relationships with about 80 partners who actively contribute to the education and career preparedness of its students. These partnerships, however, go beyond traditional sponsorships or donations. “We ask for time, talents, and treasures,” elaborates Donovan. The district asks for time, in terms of allowing students and staff to visit and see firsthand what the job looks like in action. As for talents, he asserts,“They’re experts in the field. Nothing speaks better than bringing an architect or an engineer in to actually talk about what the workday is like.” Treasures include discarded items that could be used in the classroom. “When they’re upgrading we ask for stuff because we can use it as teaching tools. Our first one that we had was Pitney Bowes. They make stamp machines and things like that, and they would throw them out just because they were redoing them. We would take it down to the engineering people, who would basically dismantle it, and talk about all the components that are in there,” he portrays. GROWTH AND FUTURE PLANS The district is proud of its partnership with the City of Danbury, exemplified by the recent approval for the satellite campus school. This new facility will house three additional high school academies and accommodate 1,400 students. “In partnership with the city we’ve made a lot of investment on the infrastructure side. We spent a lot of time and investment in the design of those learning spaces that are cutting edge and support industry certification,” boasts Dr. Casimiro. In addition to securing grants and private funding for infrastructure, she points out the establishment 7 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 05, ISSUE 10 DANBURY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
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